overview
+43 699 131 88 770
tour@travel-with-henry.com
+43 699 131 88 770
tour@travel-with-henry.com +43 699 131 88 770
tour@travel-with-henry.comAlready seven months ago, before my departure to New Zealand it was clear, that I would be in India at the end of my entire journey. My intention was to go to Ujjain to attend the Hindu Kumbh Mela, the world’s largest religious gathering, for spending there some time. This plan I had told to my friend Nigel in New Zealand. After a while we came to the conclusion that he could come along for a while. He was never before in India and it turned out, that he could not imagine traveling alone in such a strange civilization. All this idea was developed in the course of having a couple of beers in a sports bar in Auckland. It resulted in an agreement, that both of us will buy a motorcycle for not just visiting the Kumbh Mela, but also riding an adventurous tour discovering the north of India. I should ride as guide, this opens up the possibility to him, plunging into this great country without a hitch as safely as possible.
In 2007, I had the pleasure before to ride on a Royal Enfield Bullet – an Indian classic – across India and Nepal for 6 months. This and several years of motorcycle and travel experiences in different countries on different continents should be enough, to bring my kiwi safely and relatively stress-free through the country.
So I had a little more than 3 weeks left to buy a Bullet in Kolkata and to ride 3,000 km to our meeting place in Delhi. From the outset I had determined a Royal Enfield Bullet 350 as best wheels. For buying one without getting ripped of, firstly it was necessary to develop the right feeling for a fair market price. This was done quickly via particular internet platforms trading used motorcycles. After doing this, there were no longer uncertainty for searching a suitable motorcycle.
In Kolkata is a Rayon located near the New Market – a small square with several side alleys – where you can find Royal Enfield mechanics and spare part dealers.
Here nothing is thrown away, as long as spare parts still somehow to be used, they are whipped into shape and reused.
After I had asked several mechanics for a motorbike, I was soon given a potential motorbike. After a test ride, as well as several negotiating sessions later, a 4-year-old Bullet for around € 1.000, – was in my possession. The necessary modifications for the upcoming journey with heavy luggage were arranged according to our agreement by the seller. The motorcycle seemed fine, the price within a reasonable limit, there was no reason for me to hesitate. Soon bought a helmet and punctually at 8:00 on the next morning, my „Princess“ could pose for the kick-off in front of Victoria Memorial.
But before departure I had still something important to deal with – my beard was able to compete with Santa Clause’s in the meantime. It does not fit necessarily to catchphrases like „India – motorcycle – adventure“. I had to get rid of it – of course in a befitting Barber shop.
My first destination were the Sundarbans, the largest mangrove forests in the world. Located in the south of Kolkata, in the estuary and floodplains of the great rivers of India and Bangladesh – Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna.
I have always wanted to go there, not only because of the unique landscape, but mainly because of the saltwater crocodiles and the Bengali tigers – the last man-eaters of their kind.
Along side roads, past villages on the way to the Sundarbans …
The road leads to the village of Gosaba, where you have to look for a boat, if you want to go to the estuary delta. The Sundarbans cover a total area of approximately 10,000 km², about 4,000 km² are located in India. The larger part is located in Bangladesh. The Sundarbans National Park, which is entirely located in India, covers an area of 1,330 km². This makes it the largest contiguous tiger reserve in the country. If you want to visit it, you need to change to a boat – this boats are mainly offered to tourists.
The boats are designed for groups, several crew members are responsible for a smooth running and provide food on board – if you want, you can also sleep on deck during a multi-day tour. After coming alone, the prices for an individual were way too high. Fortunately, I had previously overtaken a car several times on the way down. 3 young European tourists were driven the same route by a chauffeur. The driver turned out to be a travel agency owner, which was going to led his group – two young Frenchmen and an Italian girl – through the Sundarbans. After brief negotiations, I could join them at a reasonable price for the next two days.
We first had to change to a camp on one of the islands, then a boat was ready for a first short excursion in the evening.
There was no electricity in this camp, the beer during a folkloristic dance performance had to be enjoyed warm.
Bengali tigers are the last man-eaters in the country. It is estimated that approximately 100 people annually – mainly honey collectors and fishermen in the mangroves – are killed and eaten by tigers in the Sundarbans. The exact number of killed people is not known. There are just only 100 tigers in the mangrove forests. The reasons, why in particular the Tigers of the Sunderbans see people as a prey, are not fully researched. It will probably be a combination of several individual factors.
On the one hand, every year thousands of corpses are washed ashore after natural catastrophes – floods and typhoons – that’s why the habituation of human flesh took place. During the 19th and 20th century the tiger populations were hunted all over India mercilessly. By this, the surviving feline predators had learned to avoid human beings. This adaption never happened in the Sundarbans. And finally it is quite difficult to chase deer or wild boar in the marshy and very slippery swampland. Humans are slower and easier to capture. Tigers are excellent swimmers, it is even proven that tigers have swum out into the river and dragged fishermen off their boats.
Small boats with fishermen and honey collectors – so to say – potential tiger meal …
The tourist ships can not be boarded by tigers – with one of them we went on the second day on our trip through the mangrove forests to a secure viewing platform. When I heard the pure facts about the national park, I knew it from the first moment, that on due to such a large area and the relatively small population of tigers it would be very difficult to set the eyes on one of this pussycats.
Nevertheless, it has been a relaxing trip in a pleasant environment. Even though we could not observe tigers or one of the saltwater crocodiles, but for that a unique landscape. Toward evening we reached our starting point again, where my princess was patiently waiting for me.
Cu Henry