It all started off with a fab breakfast in the posh hotel where we were staying. The hotel owners were incredibly kind and gave us a significant discount - but asked us not to tell anyone else - so I will not tell how HUGE the discount was :-)
The staff at the hotel were really great. Once the other guests had left and we were getting our bikes together 2 of the lads became quite playful and wanted a go on our bikes. Normally neither myself nor Alan would be happy doing this but these lads were lovely. It was very funny seeing them cycling round on our touring bike with their Indian clothing.
Alan was not feeling 100% yet today with a head cold but better than the last few days. He took a while to get ready while I faffed with my bike. I have a slight buckle in the back tyre as it is not sitting evenly on the wheel and so I fixed that, gave the bike a good clean and tuned it. We got on the road at 10.
It is now well in to mango season and so we had some freshly squeezed mango juice on the way out of the village. I large glass of ice cold mango juice for 5RS - that's about 7.5p! Awesome.
The first stretch of highway was reasonably flat and very easy going. Not much traffic and awesome views. We made good time. We could have gone the whole way today on the highway but decided to head on the single track lanes instead.
The countryside is desert and they use cactus as hedges..... cool.
We were just biking along and all of a sudden we had to stop as a couple of camels where blocking our way. It have been great seeing Camels round the place in Rajasthan.
We stopped to take some photos by a river and 3 lads about 10-12 years old came over to chat. Before we knew it they bought 2 green beautiful pet birds out of their bags. It was so surreal. The let us hold them and stoke them and take photos :-)
Stopped for a free lunch by a temple. Sat the shade with the very friendly people under an Byanian tree. They drowned us in tea....
We were traveling along some very small country roads in the middle of nowhere. I popped into a village to get some water and juice (leaving Alan on the edge of the village to get food) and about 200 people in the village followed me through the streets staring and laughing. Alan took the video below of about 50 of the children from the village following me as I left. I was the Pied Piper of Rajesthan! It was very funny. We spent ages there talking to the whole village before we headed off as once again we where on a deadline to reach somewhere with accommodation before dark.
We stopped off for fruit in a village and had about 50 people come to stare. This man was desperate to sell us a bike pump that was about 7 times bigger than our hand pumps.....
When we were still about 35km from Bundi my pedal on the left seized up and fixed in one position and would not turn. We tried to put loads of oil on it and loosen it off and I could then ride again for a bit but then the pedal just snapped leaving me with a pedal attached to the bottom of my cycling shoes and a metal spike sticking out of the bike. We were in such a hurry by this stage to get to Bundi before dark that this was not good!
Alan pointed out that he thought my "English made" Orange P7 is rubbish and always falling to pieces. In fact I have had very little go wrong on the trip but so far this week the following things have broken on my bike:
My knee joint was really hurting by the time we got to the area where there are all the hotels in Bundi. The angle was all wrong for my knee - ouch!
We quickly found a room for 200RS between the 2 of us that was clean and had a shower and western toilet etc. It is quiet season and there is loads of competition and so this brings the price down considerably.
I dropped off my bags and went back into town to get an Indian pedal fitted. I wanted to get it done tonight as I thought we might be short of time tomorrow to see the Place and Fort and then push on to the next place.
I had a veg biryani and Alan had a huge bowl of pasta. We looked at the distances and the route. Google maps is not give me the route that we will take to Agra - now only 350km. We decided that we have some time to play with and so will stay in Bundi tomorrow and have an explore and some down time. Awesome.
I spent some time faffing on my blog and reading after dinner but it was 10 by this time and I was tired. To sleep about 11.
The staff at the hotel were really great. Once the other guests had left and we were getting our bikes together 2 of the lads became quite playful and wanted a go on our bikes. Normally neither myself nor Alan would be happy doing this but these lads were lovely. It was very funny seeing them cycling round on our touring bike with their Indian clothing. 
Alan was not feeling 100% yet today with a head cold but better than the last few days. He took a while to get ready while I faffed with my bike. I have a slight buckle in the back tyre as it is not sitting evenly on the wheel and so I fixed that, gave the bike a good clean and tuned it. We got on the road at 10. 
It is now well in to mango season and so we had some freshly squeezed mango juice on the way out of the village. I large glass of ice cold mango juice for 5RS - that's about 7.5p! Awesome.The first stretch of highway was reasonably flat and very easy going. Not much traffic and awesome views. We made good time. We could have gone the whole way today on the highway but decided to head on the single track lanes instead.
The countryside is desert and they use cactus as hedges..... cool.
We were just biking along and all of a sudden we had to stop as a couple of camels where blocking our way. It have been great seeing Camels round the place in Rajasthan. 
We stopped to take some photos by a river and 3 lads about 10-12 years old came over to chat. Before we knew it they bought 2 green beautiful pet birds out of their bags. It was so surreal. The let us hold them and stoke them and take photos :-) 
Stopped for a free lunch by a temple. Sat the shade with the very friendly people under an Byanian tree. They drowned us in tea.... 
We were traveling along some very small country roads in the middle of nowhere. I popped into a village to get some water and juice (leaving Alan on the edge of the village to get food) and about 200 people in the village followed me through the streets staring and laughing. Alan took the video below of about 50 of the children from the village following me as I left. I was the Pied Piper of Rajesthan! It was very funny. We spent ages there talking to the whole village before we headed off as once again we where on a deadline to reach somewhere with accommodation before dark. 
We stopped off for fruit in a village and had about 50 people come to stare. This man was desperate to sell us a bike pump that was about 7 times bigger than our hand pumps.....When we were still about 35km from Bundi my pedal on the left seized up and fixed in one position and would not turn. We tried to put loads of oil on it and loosen it off and I could then ride again for a bit but then the pedal just snapped leaving me with a pedal attached to the bottom of my cycling shoes and a metal spike sticking out of the bike. We were in such a hurry by this stage to get to Bundi before dark that this was not good!
Alan pointed out that he thought my "English made" Orange P7 is rubbish and always falling to pieces. In fact I have had very little go wrong on the trip but so far this week the following things have broken on my bike:
- 1 spoke (fixed)
- 1 pedal (now riding with one Indian pedal and one clip in pedal - looks very silly and need to get replacements somewhere)
- 2 inner tubes (need to get replacements somewhere)
- 1 front wheel hub (fixed at Indian bike shop - just needed tightening)
- 1 back brake cable outer case
- 2 tyres (worn out and replaced with new ones which I picked up in Goa)
My knee joint was really hurting by the time we got to the area where there are all the hotels in Bundi. The angle was all wrong for my knee - ouch!
We quickly found a room for 200RS between the 2 of us that was clean and had a shower and western toilet etc. It is quiet season and there is loads of competition and so this brings the price down considerably.
I dropped off my bags and went back into town to get an Indian pedal fitted. I wanted to get it done tonight as I thought we might be short of time tomorrow to see the Place and Fort and then push on to the next place. 
I had a veg biryani and Alan had a huge bowl of pasta. We looked at the distances and the route. Google maps is not give me the route that we will take to Agra - now only 350km. We decided that we have some time to play with and so will stay in Bundi tomorrow and have an explore and some down time. Awesome.I spent some time faffing on my blog and reading after dinner but it was 10 by this time and I was tired. To sleep about 11.
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