10/2/99 — I am due to turn in the bike soon, and after these roads and traffic it will be nice to take buses and trains for a change. I’m hoping that within a month or so my adrenalin level will be down to that of a kamikaze pilot.

Only a few more major stops in India, then back to Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. I should be back in five or six weeks. After resting up for a month or so I still want to point my handlebars south for a nice, leisurely, safe ride to Costa Rica, to rest up and read all I can find about the stock and mutual fund markets. I have a few hobbies I want to get into, and I need to plan my next great adventure.

I still have a love-hate relationship with India. Next time I come back I won’t just rent a bike and go in almost any direction; I’ll research a few places that I think I might like and go by train or bus.

See you in a month or two.

Love,

Bill

9/22/99 — I was beginning to think of myself as India’s Easy Rider. After this far I’m too saddle sore to think of this ride as easy.

Road conditions could easily be described as somewhat primitive. Also, gas stations and most restaurants don’t have bathrooms, so it is not uncommon to see Indians relieving themselves, rather immodestly, by the roadside.

Being more of Western culture, I was at least discreet enough to go into the bushes, that is until I encountered my first cobra in the wild. I didn’t get all that close to it, but the flat head was unmistakeable. From now on I prefer to think of myself as Easy Flasher.

By the way, I had gone at least 50 km before I remembered why I had wanted to stop.

N.B. Bill’s first official Rogue Vagabond adventure, in the summer of 1999, was largely taken up with a motorcycle trip through India.

9/8/99 — “…I’d thought I had seen it all by now, but the other day I stopped for gas and walked down the road to the bus stop for a cold soda. When I got there, there was a hit-and-run victim in very bad shape. About 50 people were waiting for the bus and all seemed to be ignoring him.

“I tried to be of some help. He was in shock, and I almost got into a fight getting some gas cans to keep his feet up. I was at least able to slow the bleeding in his arm most of the way, but had to buy ice and dirty rags from the Coke vendor to put a cold compress on a very serious head wound. During this time two traffic police and three police patrolmen arrived. They acted like they were doing me a favor by radioing for an ambulance. I’m sure all the cops had much more first aid knowledge than I, but they just stood by. I couldn’t understand what they were talking about, but it sounded like it was probably last night’s cricket game or something of equal importance. Meanwhile, the crowd at the bus stop was getting more and more pissed off about the late arrival of the bus. Read more…

8/11/99 — “On the flight from Osaka I met a very interesting mushroom-munching Arab gentleman who, even though I am a heathen and an infidel, was kind enough to show me a part of Bangkok that I had not seen on previous trips. Bangkok actually has an equivalent to Telegraph Ave., although it is not nearly as influenced by the Christian right wing conservatives.

“I am going to spend a couple of days here absorbing the local culture before I move on to Calcutta to skinny dip in the Ganges and hopefully get a motorcycle. I think I have a scheme where I can get a bike there for very little cost, and dirt bike climbing Mt. Everest will be the ride of a lifetime, if I can pull it off.

“…don’t worry, I brought my lucky rabbit’s foot and a four leaf clover, and just to be safe have bought a charm blessed by Lord Bushnahara.

“I’ll write again soon.”

Bill

King of the Jungle