Home Again, Home Again.......

rod2625 · 05-15-2008

......HOW SWEET IT IS!!

We departed Dharmasala, India for Delhi Sunday afternoon. A 3 hr car ride to the train station and then an 9 hr overnight to Delhi. This was the 4th long train ride I was on. 3 of which were overnight. They SUCK! First class is either an isle bunk about 30 inches wide or a little wider bunk that is in an area that 4 people share. So they give you 2 sheets, a blanket and pillow and hope the persons over or next to you don't snore. On the trip up to there we had just flew in from Nepal and bought a bottle of duty free Johnny Walker....a couple of belts made for a better sleep that's for sure! They have two toilets for a car. One is a hole you squat over and the other is a toilet nobody would dream of sitting on.....One of the interesting sites to be observed during a daytime train ride is going through villages and seeing the folks squating next to the rail tracks taking a sh#t.

So we rolled into the Delhi train station about 6:30 AM. The Delhi train station is a MUST SEE! Tons of folks sleeping or lying on the platforms and others begging. After we got our porters to carry the luggage for our group we got into a mass of people trying to either go up the stairs of coming down from the main terminal. There was a log jam and if an opening happened some guy/gal would push there way in so we weren't moving. I think it took about 10 minutes to get up those stairs. One guy in our group got his pocket picked of some cash (it even had a zipper on it). But with the press of flesh going on I can understand why he never noticed it. I had locks on my backpack or I am sure somebody would had gotten into it.

Bus ride back to a 5 star hotel that we stayed at for a couple of days after first arriving there. We had a room for the day....got showered and rested since I probably only got about 3-4 hrs sleep on the train. We had dinner and then at 9PM bused to the International airport to catch a 12:50 AM flight to Amsterdam. After a 9 hr flight we got there about 6:30 AM (3 hr time difference). How great to be in Europe! Got some decent coffee and pastry and later a nice ham/cheese on a great roll. Got a 20 min chair massage and a 20 min foot massage during our 7 hr layover. The last leg from Amsterdam to Seattle was another 9.5 hr flight....arriving about 2PM yesterday and getting home about 5 PM last night. I was beat! We covered about 20,000 miles on this trip.

Worked from home today...but about 8PM this eveing I went out to the garage and took the battery tender off the bike, wiped it down and aired the tires. It is staying light here till about 9PM so I put on my gear and turned the key and it started right up (it has been sitting about 6 weeks or so). I rode over the the next town and got some BBQ (and beans for you SCAL folks). The 25 mile roundtrip was PRICELESS!!

The trip was great, saw some wonderful sights, ate some of the worse food and will have lots of memories.....but the one thing I can say for sure is that there is nothing like coming HOME!

See you all in Red Lodge! BTW, where are all the WA/OR folks this year?

MrClean · 05-15-2008

Welcome back. Knock off work today and just go ride.

Biggy D · 05-15-2008

Wow that is a trip. Welcome back to the Land of the Free.

gdhugh · 05-15-2008

I've personally enjoyed your stories from the India. Thanks for taking the time to share and welcome home.

*anamosity* · 05-15-2008

enjoyed the stories and welcome home Rodger.

kc6wfs · 05-15-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by rod2625

......HOW SWEET IT IS!!

I rode over the the next town and got some BBQ (and beans for you SCAL folks). The 25 mile roundtrip was PRICELESS!!

The trip was great, saw some wonderful sights, ate some of the worse food and will have lots of memories.....but the one thing I can say for sure is that there is nothing like coming HOME!

See you all in Red Lodge! BTW, where are all the WA/OR folks this year?

Beans. Think I'll have some for breakfast! Yum

Wow sounds like a great trip. Any pics??
India is one place i would love to visit some day.

See ya at Red Lodge!

Jake '53 · 05-15-2008

Welcome home.

**Spok** · 05-15-2008

good to have you home again roger

thanks for keeping us involved with your travels as best as you could

cmptrmn.1 · 05-15-2008

Welcome home.

runnerb0y · 05-15-2008

Great post, sounds like a trip of a lifetime!

I was just in your neighborhood on Sunday-Tuesday. I was working at our Poulsbo and Silverdale offices. Next time I head that direction, and I think I'm going to have some time, I'll PM you and see if we can get together for a ride. I know there's some good routes out there, I just don't know them yet.

cpttoad1swife · 05-15-2008

welcome home and glad you had a safe trip.... now can't wait to see the pics!!!!!

Fr8Dog · 05-15-2008

The only place I've been in India is Mumbai and that is interesting enough! Know what you mean about people taking a dump where ever they are. In Mumbai it's right next to the taxiway at the airport in a shack city that is setup there. You certainly have seen a part of India that most will never see. From the little bit I've seen, I appreciate even more the fact that I live in the good
'ole USA! Everytime I leave India and head back to Europe or over the Singapore I feel like I'm back in civilization again!

05-15-2008	#1 (permalink)
rod2625 Can't find time to ride BTK Expert Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Kitsap Peninsula, WA Posts: 556	Home Again, Home Again....... ......HOW SWEET IT IS!! We departed Dharmasala, India for Delhi Sunday afternoon. A 3 hr car ride to the train station and then an 9 hr overnight to Delhi. This was the 4th long train ride I was on. 3 of which were overnight. They SUCK! First class is either an isle bunk about 30 inches wide or a little wider bunk that is in an area that 4 people share. So they give you 2 sheets, a blanket and pillow and hope the persons over or next to you don't snore. On the trip up to there we had just flew in from Nepal and bought a bottle of duty free Johnny Walker....a couple of belts made for a better sleep that's for sure! They have two toilets for a car. One is a hole you squat over and the other is a toilet nobody would dream of sitting on.....One of the interesting sites to be observed during a daytime train ride is going through villages and seeing the folks squating next to the rail tracks taking a sh#t. So we rolled into the Delhi train station about 6:30 AM. The Delhi train station is a MUST SEE! Tons of folks sleeping or lying on the platforms and others begging. After we got our porters to carry the luggage for our group we got into a mass of people trying to either go up the stairs of coming down from the main terminal. There was a log jam and if an opening happened some guy/gal would push there way in so we weren't moving. I think it took about 10 minutes to get up those stairs. One guy in our group got his pocket picked of some cash (it even had a zipper on it). But with the press of flesh going on I can understand why he never noticed it. I had locks on my backpack or I am sure somebody would had gotten into it. Bus ride back to a 5 star hotel that we stayed at for a couple of days after first arriving there. We had a room for the day....got showered and rested since I probably only got about 3-4 hrs sleep on the train. We had dinner and then at 9PM bused to the International airport to catch a 12:50 AM flight to Amsterdam. After a 9 hr flight we got there about 6:30 AM (3 hr time difference). How great to be in Europe! Got some decent coffee and pastry and later a nice ham/cheese on a great roll. Got a 20 min chair massage and a 20 min foot massage during our 7 hr layover. The last leg from Amsterdam to Seattle was another 9.5 hr flight....arriving about 2PM yesterday and getting home about 5 PM last night. I was beat! We covered about 20,000 miles on this trip. Worked from home today...but about 8PM this eveing I went out to the garage and took the battery tender off the bike, wiped it down and aired the tires. It is staying light here till about 9PM so I put on my gear and turned the key and it started right up (it has been sitting about 6 weeks or so). I rode over the the next town and got some BBQ (and beans for you SCAL folks). The 25 mile roundtrip was PRICELESS!! The trip was great, saw some wonderful sights, ate some of the worse food and will have lots of memories.....but the one thing I can say for sure is that there is nothing like coming HOME! See you all in Red Lodge! BTW, where are all the WA/OR folks this year? __________________ Roger '07 VN900 Classic http://public.fotki.com/rod2625/kawi-vn900/

05-15-2008	#2 (permalink)
MrClean Wants better weather! BTK Expert Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Somewhere near Parkville, Mo. Posts: 894	Welcome back. Knock off work today and just go ride. __________________ Poser and Proud of it. From Somewhere near Parkville, Mo. William Crane aka MrClean

05-15-2008	#4 (permalink)
gdhugh PColaFl V2K LT Forum Supporter Join Date: May 2007 Location: Pensacola, Florida USA Posts: 1,975	I've personally enjoyed your stories from the India. Thanks for taking the time to share and welcome home. __________________ David 2007 V2K Classic LT I hear, I forget I see, I remember I do, I understand -Kung Fu Tzu-

05-15-2008	#5 (permalink)
anamosity mmmmm, brownies BTK Expert Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Lolo, MT Posts: 13,413	enjoyed the stories and welcome home Rodger. __________________ 2008 C14 2007 V2K LT 2005 Mean Streak - sold May 2007 MOM

05-15-2008	#7 (permalink)
Jake '53 Forum Supporter Forum Supporter Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Albuquerque Posts: 1,990	Welcome home. __________________ "Certainty of death. Small chance of success. What are we waiting for?" - Gimli

05-15-2008	#3 (permalink)
Biggy D Maine vulcan rider BTK Beginner Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: N. Waterboro, ME Posts: 117	Wow that is a trip. Welcome back to the Land of the Free.

05-15-2008	#8 (permalink)
Spok Whatever Extreme Forum Supporter Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Mount Vernon, Washington Posts: 33,112	good to have you home again roger thanks for keeping us involved with your travels as best as you could __________________ 2005 V2k Pic Beartooth Kawasaki for all your needs 1-800-556-3098

05-15-2008	#9 (permalink)
cmptrmn.1 MaNaMaNa DoDoDoDoDo Forum Supporter Join Date: May 2007 Location: Longview, Wa Posts: 2,199	Welcome home. __________________ John 2007 Vulcan 900 1983 Xj650 66 Fairlane GTA Conv.

05-15-2008	#10 (permalink)
runnerb0y Forum Supporter Forum Supporter Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Hood River, Oregon Posts: 437	Great post, sounds like a trip of a lifetime! I was just in your neighborhood on Sunday-Tuesday. I was working at our Poulsbo and Silverdale offices. Next time I head that direction, and I think I'm going to have some time, I'll PM you and see if we can get together for a ride. I know there's some good routes out there, I just don't know them yet. __________________ '06 Meanstreak with some personal touches

05-15-2008	#11 (permalink)
cpttoad1swife Way Too Much Free Time BTK Expert Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Texarkana Texas Posts: 1,031	welcome home and glad you had a safe trip.... now can't wait to see the pics!!!!!

05-15-2008	#12 (permalink)
Fr8Dog Long live the V2K! BTK Intermediate Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Orem, UT Posts: 264	The only place I've been in India is Mumbai and that is interesting enough! Know what you mean about people taking a dump where ever they are. In Mumbai it's right next to the taxiway at the airport in a shack city that is setup there. You certainly have seen a part of India that most will never see. From the little bit I've seen, I appreciate even more the fact that I live in the good 'ole USA! Everytime I leave India and head back to Europe or over the Singapore I feel like I'm back in civilization again! __________________ _____________________________________________ 2005 Vulcan 2000 Fr8Dog

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