December 29, 2014 -- Our Vacation Begins

Jonny arrived exactly at 9:30 so we loaded up the car with 4 suitcases, a computer case, camera bag tripod and my backpack and off we roared.

We had not even left the city when what should appear on the road next to us but the Pink Auto Rickshaw I was hoping to click. Mary Kay Rickshaw.

Mary Kay rickshaw

Though we have been having cold, cold weather with fog mornings and evenings, Monday started right out clear and sunny – and the temperature warmed by degrees until by mid-morning we were hot in the car. The mountains – in the direction we were headed – were visible for a change.  All in all, it was a perfect day to travel.

We stopped for a few bathroom breaks and managed to get some birdwatching in at each place. Not actually IN the bathrooms. The birds seemed to be as happy as we were with the sun and its warmth and were out in force.There  was a kettle of vultures in the air we just couldn’t photograph, but finally got a picture when one landed on a dry river bed,  and landed right next to another one already there that we had not even noticed – The Egyptian Vulture.  Rob will attach photos of the birds we snapped.

Egyptian Vulture

At lunch, we stopped beside a river where Jonny, our eagle-eyed driver, kept pointing out bird after bird.  We saw a beautiful Plumbeous Water Redstart bathing in a shallow spot, and then close by, the White-capped Water Redstart.

Jonny drives for Benipal Tours, so has taken this route many times and thus was able to tell us, “In 15 kilometers, there is a big statue of Shiva” and other points of interest coming up.  Very handy! We were passing truck after overloaded truck full of sugar cane – on their way to a huge sugar mill a few kilometers further along, Jonny explained.

Statue of Shiva

Other statues along the route

We stopped in Dehradun, as planned, late afternoon. Though we had only travelled about 160 km, we didn’t make good time – due to traffic snarls in every little town, winding narrow mountain roads and of course, stops for birdwatching. 

Rob and I decided to walk around a bit before dinner. The gates to our nice hotel were right on the main road through town – Rajpur Road – and this road, like all the little roads in all the little towns, was solid, wall-to-wall teeny tiny shops shoe-horned next to each other, and teeming with activity though well after dark at 8 pm. I took a picture of a very busy, if mini, auto garage, where mechanics were busily at work despite the hour. Put up your hand if you have ever had to stay overnight in a strange town because your car broke down after hours and all the mechanic shops were closed until morning.Well then, this is the country for you! 

Auto Repair Shop working into the night

No photos we have taken can convey the sheer numbers of people here in India though we have tried to show it on the road going through little towns. Yesterday we were caught in a snarl coming up to an intersection of two narrow roads.We literally went NOWHERE for half an hour. Every ten minutes or so, Jonny would restart the ignition and inch up two feet. We could not make any headway  because  bikes, motorbikes, scooters, horses, could all scrape past on either side – constantly filling up any void left when a car or truck cleared that congested intersection.  (For intersection, read “two broken, narrow roads running perpendicular to each other.)

Hansi