I still can't believe we got through in one piece!
Today we had, if I was feeling charitable, an
adventure. If I was feeling uncharitable then I would say that it was one of
the scariest journeys I have ever made in my life. But we got through it due to
my Suresh’s' skill at driving and I saw sides of village India today that you
simply don't see on a tour or a train window. Everyone has one adventure when
they visit India. That is what makes it India.
After visiting
Corbett we found that the monsoon increased in ferocity. We had an appointment
to keep in Rishikesh over 400 miles away and decided to drive there in one go.
The terrain between Corbett and Rishikesh, once you descend from the mountains,
crosses the Gangetic plain which is as flat as a pancake. The problem being the
run-off from the Himalayas which floods the plain like a tidal surge over
sandflats. And we had to cross from one side to the other.
We first had to
get out of Corbett National park and followed a bus as it crossed the flooded roads.
But as we hit the flat terrain we saw that the country was taking more rain
then it could handle. The paddyfields on either side of the road will fill to
capacity and the water was sloshing from one paddyfield to the other blocking
all traffic. Villagers would gather to watch cyclists brave the running water
or simply roll up their trousers and wade across. Nut-brown children swam in
the newly formed rivers and locals spread nets in the ditches to catch any fish
that came their way.
Not far out of
Ramnager we reached a town, Kandigah that was completely flooded as the nearby
river had burst its banks. The water reached above the doorsteps of the houses
and villagers carried their belongings on their heads. Did we risk the village
or go back the way we came? We decided to risk the village and called over a
tractor that was dangling with farmworkers. For 200 rupees they agreed to tow
us through the village. So we affixed a rope to our bumper and they pulled us
through the cream-coloured water.
Suresh, Phil and
myself took off our socks, shoes and trousers because we had a feeling it was
going to be a bumpy ride. We became anxious when the water reached as high as
the windows. The the car started to leak and water came in through the sides we
got nervous. We pulled our feet onto the seats just as water began to come up
through the floor. Christ! Were we going to drown in this car!
But the tractor
pulled us through and back onto solid ground. Then came the hard slog across
the Gangetic plain to Haridwar and Rishikesh. Every hundred yards the bursting
paddyfields spilled water across the road. Usually Suresh could just plough
through splashing camel-carts and bicycle riders clutching umbrellas but about
mid-day we met our final big obstacle. The road ahead was so flooded that it
was impassable so a great queue of trucks, tongas, buffalo-carts and people
blocked the way.
Of course
westerners sitting immobile in a car become noticeable and soon we were
surrounded by mainly male villagers who chattered away and pointed at us. To
our relief, Suresh came back and said there was a short-cut back there and a
number of cars were taking it. We followed them into the backstreets of a small
village and squeezed between the mud-huts followed by excited children. The short-cut
consisted of taking a narrow road that was above the paddyfields and this we
took with the farm-workers staring at us incredulously. But what happened to us
next took some believing.
As Suresh
ploughed along the trail a number of lumbering cows were slow to get out of the
way. One got hit by the bumper and stumbled away lowing. This was bad enough
but suddenly we felt a huge bang to the rear of the car. We turned around and
saw a huge brahma bull had charged us. We could see its face as it backed up to
have another go. The car wobbled but Suresh put his foot down and we screamed
at him to get us out of here!
This he did, and
we were soon gratefully back to the main road. Then we were on the road to
Haridwar and the glorious sun came out to cheer up our day. Any thoughts of
brahma bulls and flooding soon mentally filed away as pub stories that we would
tell when we got home.
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