Day 23 Saturday 30th July 2007

LUDHIANA, INDIA – NEW DELHI, INDIA

And so, after a couple of days of lovely rest with superb food, I am again off on the last leg (200 miles) of the journey.

The roads are good and traffic is light at 6am. The route takes me through some quite large towns and construction on a new bridge adds 45 minutes to the journey. Still, I make good progress and reach Delhi outskirts at 10:45 where I am met by Dr.Sashanka who is administrator of the 2 JBF projects – Mobile Cattle Clinic and Informal School for working children.

We head straight for Viklang Basti where the Informal School is situated and there I get a great welcome from the children and teachers. The staff from the Mobile Cattle Clinic are also there and we have a good time just all being together once more.

It seems a long time ago since I set off from Foulden and headed down the A1 on the first bit of a long way. I feel very lucky that none of the terrible things that could have happened did happen and I feel greatly privileged to have met so many good people along the way.

Regarding undertaking the ride in the first place, to be frank, at times I could hear my Mums childhood rebuke ringing in my ears: “Jonathan, I do wish you would think before you act” but generally I was pleased to be doing the ride, even when things were not going so smoothly.

I would like to thank all the folks who helped me prepare for this, some of whom I have listed but many of whom are there and we know who you are. Perhaps above all, I would like to thank those people that I met along the way who offered help to a stranger. This is the mark of true humanity and compassion.

Thanks:

Caroline for putting up with my wild and ill-thought out ideas.
Mum for teaching me to look out as well as in.
Keek and Rick for the essential modifications done to XS.
Katy for all the things she did – and I can’t remember if I said please.
Jane and James for their help and advice with Iranian Visa maze.
George for managing to keep me interested in physical fitness for more than 2 days.
Gary for his excellent route planning.
Everyone who sponsored the ride – all journey costs covered by me, so all donations straight to JBF.
All JBF staff in India who have made it possible for me to be involved in such Stirling work.

Jonny Krause.
Proprietor PGM(Motorcycle Spares)
Trustee JBF(Scotland)

New Delhi, India.
30th July 2007

Day 22 Friday 27th July 2007

QUADIPUR RAN, PAKISTAN – LUDHIANA, INDIA.

A good nights sleep outside on a bunk, with a fan keeping me lovely and cool all night. Again the Police escort and again the frustration of having a long way to go in one day but they do insist on crawling along at 30mph!

Entering Punjab in Pakistan, I was struck by how green and cool it all seemed compared to Central and Eastern Pakistan. I wondered if the people felt lucky to live here instead of the oven-like stone quarry I had left behind me.

Eventually arrived at the border with India and left Pakistan feeling that I had just been in one of the friendliest countries so far – the other being Iran.

I went through the formalities on Pakistan side fine, but the Indian immigration authorities said that my Visa was not valid because the official stamp is smudged (small incident involving leaking water bottle a few days earlier). Anyway, after a tense moment or two the man said he would go and ask his superior if I could enter India or not. His superior came and told me off for not taking care of my passport and then said I could go to the next stage of the process which was to get XS into India with me. A bit of paperwork and a cup of tea later and we were set free to commence to Ludhiana.

On arrival at Ludhiana city limits, I was lucky enough to be approached by one Kuldeep Singh who offered to ride pillion and guide me to my address where I was to rest with friends. Well, I thought XS was already fully loaded, but we soon found that there was spare capacity for one more person. And so we travelled across the city with Kuldeep tapping one shoulder or the other of mine, according to which direction I should take.

Arriving at Florences home I breathed a sigh of relief and looked forward to a nice rest with all the facilities. Florence is an excellent cook, so I knew I would be able to regain a bit of strength while with her and her husband, DK. (Jonny Krause)

Day 21. Thursday 26th July 2007

MEKHTAR, PAKISTAN – QUADIPUR RAN, PAKISTAN

A most testing day indeed. I slept a bit badly because I was bitten all over by little things. At first I thought it was mosquitoes, but then I came to realise that I was also being bitten in places next to the mattress and covered by the sheet! So, they were in the bed, whatever they were. Then I heard something rustling in my bag which was next to my bag – this wasn’t going very well. And so the night went on until it became light and I got up, a bit bleary eyed, but pleased to leave my bed nevertheless.

Anyway, after breakfast I was just about to set off when I was approached by a youth who started to tell me that Allah is the only God and that all other religions apart from his form of Muslim are mistaken and should give it up. I told him I thought he should be more tolerant of others beliefs and that his attitude is the same one that causes so much trouble all over the world. I mean, it’s great that he believes that he has found the true God, but it would be greater if he recognised that others also believe the same about their own God. I don’t think he liked me and I am sure I didn’t like him.

So I set off and 5 miles into the stony, boiling desert I got a puncture in the rear tyre. 6,000 miles and no puncture and then I get one 5 miles after leaving my little closed mind twerp. The thought did cross my mind about curses and such, but I don’t believe in those – do I?

Anyway, seeing that the air has left your tyre in this situation can have a bowel-loosening effect and so the first thing to do was walk a distance from the road and get that sorted out. On returning (feeling a lot better I can tell you) I set about removing the rear wheel.
Well, less than 10 minutes had passed before 2 chaps came by on their bike and stopped to give some help. They stayed with me for more than ½ hour, even though they had their own things to attend to. After they left I worked alone for a while and then, just as I needed them, a van load of men working on power lines stopped and helped get the job finished. In fact, when I told them I was OK now, they said that they would see me leave the spot first, then they would also move. Although I don’t want any more punctures, this one has certainly shown me that the Pakistanis have big hearts when it comes to giving their time and effort.

The day finished a bit strangely. After crossing the brilliant mountains, I was stopped by the police who insisted on giving me an escort. That is good because it means I don’t get lost through towns and cities, but can be very frustrating when on good roads and they still insist on dawdling along at 30mph.

Then, the police said I should stay the night at their station and so I was offered a bathing room next to the Inspectors office. Unfortunately the room had no electric light or window, so I left the door a bit open into the office for some light. And in the office the Inspector was holding court with a couple of dozen folks with various grievances. They have a system where people come to the station to lodge a complaint and the police then round up all the participants in that complaint and they see if the situation can be resolved without official action being taken. So there I was in a strange room wearing nothing but the water from the bucket while all the serious deliberations were going on a few feet from me – a bit strange indeed.
(Jonny Krause)

Day 20. Wednesday 25th July 2007

QUETTA, PAKISTAN – MEKHTAR, PAKISTAN

I had a good nights sleep at the police station – apart from one incident. I awoke in the middle of the night to find a man standing at the foot of my bed. I leapt from the bed with a “What the….?” And then realised it was one of the policeman offering me some dinner. The shift had changed and dinner was served. When I had calmed down a bit I had my dinner and then immediately fell asleep again – nice midnight feast!

Well, I was right to be doubtful about claims regarding the improvement of road conditions from Quetta – if anything the roads are worse today than yesterday. Really, I spent most of the day worrying about how much more of the banging, jolting and general abuse either XS or I could put up with. It felt like a MotoCross which someone had forgotten to give any finish line to – so it just went on and on for hour after hour. The 219 miles done today felt much harder on me and XS than the 500+ miles done between England and Germany.

Then, when I did get onto some tarmac I rushed a bit and killed a small Sparrow-like bird. That made me feel really bad and for some miles I rode along wondering if this is really such a good idea.

I saw a small cluster of stalls by the road and stopped for something to eat. The only people present were 6 or 7 teenagers looking after these stalls and at first they seemed friendly enough. But the cooking facilities were not just a health risk, they were an ill-health certainty, so I went to get ready to move on and see what was on the road ahead. The boys then became much more unfriendly and started grabbing at things on XS like my sunglasses and so I also became a bit rough with them, pushing one away and restraining anothers hand. They backed off long enough for me to get on XS and ride away, but then stones came and one hit XS on her tank – I was pleased to have my riding clothes + helmet on, I can tell you.

But the day ended nicely, with me finding a very strange hotel made with just one large room for beds, luggage etc. and a long veranda out front for eating, drinking and chatting. The whole affair was very relaxed and they even brought the office chair to the veranda for the Britisher to sit upon. I was told to bring XS inside the large room and so she stayed beside my bed during the night (I should probably mention that the whole building is on the ground floor).

So, a bit of a crappy and hard day, but nice at the end at least.

(Note: The next morning I got a long bill for my stay which included several cups of tea, a couple of glasses of fizzy pop, dinner, staying the night and breakfast. It all came to 2 pounds 80 pence!) (Jonny Krause)

Day 19. 24th July 2007

DALBANDIN, PAKISTAN – QUETTA, PAKISTAN

What a ride today! I was away by 6am and very soon the road became just like a building site. Actually, for 120 miles you would have thought you were travelling on a temporary road inside a huge stone quarry. As far as the eye can see there is stone, sand and rock everywhere and the road is simply a flattish strip going away onto the horizon. The surface is loose stones up to the size of your fist, making progress very slow and laborious – even 15mph seemed like being hasty for most of this road. The added difficulty of coping with 40c + and such a heavy machine (sorry XS) made the whole day rather a challenge.

Then back onto tarmac and up into 3rd and even 4th gear – luxury!

After an hour or so on tarmac I came across and area which was surprisingly lush and green – with large apple orchards scattered here and there. The temperature was noticeably cooler here and I stopped to give XS a new air filter.

Then off again and soon the road is looking rough and stony once more and I finish the day at a Quetta Police Station. I just stopped to ask for directions and the police cadets invited me in for eating and drinking and many, many questions about my ride, my country, my family and all. So I will stay the night and hopefully the roads will be a bit better from now on – I am told that they are smooth from now on, but I have heard that one before! (Jonny Krause)

Day 18. Monday 23rd July 2007

NEHBANDAN, IRAN – DALBANDIN, PAKISTAN.

Last day in Iran and feeling a bit sad to leave but also a bit excited to be getting nearer to India.

It’s been miles too hot today – as soon as I crossed the Iranian mountains to enter Pakistan, I could feel the temperature rising like an oven. Even the wind seems to burn as you ride along, no relief from the heat at all.

The roads leading out of Iran are good but then things deteriorate a bit when entering Pakistan. Very soon I realise I have to be a lot more vigilant because there are plenty of holes to fall into if your not careful.

XS is being a beauty – not putting a foot wrong.

I asked 2 chaps directions to a hotel and after telling me they asked for gifts. This is the first time since leaving home that someone has asked for something in return for being helpful.

The little town reminds me of India – hot, dusty and noisy. Although the cook at the hotel looked a bit baffled when I asked him for something vegetarian, he soon set to and produced a very tasty spread. (Jonny Krause)

Day 17. Sunday 22nd July 2007

ESLAM QUAL’EH, IRAN - NEHBANDAN, IRAN.

The roads continue to be really good and this is reflected in another 430 miles today. The sun is getting stronger and my hands and wrists have burnt a bit today. I usually wear gloves but I found that they were stuck on my hands because of sweating so much and when I eventually pulled them off I could not get them back on again.

I stopped at a small garage which gave XS an oil change and we fitted her new filter also. There must have been 10 men all trying to join in on the job, so I hope that thing about ‘Too many cooks..’ isn’t true in this case. Interestingly there was also a customers 1960’s Yamaha YL2 being worked on, so I captured a picture of 2 old Japanese machines together in Iran.

I will sleep at a Mosque again tonight as they are right on the main road and they seem to be clean and safe and the folks don’t mind me being there at all. (Jonny Krause)

Day 16 Saturday 21st July 2007

Semnan, Iran – Eslam Qual’eh, Iran

It was a pleasure to get up this morning and ride straight back to the main road – without having to explore the city before leaving it.

Having reached the main road I thought I could see another European style bike up ahead and wondered who I might have chanced across. However, on catching up with this machine, I realised that the reason it was bulkier than the local bikes was because, amongst other things tied to his bike, the chap had a wheelbarrow strapped behind him.

A nice surprise today. I asked at a small town about a hotel and was told that there is none here but I was welcome to sleep at the Mosque if I liked. I was invited to bring XS into the confines of the Mosque and then sleep under the shelter surrounding the prayer hall. There are shops and washing facilities all on site and everything is lovely and clean and peaceful. It is quite usual for travellers to stay at Mosques in Iran – if I had known this then Tehran would never have had the pleasure of my company, I can tell you. (Jonny Krause)

Day 15 Friday 20th July 2007

Tehran, Iran – Semnan, Iran

Today started badly but ended well. After such a long day yesterday, I then slept badly and awoke at 5am with loose bowels. Luckily C has packed some Diocalm and one tablet soon settled things. But by then I was really so tired and I slept until past 9am and back on the road by 10.

Then the job of trying to locate the motorway. Again the one way system and again plenty of people telling me “Don’t worry, it is straight on” – which was rubbish because only a few streets further there was no straight on, only left or right. And no bloody signs – even when I was only a few streets away from the motorway entrance, still the signs were just indicating local places, nothing to hint which way I should go if I wanted to leave the city.

Eventually some police stopped when they saw me trying an illegal turn. Once they had quizzed me about this and that, they set their lights flashing and led me to the motorway – I got the feeling they were really just getting rid of me onto someone else’s patch, but for me it was great because at least I was now on the main road again.

Reaching Semnan I immediately flagged down a passing motorist and asked them if they would guide me to a hotel – cheeky, but I really didn’t feel much like spending the evening ‘exploring’ as one Turkish man had put it. The first people I stopped agreed and they took me straight to a hotel, just a few minutes from the motorway. In fact, I again had a choice of hotels and the 2 that stood out were Ghods Hotel and Oral Hotel. Being in a foreign land far from home, I thought it best to play safe and opted for Ghods Hotel which turned out to be clean and respectable as you might expect.

Strangely, I am not receiving any texts from C now, but the same text from Katy has been delivered no less than 30 times. (Jonny Krause)

Day 14 Thursday 19th July 2007

Tabriz, Iran – Tehran, Iran

The roads are really very nice and the weather is warming up nicely. Folks are friendly and I am having a lovely time. But then I have to try and find a place to stay in Tehran.

I started the day dreading this search and I was right to do so. An absolute nightmare of a place to negotiate with lots of one-way’s and very few signs. Everyone I asked gave me different opinions of where best to look for a hotel and I was beginning to feel that the hunt was futile.

I must have had that look of hopelessness on my face when the last man was trying to describe what part of the city I should head for – because instead of sending me on my long and useless way, he instead offered to lead me to a hotel. Well, I am pleased he did that because even for him it took 30 minutes and many miles of this way and that before we reached the section of city which seems to have had all the hotels crammed into a few streets. Why not spread them out a bit? Did anyone think of that?

It is now past 9 pm and I have ridden 400 miles today and then spent 2.5 hours roaming around Tehran trying to find a hotel! A bit knackered and not looking forward to trying to find the motorway tomorrow morning I can tell you. Anyway, a lovely hot shower and a bit of tucker and suddenly things look a bit different.

I realise how lucky I am that my guide, Hamit, took the trouble to show me the way because I am sure the only way I was going to find this place on my own is by pure chance. (Jonny Krause)

Day 13 Wednesday 18th July 2007-08-02

Agri, Turkey – Tabriz, Iran.

The border crossing from Turkey to Iran was a pleasure. I was met coming into Iran by one lady official who guided me through the various stages and then presented me with a packet of biscuits once the formalities were complete – now that is how all borders should be!

I needed petrol straight away so I pulled in to the first fuel station. The chap asked for my fuel card and of course I don’t have one – or indeed have any idea what this fuel card is about. He explains to me that fuel is quite cheap in Iran – 5 Pence a Litre! – and so the government has issued ration cards to stop people wasting fuel. But there’s a snag – it takes at least a month to get that card and I need fuel now, tomorrow and the next day.

The attendant says it’s impossible because the pump is only activated when a customer inserts the ration card and so I go to the next petrol station to try. I get the same answer except now I really do need to fill up or I’m not going anywhere. So instead of riding away, this time I take my coat off and sit down on the kerb, leaving XS parked at the petrol pump. After 10 minutes the attendant has asked several customers if they would be willing to use their card on my bike and then someone agrees and I get my fuel. So, from now on I will just have to be resolute in my quest for fuel – a bit of a pain, but not insurmountable.

I came across a Heavy Haulage outfit with some American built Mack trucks, along with Iranian built copies of the Macks. The crew were friendly and I had a nice cup of tea with them inside the living quarters of the yellow Iranian built truck. They also asked if I wanted to play cards, but I thought I might need my shirt if the weather became cold again, so I declined.

I’ve ridden for 12 hours today and am pleased to be in my 3 Pound hotel room – basic, but nice and clean. The roads so far in Iran have been very good and a pleasure to ride on. (Jonny Krause)

Day 12 Tuesday 17th July 2007

Sivas, Turkey – Agri, Turkey

Today I have been a bit of a Silly Billy. I saw some hills that looked like a nice place to stop and so left the road and took the stony track leading up into those hills. Once I was in a remote place I decided it would be nice to park on the grass – I don’t know why, because I wasn’t in the way of anything coming up and down the hill. But anyway, I rode onto the grass and immediately the front wheel sank a few inches into the soft ground. So I dismounted and tried to push the bike back onto the stony ground, but instead XS fell on her side.
I tried to pick her up and really she felt nailed to the ground. My feet were slipping on the soft ground, fuel was leaking from the tank and I was getting nowhere in my efforts. I was starting to sweat – partly from trying to lift a quarter of a ton back onto her wheels, but also because the realisation was coming to me that I was alone in a remote hill with my transport the wrong way up. I wasn’t panicking, but I could certainly feel a nasty feeling creeping up on me!
In a bid to lighten the load, I hurriedly emptied the panniers. Miracle of miracles I then managed to lift the XS back onto her wheels and back onto the stony ground.

In dropping the bike I had snapped off the front indicator and so now I had to decide if I was going to affect a repair or remove all indicators. Now this is the lucky bit – when I inspected the rear indicators I discovered that the road vibrations had already caused fractures in the welding holding the indicators to the bike. The rear indicators were well on their way to falling off and it was really very lucky that I discovered this before it happened. So half an hour later XS was now without indicators – to be honest I was getting the feeling that my fellow road users were ignoring those indicators anyway, so I did not feel to distraught about removing them.

And another bit of good fortune that came from this is that I found in my panniers a lovely woollen blanket that Caroline had packed and so I wrapped that around me before setting off and felt toasty for the rest of the days ride.

I finished the day feeling sorry for XS having to put up with me and these rough roads. Suddenly she seems a bit old and fragile for this. (Jonny Krause)

Day 11. Monday 16th July 2007

KIRIKKALE, TURKEY – SIVAS, TURKEY

Today went very well. I did 100 miles and then took XS to have her main stand welded. The garage was mainly doing agricultural repairs, and they have a gas welder which is good because it means that the welding will not interfere with any electrical components on the XS – this brings to mind the welding that McGregor and co’ had done on their BMW (The Long Way Round) which ruined the electrical component associated with the braking system and so rendered the machine un-ridable.
Unfortunately it was not possible to effect any kind of permanent repair to the exhaust fault, so we just stuck that loose stud back in to its hole and I will need to monitor the condition of that joint regularly.
Everyone at the garage was pleased to see the XS and the work was undertaken with enthusiasm.

The roads are becoming a bit rougher with some quite sections (1 or 2 miles) being under repair at the moment so progress was down to 15mph and still that seemed a bit hasty in some bits. However, in the main the roads are still 50mph+ and there are some sections which are really excellent and as fast as one would wish for.

Weather is cold and windy again and so back on with the thick shirt and windproof lining for my jacket.

The scenery is spectacular and in great variety – one hour we are in mountains and the next in plains. A most interesting region and people seem to be very friendly.

A boy at the service station kept pestering me to polish my boots (which I find embarrassing) but I went ahead because he was determined he wanted to do them and after I paid him I bought him and his friend sandwiches and a drink. (Jonny Krause)