I got back from India a couple of days ago. It was an amazing trip...we explored the west coast of Kerala and Goa- on tuck-tucks, Ambassador taxis, a house boat, a canoe, trains and planes. I totally fell in love with the country, the people were so friendly, the colours so amazingly vibrant...I will definitely be returning there at some point!The biggest culture shock for me when we first arrived in Kochi was the road systems...I would say, or lack there of...but everyone does abide by some key rules.
-There is a hierarchy on the roads, the bigger your vehicle the more right of way you have. (this means buses and trucks never want to use their brakes, so over the course of the trip I saw a fair few drivers run off the road!)
- Drive with the horn, and overtake where possible. As a driver approaches a pedestrian, cyclist, other vehicle, cow or what have you, they are to honk their horn until they have overtaken that obstacle. It's pretty much a symphony of horns.
- In Goa I noticed that there were speed restrictions depending on what mode of transport you are driving. For example, if you are on a scooter you are restricted to drive at 40km/h, but if you're driving a truck it's 60km/h on the very same road!
I did get used to it after a short while...but I really don't think I would have liked to be a cyclist in those conditions; being bottom of the food chain and all!
So now I'm back in the UK, and we are having a freezing cold winter by our standards (5 degrees Celsius! Does that make me a wimp?!), with lots and lots of rain. It's hard to motivate yourself to go and ride. This weekend I'm going to do the full cycle into work...and now I have typed it that means I have to do it! It's good to have this incentive.
Reading the blogs of other people on this experience with Globe, some are having their summer at the moment. Oh how I envy you- in Hawaii and California!
The thermals and gloves are out- wahoo :)
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