Ok. On the bikes early, it’s still dark outside and we are headed for Patna. We are the only ones on the road. We are on quite little roads after leaving town and are having a very nice start of the day. Then the rain comes and the once before nice roads turn to highways under construction with lots of detours. It not just raining it’s fricken pouring! Low visibility and muddy conditions on the detours. After about 4 hours of it, Cliff pulls into what I think is an abandon gas station which turns out to be a restaurant. We head inside and there is a tour bus parked in the back so we must be good? So we are wet and tired so we stay. We order the food and after about 20 minutes a group of military police show up. I think that they’re here to shut the makeshift abandoned gas station down, but no, they’re here for lunch too. Another 30 minutes go by and I notice all the cops are eating and we haven’t got any food. I ask the proprietor what’s up? He says your food is ready just one moment. Another 20 minutes and nothing! Now this is the second time in 2 days that this has happened. Last night at dinner same thing, Indians who came in after us eat first. That’s the way it is here. Later this same day, a guy cuts in front of me line to order some dinner, I address him with ” you think it’s ok to just cut in front of the foreigner?” he says very clearly “yes I am Indian, it’s Ok!”

Anyway, 2 hour lunch now puts is behind schedule, we reach Patna at peak traffic and giant celebration time can’t find fricken hotel, drive around with in crazy hot traffic. At one point we literally have over 100 people at one intersection crowded round our bikes.

Today is the biggest and last day of the Celebration of “Good over Evil” and Patna being a big city means BIG celebration complete with huge Fireworks show we can see from hotel room. After finally finding the hotel and checking inn. We meet for dinner. We go outside and it’s a mob scene. 10’s of thousands of people everywhere. Everybody having a good time but still a little crazy. So we decide to eat in the hotel. The next day we head for Gaya. Another early start and after only a 100 klicks on nice roads we reach our destination. Gaya is where Buddha attained enlightenment. It’s just outside town where we find a nice hotel. It’s a beautiful day with no rain in site. My friends are planing a nice day of temples. We are about 400 klicks from Kulcata and I am worried the next day is gonna be like yesterday, 10 hours of shitty roads and traffic. So I decide to break from the group and head out my own. My plan is to travel half the 400 hundred klicks today and have nice short day tomorrow. About 30 klicks south of Gaya the map says I am to turn onto international Highway # 2 all the way to Kulcata. I have no hope that it’s gonna be any better road than yesterdays International Highway but to my surprise it a real 4 lane divided highway! Real Highway! The first I have seen in 4 weeks! I wick it up to 120 kmph and start thinking,”shit, it’s only noon and at this pace I can make Kalcutta and my first 5 star hotel in weeks!” First 200 klicks are fast maybe 2.5 hours. Then start some truck traffic and cross traffic in towns. There is really no where I can see I want to stop so I continue on. Another 100 and now the heavy traffic you would expect outside any big city starts. So by the time I get close it’s starting to get dark. I don’t see at night like I used to and there is no highway lights to think of so I have to wait for a car to pass me and then get in behind them and follow until they get tired of my lights in there mirror and speed off. Slow progress but I am determined to sleep in big bed with big pillows! So I continue. I finally reach the outskirts around 6 and start looking for Taxi to direct me the final distance to the Taj Bengal, the most famous hotel in Kulcata. Lots of interchange choices, still to far outside city to find taxi. I see this guy on scooter curious about this big white guy on big bike and stop him. I start to follow him and quickly realize he doesn’t have a clue where we are going. He continually stops and ask for directions. I still don’t see any taxis, so he still my best choice. He is trying to help. I run in to this all the time. People I meet genuinely want to help you. They even will agree with you on bad directions thinking they are helping you. So I have developed the 3 answer rule. You ask 3 different people the same question and if you different directions from anyone of them you gotta ask another until you have 3 confirming directions. Works most of the time. But it’s night time and there’s no body to ask and my scooter guy keeps taking me on freeway on ramps going the wrong way against traffic like it’s no big deal!

When we do find the hotel I am very pleased. Real doorman to help with my bags. Welcome drink on arrival. I probably should mention I am most likely smelling a little Foul! Bikes filthy from now 30 days of continued abuse. Haven’t been able to wash any of my outer gear for fear of harsh laundry detergent ruining the protective clothing that keeps me waterproof and no time to hand wash and dry before riding next day. So when I pull up to these kind of properties, I am usually drilled with questions about what am I doing here. These guys were great. As I get off my bike the realization that I just completed a very big adventure starts to sink in. I am here! Kolkata frickin India. Talk about the long way round! I started this RTW in January of 2007 when I crossed into Mexico 25 or countries later here I am. My unconventional method of moving the bike from country to country, leaving it there, flying home and retrieving it later has made for slow progress. But more importantly it has allowed me the opportunity to really get to the people and places I have visited. For me that was what this life journey is all about!

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