teds travels

23 November 2025

Day 3 to Kuthar

For future reference, my path was:

-through the grid onto Udyog Path, which bends 90deg to the right, left onto Madhya Marg, around Khudda Lahora, on the road that disappears into sand etc via Majrian to Maranwala, then state highway, SH16 to Jutogh, and the 205 to Shimla.

Rolled out of The Fern Residency Chandigarh bright and early. Stopped once to get directions. Went around Khudda Lahora, well out of my comfort zone, Looked up directions again.

It's amazing all the villages through here. People are spread throughout, everywhere.

Left: went slightly the wrong way. A dog guards the way forward.

I think this is about the hardest ride I can remember doing. It started on bitumen, followed by hard dirt.

Deep fine sandy dirt made it hard to keep control (see pic to the right here). Going was slow to say the least. I ended up pushing the bike a few times.

Saw a peacock 2 times.

Doing a left right from the 105 to the SH9, there is rubbish just everywhere along and around the river, big piles of plastic. The town asking the road had many small shops, the owners taking up a lot of space. I've got to go in one time but I can't speak the language so it'd be even more awkward.

You just gotta roll with the traffic and they'll move around you, while honking a lot. The road is single lane bitumen, dirt sides. For busses and trucks I get off right off the road. Some kids stare at the bike, some point and laugh. People don't say hello in general.

I saw a magic looking greenish brown monkey about a foot tall. There were several 2 foot tall ones doing Rambo jumps down into trees a good 3m below. Very noisy.

One guy did stop to talk but we couldn't understand each other. A truck also stopped in the middle of the road to ask where I'm from, that kind of thing. He couldn't block the road for long.

I held on my wee for a while, but finally found a side street. Stopping to get a bottle of water, I finally ask if he has a menu. He says no, it's just roti and mix veg. This is peak, finding someone who speaks enough English that I get to ask for lunch. It's pretty delicious. I haven't hit any properly spicy stuff yet. The lunch man advises visiting Kuthar. Turns out to be bad advice. This place is a truck stop and car wash. Not much point when it's going to get coated in dirt the minute you leave.

The greenery, scenery get better, while the rubbish decreases.

I stop in Kuthar and go to the dirt that has 4.7 star rating. At a glance it looks great, then you realise you are the only person in the place.

At 5.36 I get there. We try both cards to pay. Then they ask if I have UPI. Then they want cash but I have to go to the ATM. I hunt for the first, is out of service, then try to find the other but fail after going along a tiny side street that is also the shopping strip. It's getting dark.

I try to go to the other hotel after getting the rage coming on, but they're not there and not answering the phone.

I explain things and then he asks for the cash. Clearly he's not understanding.

Then I come up with the idea of a bank transfer. The boys calls 4 times, eventually it's done.

The water takes ten minutes to heat and about the same time to use it all up. I cook, then work out the cold tap then freeze again at the end.

Going to the dining room, no one is there. I wait for a while. There's dirty table clothes up there still. I consider not eating for a minute but I don't think I can. I then go hunting for them and give the order. Back in my room I am cold, hungry, and the Ac remote does not work. I feel this is the Indian version of the Bates motel. All 5 of the guys stumble around to get things. I genuinely don't know how they are still in business. This place is horrible. The food was surprisingly nice. I read they get a restaurant to do it.

Day 2- cycling Chandigarh

Day 2, I took the bike down in the lift, rolled out the front door, and joined the main street with the locals. There were plenty of others so it felt safe.

I rolled without aim or care, ending up at the High Court. One guy with a machine gun smiled and helped me with directions, then the next set, the guy said something incomprehensible pointed his finger and said GO! I respected his authority. Don't want to screw around with angry army personnel.

The tourist office said to come back at 12, so I ended up in the rock garden to kill some time. There were loads of school kids having a great time. I said hello to an entire class, or rather they did to me as they filled past. I chatted to one teacher who was very kind. She quizzed me but I forgot to quiz her back.

It's laid out in a maze, a huge open plaza at the end with swings. I walked around, couldn't find the exit, panicked, asked, and turns out you have to back track. I'd already spent an hour and had 30 to get to the tourist office, so at a panicked clip, with no idea of I was quite going the right way in the maze, it was a huge relic to get back to the bike parking area. I think mine was the only one locked up.

After going through another baggage scanner, and leaving my bike repair kit behind for the tour, we went over a foot bridge and inside where there were more army guys, but unarmed. Poor things must be really bored.

It was the work of Le Corbusier, moderated by Nehru demands. For example, the tallest building is only about 5 levels. With all the fighting, wars etc, Nehru did not want to create a target.

Chandigarh is a planned city. La Hore was lost to Pakistan, so Punjab in India needed a capitol. Turns out it is Haryanas capitol as well.

Le Corbusier symbol is the corbeau, hence his name, ie a crow, in French. Because the bird is intelligent (and modest?). So on the door of parliament, there is a crow, and a chicken, the symbol of France.

The hand of peace is the shape of a dove and weighs 50 tonnes. It turns with the wind!

I ended up chatting to 2 French girls who are in exchange to study textiles. Awesome place to do it. So many amazing fabrics.

Checked out my route for tomorrow. Met up with John and Manus's families for dinner at a BBQ grill, slightly weird but I guess it's something different. I got the message a bit late, so got there a bit late. Met and charged to Andy, Monika, her sister Sona plus her husband Navdeep, and the their Mammy mum/ grand mum. I asked for name in Hindi. She says do you speak Hindi? I say no!

Monika is handling all the details and not getting upset. Navdeep is worried about me going up SH9 due to trucks and damage from the extreme monsoon this year. He says to go on the NH5. Sona is the head of a department and sometimes goes into the amazing 1960s brutalist Admin building in town.

I wake up at 3am and screen shot the road. It is a complete horror main road. I don't sleep well.

22 November 2025

Day one India - Chandigarh

Finished work at 4.15, showered, kissed Marie goodbye at the station, and got on the train. The walk from Wolli Creek was actually very nice and too easy. Got on the flight after walking very slowly passed the $50 a litre Aus gin. Entertainment screens were busted, a great thing as I slept a lot more.

Travelling solo is great. Meet one fellow on the sky bridge, then chatted to the guy seated next to me. He is a Sydney and a cement truck driver. He gets paid a lot and hasd a few at the airport bar. I felt obliged to have one. Dinner was a huge shot of whiskey and a packet of crunchy corn. I think the alco lady is trying to make people forget that the screens aren't working. Cattle class is a bit run down. Hallelujah there's food! Breakfast was 4 hours later, then 4 hours more sleep, more food.

Landed. Customs lady at Delhi airport was barely verbal. I panicked at the baggage carousel as everyone else got their bags first. I finally got out then furiously tried to make an earlier train. QR code did bit not work. I got the wrong start station and paid more. Then needed to buy another ticket going backwards to the selected start. Just as the train going the wrong way left, I thought I should have gone the out and back in again, to make it legit, but the next one was a mind blowing 17 mins so chanced it to Delhi. Of course the QR code wouldn't work on the correct destination. They told me to go the start station. But then they kindly let me buy yet another ticket that cost the balance of the trip.

Getting out at the stain was a rude shock. Heaps of people, cars rolling over the path honking as they exit the car park. Inside the hall at the station looked like a disaster movie: people sleeping on the ground rolled up in blankets, families sitting on the ground in a circle etc.

I asked around where to go to ask for an earlier train. A guy I didn't trust got me to the window. He was helpful, genuine, and translated for me. The info man said no seats available.

After waiting 3 hours on the wrong platform, the train came onto the screen. I found my way to the right one. Found a seat but it's thick metal. Eventually it warms up. A blind man who appears to have burned his face comes round along for money. I hands him a ten. Then he takes a step closer and again asks me for money. I can't explain that I gave him some. Then had to walk off.

After lapping the platform, I saw someone with a printed QR ticket. Mine had no QR, no seat number. I had the sinking feeling that my ticket was not confirmed. Also the platform is 200m long and i had no idea where to stand to get the correct carriage. I started thinking about back up plans like attempting to find a bus, going to the airport to get wifi. An employee helps but it takes a customer to look up my seat number. Crazily I have no internet. My co passenger is very friendly, a helicopter pilot with the Indian armed forces. He mainly patrols the Himalayas. Their choppers go up to 7000m.

On train, the views are amazing as we go through the outskirts of Delhi. Ac boasts the cabin with super cold air.

An thinking hard about how to handle the squat toilet. Pants right down or stop at the knees? Chandigarh next stop! I ask my friend his name. It's Lieutenant Colonel something. Obviously a very successful guy.

On the platform I don't know where to go, go with the flow, can see where the Tuk Tuks are, and then we're in.

These things are awesome. The view is unhindered, you feel every bump. You could easily shake hands with the adjacent petiole in the traffic.

The hotel is top class. My bike is here, a huge relief. 2 guys bring it up, so i to them both.

I'm missing a nut, which means i can't go anywhere. A short walk to the local bike shop hero who gave me one for free. I love the place. Walking after dark feels safe.

There's a Merc, Audi, and Porsche dealers on the same street. Odd country. Dinner here was perfect, potato cauliflower nut lumps in gravy with about 5 naans.

12 November 2025

Nov-2025

Oli getting dressed up as a magical wizard. He looked fantastic. Marie put a lot of work into his outfit. I hand made a satchel bag to carry his potions. Maybe a simple belt bottle holder would have been better, but I also think sit turned out quite well!

He was all super shiny for the start.

I bought him some alcoholic fruit fizzy drink, fancy mind you, not total alco pops. So I take some of the responsibility for the results. I think he had a great time for most of it. Marie went over to collect him after one of the girls called in for someone to collect him at the end of the night.

Went to Robbie's for some fun and games.

Went to Mohammad's home for an amazing home cooked meal courtesy of Farnaz. She is an expert!

And finally on the 21st, I set off for India, a bit ahead of the others. I had 3 days to get to Shimla by myself, where I planned to meet everyone else for the big wedding. This image is at Petersham train station. I walked it from Wolli Creek to the airport, too easy.