When is a Hotel not a Hotel?

KHARDI 18:30 When is a Hotel not a Hotel?

Surprised I made it so far today, the sun was punishing, worse though was the lack of sleep, it was that hot I took half an hour in the shade at a petrol station just to let my pulse slow a little.

I realised after leaving BHIWANDI that I wasnt on my preferred road and even the traffic cops didnt know which I wanted, so I decided to stay with the national highway as the number of Hotels, restaurants and water stops made travelling along it very easy logistically, so despite the heavy traffic I stayed with it. Pushing on until 17:00 I stopped at a very nice looking place and with great anticipation took myself and the bike into the cool, shady leafy garden.

“But it says Hotel outside” I ventured good naturedly to the boy, “yes sir, but no lodging”. This was repeated over the next half hour and I finally got the hint, in India Hotel does not necessarily mean a place of lodging. Khardi was large enough to make it onto my map and was just up the road so I headed there fully expecting to find somewhere to sleep.

Khardi is a truck stop and a grim one at that, its run by the dodgy blokes who wear only white and drive 1950s styled white cars which I think are called ambassador, they are Hindu I think, the guys not the cars...

I decided to eat as it was available and finishing my meal, I had little idea what to do next. It was already dark, there was no way I would venture out onto that road in the dark on a bike, not even for 500meters and I stank. The mosquito's eagerly broiled in a cloud around me, I could almost hear their delight, so I bought some water and washed the worst of the road off my legs, the sweat off my arms and changed into long trousers, socks, DEET and waited.



Truckers
After asking the staff a few times they eventually asked around and helped me get a lift, the bike was raised onto the cabin roof by rope, my baggage and I went in the cab with the driver, the drivers assistant, two other Indian passengers and the engine. We were joined for a short section by a family of three which changed the occupation from cramped to friendly, I was sitting behind the driver to his left and when not opening sachets of spitting tobacco, handing him water or changing the tape I spent my time avoiding the gear linkage.

The first thing to strike you once you while recovering from the heat in the cab is the noise. The driver I suspect was a believer in some Hindu evangelist anyway I listened clearly to the tape despite having industrial earplugs in! The truck had some interesting features one that I liked was its consumption of water which for the 50km I was along for was about five litres and fed to the engine via duct built into the cab just for that purpose.

I had only wanted to go 18km up the road to the next available lodging, but some how I ended up going all the way to Nashik. On reflection this wasnt such a bad move, the road was fantastic for cycling, lots of steep curves and sheer drops, fantastic scenery but the trucks were mercenary and there would be no escape when two went hurtling in opposite directions at each other both on the wrong side of the road, I jest ye not. The experience was unforgettable, I did take some video, predictably all the really crazy stuff happened just before I started or on a couple of occasions just after I stopped filming.

I was happy to arrive in Nashik but a little sorry to be leaving the truck, the camaraderie was great and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and there was only minor damage to the bike.