Nancy spoke to this nice Seik Muslim near the Taj Mahal. He owns a radiator repair shop. People of his religion can be seen throughout the streets of Delhi, too. Their religion varies greatly from the Hindu religion of many of the other Indians here.

[Photo by Nancy Olson]

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four Certified, Pre-Owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking HERE. One hundred percent of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research, and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

Unity is our strength... They all struggle down the crowded streets together, as one...

Journal and photo by Neil Dana

Wow, I must say, arriving in New Dehli is like nowhere else in India we have seen before. There are traffic lights, nice vehicles on the road, Mc Donald's, TGI Fridays, Ruby Tuesdays, shopping malls, upscale hotels, and fewer cows and less mayhem in the roads. In fact, we arrived at 3:30 a.m., so there weren't any vehicles on the road. It is like stepping back into America, well.... sort of. There are still tons of Indian people running around and constantly trying to sell me something or beg for money or food, and you still have to watch your step for cow dung. It also really depends on where you decide to go. You can go to Cannought Place, which is a big circle in New Dehli that has all kinds of pubs and nice restaurants to eat at, or you can go to Old Dehli and many of the various markets and step into small alleyways filled to the brim with people selling silks, saris, antiques, jewelery, pipes, and whatever your heart desires. Old Dehli takes you right back into the heart of the Indian lifestyle that resembles the rest of India we have visited so far. The streets are filled with so much traffic, people, and rickshaws, that it just all stands still together......I guess that is what they mean by unity here in India?

We are staying at the YMCA, and it is an alright place. Your breakfast and dinner are included in the price you pay for staying there, which is pretty steep, and they still charge you 100 rupees to use the gym or pool. Every morning you can hear whistles blowing and people doing their exercises with their swim caps in the pool. It is just a few blocks away from Cannought Place.

The rickshaw drivers here are pretty good at trying to rip you off. The trick is to get in without negotiating a price, and when the ride is over, just give them what you think is fair, and then walk away and don't look back. It has worked every time for us, although the ladies have more trouble with it than we do.

Today, I spent most of the day lying on the cement floor of the Land Rover dealer about 45 minutes outside of Dehli. Justin, Adam, and I were waiting around all day for an itemized list of all the work that needs to be done on the vehicles. The problem is that one of our vehicles is at another site, and that is where the information was being delivered from, yet their fax and email wasn't working. So they eventually called and we sorted it out. I was feeling terrible, had a minor fever and the runs, so lying on the floor was the best remedy. India has had its fair share of sending me to the bathroom. I always knew coming here would give me the runs, and it sure has. I haven't had anything real serious, just super hot burning fire liquid streamline poops every now and then!!!

So now that we are in Dehli, we have some time to chill here and get a lot of work done. I have to edit tons of photos and catch up on all kinds of emails. We are getting our visas sorted out and taking care of the vehicles as well. Justin is running around getting the press lined up, too, so we have our work cut out for us. I will go and explore Dehli in the coming days. Until then, enjoy yourselves and next time you go pinch a loaf, smile for me and appreciate how good and solid you have it.

Neil

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four Certified, Pre-Owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking HERE. One hundred percent of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research, and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

On the way to Delhi, we stopped at our first Indian McDonald's. Can't say we enjoyed it too much. Everything was spicy and, well, just weird. No beef eating in this country, so they have a Maharaja Mac instead of a Big Mac. I think it's chicken...or mutton...

Journal and photo by Matt Candelaria

Well, here we are on Sunday again. I end up going to the Taj Majal again with Chanda and Nancy, because, what the heck? They really stick it to the foreign folks
for $17 dollars a person. I figure this is once-in-a-lifetime stuff so I am trying to ignore costs as much as possible. Turns out this is terribly easy here in India, with the value of the Rupee to the Dollar. I quickly pack around noon time and grab yet another Pizza Hut pizza (such a wonderful thing to find some normal food), and we are off to do some sort of photo shoot before we leave Agra for Delhi. We end up along the River with the Taj Majal in the background and, lucky us, the D1 starts running rough. Turns out one of
the plug wires is failing and we need to fix it. We find a nice bit of shade off the side of the road, and of course the entire world is there to watch. At this point, the Agra journalist that was doing the photo shoot needs to leave, but before he does, he warns us to be careful because this is not a safe area. I have been put on guard-the-tools duty, and let me tell you we needed someone watching over things. There were a half dozen kids poking and prodding at everything. At one point I catch one of them with his hand inside the car. The very same little kid I catch climbing on top of D1. He just will not go away. I am watching him very closely, and while Nick is somewhat distracted making Iridium phone calls this little fella has his eyes staring directly at his pockets. It seems clear
that these kids are up to no good, especially this one little fella. One of the other kids motions towards one of the other children and says "pick pocket"; now I know there is concern. Nick is now starting to get fed up with these little brats and keeps trying to get
the kids to go away. Nothing seems to work, and he finally grabs a can of WD-40 and sprays it towards them. Not AT them, but in their general direction. This seems to work for the most part. I now stand guard with the WD-40 can, and it seems to keep them at bay, at least 10 feet away or so. Looks like we managed not to loose anything, at least this time.

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four Certified, Pre-Owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking HERE. One hundred percent of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research, and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

Above, the most popular photo of the Taj. Below, the real photo experience of the Taj. For whatever reason, Indians LOVE photos of complete strangers (Western strangers, that is.).

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four Certified, Pre-Owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking HERE. One hundred percent of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research, and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

A very dignified man poses for a photo in the yard of the Taj Mahal.

Journal by Colin McAuliffe, photo by Nancy Olson

So, here I am in India. We left Varanasi at 5 a.m., and I am currently in the back seat of our vehicle en route to Agra, home of the Taj Mahal, the greatest monument to love ever built. It’s raining on and off, and we have somewhere between five and ten more hours of driving ahead of us.

I think India is the one country where it is better to drive in the rain, basically because all the Indians, cows, goats, and assorted riffraff stay inside instead of cluttering the roads and making life miserable for those driving it. In fact, I think rain actually doubles the speed at which you can travel from an average of 20 m.p.h to 40.

Yesterday was an interesting day; we got up at four, which in India has become the norm for us, and headed out on a shoot with the team. We headed down to the Ganges and rented a boat for a sunrise cruise. There we saw all the expected things one might see on the Ganges: bloated floating dead bodies of people and animals, assorted carrion-eating birds, people bathing and brushing their teeth in that same water, and probably about three hundred people pooping on the river banks, which for some reason we all found hilarious. After that, we took the team to the burning ghat to see and learn about the cremations, which they hadn’t experienced the day before.

Once the shoot was over, I took off and did some shopping. I eventually ended up in a silk store, where Neil, Adam, and I had a blast with the guys that worked there. I ended up with a bag full of purchases, including a disguise for Kashmir (see top photo), and a cool custom made gift for my moms. I hope she likes it because it was rather expensive.

By the time I was done with all that I was extremely tired, I crawled into my musty bed (all beds in India are musty) and curled up with my current tome of choice East of Eden, by Steinbeck, which by the way, I am heartily enjoying. By nine I was asleep, only to once again be woken up at the crack of dawn by that all-too-familiar-by-now hotel desk wake up call.

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four Certified, Pre-Owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking HERE. One hundred percent of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research, and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

Boats await the morning greetings of their boatmen, who paddle them up and down the ganges hauling goods and tourists along the Ganges River in Varinassi.

Neil smiles into the camera while bodies burn in the Ghat behind him on the banks of the Ganges River in Varinasi.

This pile of wood in Varinasi is used to burn bodies along the banks of the Ganges River.

The water of the Ganges River in Varanasi is like poison to foreigners, but those who grew up with it can drink it, swim in it, and bathe in it with no ill effects. It is full of dead humans and animals and septic waste.

[Journal and photos by Nancy Olson]

Our day began before the sun came up. The film crew had instructed us to meet in the lobby at 0445 to head down to the Ganges for some filming. We were met outside by our resident old taxi man who had stationed himself outside our hotel gates the moment we arrived in our four rich-looking Land Rovers. Each day he asked us if he could please take us somewhere in his auto rickshaw, and each day we refused: until today.

The relentless cabby and two of his fellow auto rickshaw owners smiled as the nine of us piled into the backseats of their three tiny taxis. We were headed to the banks of the Ganges (or Ganga) River to witness first-hand its role in the Hindu religion, and we wanted to be there for the rising of the sun. Unfortunately, the day was overcast, and it even shed a few tiny droplets on us as we stepped out of the rickshaws.

Because our participation in this “mandatory fun” event was a film crew requirement, they were paying for it, and that meant we had to play witness to the serious business of Adam and his haggling routine. The filmies had arranged for us to meet a kindly guide fellow there (he had shown them around the previous day), and he was there to help with the haggling. Each boat pilot wanted 250 rupees or more to take us down the river and back. The Lonely Planet that Adam had read said a boat should not cost more than 50 rupees. The boat pilots argued that this was the rainy season, and that the flooded river made handling the boat extremely difficult, and perhaps even a little dangerous. It would take three or four boaties to take the nine of us down river and back. They could not budge on price.

So, Adam let them know he wasn’t going to be taken advantage of (anyway, he’d been to Varanasi before and had never paid such exorbitant fees), and he walked from boat guy to boat guy trying to find one who would listen to reason. Finally, after what seemed like 20 minutes or more, and after walking through the poopy, filthy streets of putrescence which are a hallmark of the city of Varanasi, we finally found a nice young boatie who agreed to take us for a price that was palatable to Adam (I forget what it was, but we all agreed to pitch in, and we were just happy to be getting into a doggone boat).

As we floated past the “burning ghat”, we were warned not to take any pictures or film of it. See, this is where the Hindu people come to dip their deceased loved ones into the Ganges before setting them on fire amongst a pile of wood on the burning ghat to pass on to the next world. They believe that if you die in Varinassi, on the Ganges, your soul will be released from the never-ending cycle of reincarnation and death and go straight to Nirvana. That’s a big relief, because you never know who or what you might be reincarnated as after death. (As a side note, Hindus believe cows are sacred, and they believe that they are reincarnations of deceased aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, children, or other relatives. They do not eat beef. Cattle roam the streets and alleys like they own them, and nobody bothers them in the least.) Supposedly, way back in the day, one of the important goddesses accidentally dropped an earring into the water of the Ganges right there in Varanassi, and that is where they placed the burning ghat so many thousands of years ago. That’s why the Ganges here holds so much power.

People come down to the banks of the Ganges every day to bathe and swim, do their laundry, and drink in the brown water. Chanda once read a study in the Lonely Planet that showed that a sample of Ganges water contains somewhere around 1.5 MILLION fecal coliforms per milliliter of water, and the amount considered acceptable for human consumption is a mere 500, if that tells you anything. One sip of this water by a Westerner like you or me could kill us, sending us into a vomiting sickness that could incapacitate us and wipe us out entirely. But the people who grew up here have a colony of bacteria living in their bellies that protects them from the ill effects of the Ganges. They drink the stuff.

During our boat ride, we floated past a dead, bloated baby floating downstream. It almost didn’t look real, because of the bloating and decomposition that had occurred. That was our first dead baby. Not all dead Hindus are thrown into the Ganges; most are burned. But those who are pure, meaning those who are 14 years of age or younger, or mothers with innocent fetuses in their bellies, are dumped into the water without first being burned. The impure are burned to release their impurities, or something like that.

The boatmen floated us past several other ghats, where people were swimming, bathing, and washing clothes. I know it’s crude to mention it, but we also saw several men pooping along the river banks, and pile after pile of less-fresh poo were spied all along these poop-encrusted shores. Let me tell you, seeing a grown man pooping can change a person forever.

Eventually, the boatmen did an about face and strained against the oars to fight the flood current. We kept close to the banks, where the flow was at its lowest, and still we had to get out of the boat at a difficult section in order to get around a flooded temple. On the way back, we saw a floating object wrapped in white cloth, and I realized with horror that it’s head was exposed, both eyes staring right out me through a cloudy white film. A raven was sitting on it, pecking at its flesh. Thank goodness, it turns out this corpse, which we immediately thought was another baby, was actually a monkey. Whew! I don’t think I could have handled dead baby eyes. We also saw a dead and bloated cow, a dead baby caught in an eddy near some boats, and an unidentifiable corpse floating off in the distance with a big bird pecking away for his breakfast.

Not one of us will soon forget that boat ride.

After the boat ride, we walked over to the burning ghat because, for some reason, a few of the gang wanted to get a closer look. I warned everyone to hold their breath if they don’t want any dead people in their lungs. On the ghat were piles of burning wood and bodies, and below was a newer body, it’s skull, ribcage, and backbone clearly visible…and nothing else. The bodies burn down to ashes and a few small bones, and then they are sifted through by the ghat workers. Hindus are burned with their clothing and jewelry on, so the workers search for the jewelry, and anything that is found is given to the foreman, who then sells it to tourists. Families who carry their loved ones there to be burned help or watch as the body is dipped one last time in the Ganges and then set afire. They stay to watch it burn, and then, once there is nothing left but ash, they break a clay urn filled with ganges water over the ashes and depart. Mission accomplished.

While we were there, we could see all sorts of identifiable bone pieces, and we were told that the hip bones and the chest are the slowest to burn. This will gross out many of my readers, so take caution. You may want to bail out now: There was a yellow dog at the ghat who was sifting through the bones. I watched him closely, and eventually he found a piece of bone that still had some charred flesh remaining. He laid down with his prize and gnawed away at what looked like a foot, or something. Eventually, a worker chased him off. As we exited the ghat, I saw that same dog in the sidewalk, finishing up his bone. He walked off, and a man took a tin cup of water and washed the remaining crumbs of flesh and bone into the drainage ditch. All in a day’s work.

Later, we learned that old people with no families come here to await death, and we visited some old women living near the burning ghat. Good Hindus visit them on occasion to feed them, take care of them, give them money, and provide them with companionship. They get good kharma for that, so maybe it’ll help them in their next life. We gave the ladies we visited some money and flashlights, and they seemed pleased.

As we tiptoed gingerly through the cow dung, human feces, rotting vegetables, and rubbish heaps, we reflected on the sights and experiences of the day. India has more than a billion people, and we have seen a good number of them. In areas like this, the plague still exists, and people suffer from and even die from afflictions that would hardly faze first-world nations. Yet, feed a drop of Ganges water to an American, and you would soon hear the sound of death or debilitation knocking at the door. Go figure.

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four Certified, Pre-Owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking HERE. One hundred percent of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research, and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

25 August

After driving hard for the last couple of days, it was nice not to have to get up at the crack of dawn and get on the road. What was more important was to find an Internet café so we could catch up on some work and e-mail that we had been neglecting somewhat since we lost regular e-mail connection upon entering Myanmar.

The sun was hot, and the town was bustling as I first set foot outside the hotel. Clutching a bag of dirty laundry, I had something more important than e-mail to attend. As I passed from the safety of the hotel gates and onto the general streets, my attention was sought by about five different Indians trying to be as helpful as they could. They had answers for everything, and they always knew where you could get things cheaper (at their brother’s shop), or they knew of the perfect tour for you. They would walk down the street with you and just keep talking to you, figuring the longer they talked to you the more likely you would be to buy something from them or their brother.

Not trusting anyone, I feel like a fullback, plowing through the line and hoping to get to the goal line still on my feet. Getting away is not easy, as they are much better conditioned to dodge the steady stream of chaotic traffic that flows down almost any street in India. The rule is, if it moves, it will probably be on the road in India: cows, goats, rickshaws, motorcycles, scooters, bikes, bicycle rickshaws, people of all ages, dogs, chickens, buses, trucks, and the list goes on.

It is wild just walking by cows and bulls that are casually milling around in the road. With no ropes or anything, they are free to mill around in the rural or urban areas. They don’t seem to spook very easily. I have seen buses bearing down on them, only to see them hold their ground, turn their head, and dare the bus to hit them. What is crazy is, there is not just an occasional cow or bull, but there are a lot of them on the roads and alleys. Yesterday, while driving, I had to push a bull out of my way. I drove up to him, he looked back, and I idled forward and shoved him with my trusty bull guard front bumper. I have even patted them while slowing driving by; you have to see it to believe it!

India is a wild place; it seems to be so different than China. The reason I bring up China is the fact that China is the only other country that has more than one billion people. How do governments deal with such large numbers of people? China seems so ordered, and India so chaotic, but at the end of the day there seems to be some kind of order within the Chaos in India. Maybe the next couple of weeks will reveal some answers.

The rest of the day was spent working on computers and setting up our upcoming visit to Delhi. Meanwhile, I was looking forward to seeing the true heart of Varanasi, as we are scheduled to go on a boat ride down the sacred river Ganges. We will also see the funeral rites in this holy town of Vishnu. There is a lot in store for us here and much to learn.

--Todd

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four Certified, Pre-Owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking HERE. One hundred percent of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research, and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

Evidence of a devastating monsoon season. We saw hundreds and hundreds of displaced civilians who are now living along the road in temporary makeshift shacks.

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four Certified, Pre-Owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking HERE. One hundred percent of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research, and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

Rambo, err, I mean, Neil, gets rowdy with a weapon in India. This Marine has never been so scared. Muzzle awareness, Neil! Muzzle awareness!

Neil and his new best friend, TT, from Nagaland. These two were inseparable!

Journal by Neil Dana

Now I feel like we are in India!! We have been in "India" for many days now, yet we were in the two states of Manipur and Nagaland, which are not very "Indian" at all. The ancestry of the people who live in those states is from Mongolia and the greater China area. They do not have Indian customs or blood and are very different, which is why they are fighting for their freedom from India. I really grew to adore Nagaland, especially since we became really good friends with the military police there and had some fantastic times. Titi, one of the Nagaland police chiefs, was a hilarious character, and I already miss him. He convinced me to become a military officer myself, and it seemed to fit my personality quite well, especially with a fat gun in my hand!!

But that was then, and this is now. We entered the state of Assam a couple days ago, and have been driving across it very slowly. Once we came out of the mountains of Nagaland, we entered the flat and partly flooded plains of Assam. Once we crossed the border, India was in our face and has been ever since. It is difficult to describe India in words that really do it justice; you really need to come here and experience it first hand.

First of all, if you think driving in the city during rush hour traffic is bad, try to imagine all those cars being replaced by thousands of people, cows, dogs, pigs, auto rickshaws, dust, squatters on the side of the road pooping, potholes, and no lines or organization. And to top it off, everyone and every animal in the road doesn't pay any attention to a horn or a huge truck barreling down the road. We constantly see semi trucks zoom past a cow sitting in the middle of the road, and the truck literally comes within inches of the cow's nose, yet the cow does not even blink an eye. They just sit there, hummm deee duummmmm, dooo dahhhhhh. The people are no better, and it is really scary. When I am driving, I have to keep my hand on the horn and honk it non stop just to get somebody who is standing on the side of the road from walking right in front of me. Someone will be walking down the road, and right before you pass, they turn and cross the street right in front of you. It has happened already a few times; once a biker veered right into the side of our car. Luckily he pushed himself off and we were going slow. It is nuts!

The people and crowds are like the ocean, and they come in waves. Between towns, there are a lot of people and animals on the roads. Within towns, they are so crowded that there is very little road that you can even see!! You have to trickle down the streets, almost slower than people are walking. It never ends, and we have to be extremely cautious 100% of the time. It is so hilarious I just sit back and laugh because it is so ridiculous. I have never experienced anything like it. There are no rules, and it doesn't even matter what side of the road you are on. There are trucks coming right towards you in your lane, and vice versa. It is completely wild. In one day, we counted about nine trucks that had toppled over and off the side of the road. The Indian drivers are crazy and drive extremely fast and come close to hitting one another constantly. It is not a surprise to see this amount of accidents.

The road itself is quite interesting, too. It is just a single road that is elevated about six feet from the rest of the surrounding area, so there is no room for error. You have to avoid all the people, animals, trucks, and potholes, and not veer a foot too far to one side or you are going over the edge and flipping your vehicle. Another major problem right now that is making the roads very difficult to navigate is the fact that Assam just had the worst flooding they have had in 15 years. During much of our drive, the whole countryside was still flooded, and people's houses were in water, and all the inhabitants were living in shacks on the skinny little road that we were driving on. It is a really sad situation, with people losing their crops and trying to get enough food to eat. The situation has definitely gotten better in the last month. It hasn't rained too much lately, but a month ago it was disastrous. Millions were displaced and there was starvation, death, and very bad disease spreading. I really cannot imagine what it was like a month ago.

Another reason this road is very dangerous is that we are on the main trucking route, so it is filled with heavy trucks and buses, all carrying the signs on the back saying, "Honk Horn" or "Horn Do." That is the protocol for passing one another: to honk your horn and let the guy know you are passing. You really need to honk and keep honking and pray while you pass, because half the time they still cut you off or start veering into your lane to avoid hitting a pothole. They don't seem to care if they are heading straight at you, in your lane, or right next to you. If there is a pothole, they will swerve right into you to avoid it. So yes, the India roads are definitely, without a doubt, the most dangerous roads we have been on. They are so dusty, it is really difficult to see as well, and everywhere you look, there is mayhem, even when you are looking out your rearview mirror! In fact, even when you are stopped at train tracks, it is a funny experience. Today, while we were waiting for a train to pass, a little boy came up to us and showed us his Cobra!! "Cobra, cobra, cobra, cobra!!!!" He kept yelling "cobra" at us the entire time, even when we were rolling away. I guess he wanted some money or food for showing us his cobra. We obliged.

Today while we were driving, we ended up slowing down to a convoy of trucks that ended up being miles long. We went on the other side of the road and started passing them all slowly to see what the hold up was. We passed hundreds of trucks. It was extremely dusty, and we finally had to stop and wait, as there was nowhere to go. On either side of us, the ground was completely flooded for as far as you could see, and apparently, there was a bridge out ahead. We heard many different reports as to whether the bridge was 10 km ahead or 50 km ahead, and we were not going to wait around in this line, miles and miles long, of huge trucks in the baking heat. And as luck would have it, if we backtracked 20 miles east, then headed south a bit, we could then pass this flooded area on the south end. This was part of the Ganga river that had overflowed into a huge estuary. The sun was getting low, and we ended up in a small town filled with thousands of people. We slowly crept along until we found a hotel and parked, ate some food and all passed out from exhaustion. We have been getting up at 4:30 a.m. to drive all day, every day lately. In all of India, they set the time to Dehli time, and since we are in the north east, the sun is coming up extremely early. We are making as much use of the sunlight as we can, since driving at night is almost suicide.

India is quite a different place, and I love it. There is so much to see and take in everywhere. While we are driving, it is difficult to pay attention to the roads since there are so many beautiful people and sights to see. Everywhere we stop, children and elders crowd us and stare at us with a very strange look. They are obviously not used to seeing foreigners cross the state of Assam, and only a select few even speak any English. We are still in a territory that most travelers don't visit, and it is very apparent. I am sure in another day or two when we get to Varanasi that will all change. For the time being, I will just soak in and enjoy the remote, jam-packed Indian countryside.

Neil

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four Certified, Pre-Owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking HERE. One hundred percent of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research, and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

Roads here in India are ridiculous. The going is slow, because obstacles are rampant. Hazards include bomb-crater-sized potholes, speed bumps, bicycles, ox carts, sacred cows, goats, tuk-tuks, pedicabs, kids, people pooping on the road, buses and trucks and cars coming right at you in YOUR lane, and people drying corn in the middle of the road.

Journal by Take Me With You! guest Matt Candelaria

Hello all, this is Matt Candelaria, drive around the world take me with you guest Number 13. Lucky me. The drive around the world team instructed me to head for Guwahati, India, on the 18th of August. They tell me they should arrive to pick me up on that day at the earliest, but probably a few days later. Turns out a few days later is more correct. I guess they have been having a hard time driving through Myanmar and the Manipur/Assam states of India. They have warned me they might not be able to get to Guwahati because of all the monsoon flooding, so I am of course worried. My only way of contacting them is via email every day, so the Internet cafe is my friend. It is also a way for
me to reach back to the world old world I knew only a few days ago. This is my first trip to India, and it is truly a different place. I am also very afraid of strange foods, so I am not happy. I seem to have found comfort in Lays potato chips and Coca Cola. The last few days have been chips and Coke for breakfast/lunch, and a roll of the dice for dinner at the various "nicest" hotels that seem to have some attempts at international cuisine. One has some Chinese food that I am finding tasty. I continued my wait, and finally three
days later on Sunday evening the team arrived. The car doors slamming in the parking area below my hotel room woke me, and now this wonderful journey is about to begin for me. I can't wait!

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four Certified, Pre-Owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking HERE. One hundred percent of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research, and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

A street sign warning wives to keep quite so their husbands can drive lends insight to the frequency with which women in India actually sit behind the wheel themselves. Nancy and Chanda receive many curious looks when people see a Discovery expedition vehicle being piloted by a woman.

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four Certified, Pre-Owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking HERE. One hundred percent of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research, and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

Above, Colin attempts a traditional Naga dance with his new friends. TT is to the right of Colin. Below, TT salutes in his new Land Rover Certified hat.

Journal by Colin McAuliffe

Leaving Imphal with our escort, we began climbing the hills toward Nagaland, another completely untouristed area of India. As we crossed the border from Manipur to Nagaland, we picked up yet another military escort, who took us the final thirty or so miles to the city of Kohima, a rambling city sprawled across a huge valley, and the site of the spot where the English stopped the Japanese on their Indian advance. Nagaland is a fascinating area, inhabited, not by Indians, but by more than fifteen different tribal groups. Understandably, they want to break away from India, as they are definitely not Indians; they look more like Chinese people, and were one of the last groups of headhunters in the world. (They originally settled here from Mongolia.) I managed to pick up a sweet monkey skull headhunters necklace, which is probably the coolest thing I’ve purchased on this entire trip.

Our escort immediately took us to South Police Headquarters, where we were told by some very enthusiastic officers that we were “being detained.” At first we were a little confused, not really knowing what to do. All these interesting guys were asking us questions and waving guns around, but after about half an hour when they pulled Neil out of the car and taught him how to do a Naga tribal dance, we realized that they were great guys.

Over the next two days, we developed a great friendship with the officers of the South Police Headquarters, as they guided us around their area to a bunch of stuff we didn’t really want to see that much, but were forced to visit anyway, like the war cemetery, which actually turned out to be very moving. Most notable of the crew were Yap and Titi, the second and third in command. Titi was a hilarious guy, basically a clown, always dancing, singing, and goofing around. He spent basically the entire weekend with us and was an endless source of amusement for us all. Yap was also a great guy, although a little harder to read that Titi. Yap was one of those guys who when you first meet him, you think he wants to punch your lights out, but then after some time you realize he’s really a great guy. We spent two nights hanging out with the guys, with Yap and Todd alternating on Neil’s guitar, rocking out to Beatles’ songs. Leaving was sad, but as usual, it was a necessity, as Varanasi and Delhi called our name.

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four Certified, Pre-Owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking HERE. One hundred percent of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research, and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

This morning, we were delighted to see this clipping in the local Imphal paper. It's fun (and a little bit eerie) to read people's speculation about our intentions here in India...

Journal and photos by Nancy Olson

Bear with me, if you will. Today is my journal day, but I am, again, swamped with a lot of other writing to accomplish. I spent the day working on the below press release. It didn't make the cut, but I think it's good enough for publishing here on our blog page. And, anyway, it'll explain some of what we accomplished by transiting Myanmar. --N.O.

MOREH, INDIA, Aug. 19, 2004--“We have carnet stamps on our passports, which means we have officially crossed Myanmar,” said LONGITUDE Expedition leader Nick Baggarly yesterday.

His Drive Around the World non-profit organization’s third expedition is the only continuous overland journey to cross the former country of Burma in more than 50 years.

The eight-member volunteer team left northern Calif. Nov. 1 last year to begin a yearlong expedition around the world to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research. Since then, they have traveled more than 22,000 miles across twenty countries and four continents to arrive here at the India/Myanmar border town of Moreh. Their longitude route brought them from the U.S. to the tip of South America, across Australia, and up through Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and China. By driving their four Certified Land Rover Discovery expedition vehicles across Myanmar from the Ruili, China, border in the west to the India border in the east, the team has placed their drive-a-thon in the history books.

This milestone comes with the sense of accomplishment that accompanies only the most hard-fought of achievements.

“Myanmar is a country that is perhaps the most strict when it comes to tourism, and especially vehicle travel. Planning this has been my Moby Dick since the beginning,” said Baggarly, 36, of Los Gatos, Calif.

Myanmar’s arguable politics, its tourism restrictions, and a near absence of good, navigable roads have made it all but impossible for foreigners to drive their own vehicles across the country. Much of the difficulty lurks at the borders of this tiny, former British empire. The team spent one month in Bangkok visiting embassies and working with agents to prepare the intense paperwork for the China-Myanmar-India leg of their expedition. Transiting Myanmar hinged on the expedition’s success in first securing China permission, India permission, and finally Myanmar permission.

“As to Myanmar, it’s basically impossible to drive into! We ended up shipping
from Bangladesh to Malaysia,” warned an expedition contact in an e-mail to Baggarly. His team didn’t even bother trying.

In 1953, a team of Cambridge University students drove two Series Land Rovers through Burma during a record-setting drive from London to Singapore. Their east-west crossing of Myanmar was the most difficult leg of their (however-long) journey.

In Feb. of this year, a Swiss couple was turned away at the China/Myanmar border in Ruili when their India Border permits failed to come through. They were forced to drive back through China to Bangkok in defeat.

Before that, Londoner David Burleson made it all the way across Myanmar to Tamu, Myanmar’s India border town, before he was denied entry to India for failure to obtain the required Protected Area Permits for that country. He left his car in Myanmar and returned to London.

Burleson was exploring shipping options when he found out about the Swiss couple’s intentions.

“I decided to wait and see if I could join up with another group who got the permit,” said Burleson. When the Swiss expedition failed, he began to give up hope. “I was just hoping that something would turn up, and then [Drive Around the World] came along.”

When the LONGITUDE Expedition contacted him through networking channels, Burleson had his opportunity. Admittedly still skeptical, he bought a ticket to Yangon, Myanmar, and flew out when the team’s permits came through. Baggarly and his team met Burleson east of Mandalay and began driving together toward India.

But not even Drive Around the World was without its trials.

“Tomorrow from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. China time will be the most difficult hours of our expedition,” said Baggarly in an e-mail to supporters upon his team’s approach to the China/Myanmar border town of Ruili.

Their China carnets, or vehicle passports, were about to expire on their Land Rovers. A delay in the India permit office trickled over to a delay in obtaining Myanmar permits, and that meant the team would be in limbo in China for one week until their guide could meet them with their permits to drive into Myanmar. Because of their desire to prevent what had happened to Burleson from happening again, Myanmar officials abstained from stamping the vehicles into their country until they knew the convoy would not be turned away at the border to India.

“At this border, the traditional policy, when paperwork is not ready for Myanmar, is to force the group to turn back to the China point-of-entry which, for us, means they will force us to drive five days back to Laos,” said Baggarly’s Aug. 5 e-mail. “I have read accounts of two groups who have recently experienced this most-frustrating case, and, without official paperwork, we are poised to be the third.”

The team reached the China/Myanmar border, amidst a cloud of uncertainty, on the day that their vehicle permits were to expire. The plan was to attempt to convince the Chinese to store the vehicles in impound while the team waited in China for their Myanmar paperwork to arrive.

Fate sided with the team, and they were greeted by smiling and accommodating Chinese customs officials and border police, who were more than happy to help a group of American adventure-philanthropists. The team was granted an extension to keep their vehicles in the country until their Myanmar transit permits were ready.

On Aug. 14, a joyful group cleared Chinese customs and met their Myanmar guides in the border town of Muse. That was the beginning of what they agree has been some of the most beautiful and most difficult driving they have experienced during nine-and-a-half months of world travel.

Their route brought them west along the historic Burma Road, past where it intersected with the old Stillwell Road, through the capital city of Mandalay, and north along the India-Myanmar Friendship Highway to India’s border.

The Burma Road extends about 700 miles from the railhead of Lashio, Myanmar, to Kunming, the capital of Yunnan Province of China. Built by the Chinese as a military supply route in 1937-1938, it was used by the Allies during the early months of World War II. From its opening in 1938 to about May of 1942, more than 490 thousand tons of strategic materials, 10 thousand automobiles, and 90 thousand armed forces were transported to the front lines across rugged mountainous terrain.

In 1941, before the U.S. declared war on Japan, a small squadron of American fighter pilots, nicknamed the “Flying Tigers” by the Chinese, secretly set up a base of operations in Kunming. While protecting supply planes and patrolling the Burma Road, the Flying Tigers flew their P-40 fighter aircraft back and forth over a portion of the very route the LONGITUDE team traveled.

In April 1942, the Japanese captured Lashio and closed the road. The Allies constructed an alternate supply route, which originated in Ledo, a railhead in Assam, India, and crossed northern Myanmar to connect to the Chinese portion of the Burma Road, named Stilwell Road in honor of the American general Joseph W. Stilwell. After the war, the road fell into disuse, and today it is overgrown impassable to vehicle traffic.

Crossing the point where the old Stilwell Road crosses the Burma Road, the team said they were struck by the area’s historic significance and America’s place in it. This area where young American fighter pilots used to patrol now rarely sees westerners. It is a country where ox-driven carts and big-wheeled steel bicycles are the standard means of conveyance. Water buffalo, not tractors and Peter Builts, are the primary beasts of burden.

The team relied on quick reflexes and well-honed driving skills to avoid bikes, chickens, dogs, children, and ox carts on the narrow roads. Beyond Mandalay, the crowded, narrow streets dwindled down to remote, bumpy dirt paths, and beyond those paths lay what amounted to mud slicks and switchbacks. It took the team 16 hours to travel one 160-mile stretch of “good road” through Myanmar’s center.

“If this is the good road, I’d hate to see the bad one,” said team member Chanda Baggarly, 32, of Visalia, Calif.

Along this year-old road that replaces a portion of the old Burma Road, the team had to perform more than six vehicle recoveries and await the repair of a bridge that had fallen as the result of heavy rains. The LONGITUDE team winched Burleson’s Isuzu Trooper once and towed it out of thick mud twice, winched a Burmese military Jeep that had become bogged down in the mire, and yanked a Chinese-built transport bus full of passengers on their way to Mandalay out of a muddy rut with their 9,000-lb. WARN winch.

“My heart is beating faster than it usually does,” said a team member after crossing a precarious bridge. “That means it’s a good driving day.”

At 2:30 a.m., the team finally hit pavement at the start of the north-south India-Myanmar Friendship Highway, which was built by the Indian government. Beautifully paved, the narrow road is spotted with constant friendly reminders to drive safely. “Better late than never,” read one. “Driving with care makes accidents rare,” and “Life is a journey; complete it,” read others. One that reads, “Remember your wife and children; drive slow,” reminded the team’s two female members that women drivers in Myanmar are, indeed, a rarity.

In the remote backyards through which the team has traveled, everything about them is a rarity, from their flashy Land Rover Discoverys, to their language, to their physical appearance.

“I didn’t make anybody cry when I got out of the car today,” said team member Justin Mounts, 31, of Wichita, Kansas. At 6’3”, this blue-eyed blond is the physical opposite of his new Burmese friends.

The majority of people in the remote areas have likely never seen westerners before, and there is almost no chance they’ve ever seen one driving a personal vehicle.

“They’ll probably still be talking about you months from now,” said Mr. Chetry of Journeys tour company, the team’s Myanmar guide.

The team said they won’t soon forget Myanmar, either.

“I have a feeling several of us will be back,” said Chanda Baggarly.

Next, the team will drive through Imphal, India, under armed escort, on their way to the flood-damaged state of Assam. From there, they will travel through the Himalayas to Kazakhstan and Russia, before making the home stretch through Alaska and Canada . They are due home in Los Gatos, Calif., in December.

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four Certified, Pre-Owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking HERE. One hundred percent of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research, and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

Armed guards escorted the Drive Around the World convoy through Imphal and Nagaland. When asked whether has killed or would kill anybody, the man on the right replied, "Why not?"

[Photo by Nancy Olson]

Journal by Todd Borgie

This is one of the biggest days of our expedition. Months of planning and research have gone into this day. If all goes well, we will successfully pass from Myanmar into India; if things do not go well, we will have to drive to Yangoon and ship our vehicles to India, or maybe something worse. A glitch here would cost us a lot of time and a lot of money. Success here will truly make our expedition unique, as it is very difficult, if not impossible, to find people who have driven their vehicles across Myanmar.

After one of the most strenuous drives yesterday, on the brand new road, we finally went to bed after the unstoppable Nancy Olson pulled numerous vehicles to freedom after their incarceration in mud. Team members also helped rebuild a bridge that had been washed out; wow what a day. We believe a concept called travel karma, helping people out, always comes around. Perhaps helping that little boy in China turned the scales on us and allowed us those extra days in China. Maybe, we will get a little help at this next border.

Although weary, the team awoke, packed u, in a rainstorm, and made their way to the border that was located about 2 ½ hours away. The drive was gentle, on good roads, but the stress meter was recording readings. Problems had been going on in Manipur, and the border has been open and closed intermittently. Our original paperwork stated that we would be here four days ago with only four vehicles; now it is four days later and we have five vehicles. Despite the amendments to the documents, we just want to avoid any glitches today.

We made it to the border, and border-crossing procedures commenced. Knowing the system, our Myanmar guides had us park as they went to work. We sat and drank tea and ate biscuits while we wondered what was going on. In order to even approach the Indian side of the border, you have to have all your I’s dotted and your T’s crossed. Apparently, too many people had tried to cross without the proper paperwork, and India had turned them away, leaving the Myanmar officials to be responsible for them.

I am glad to say, despite the border being closed, we made it through! After some final paperwork on the Indian side of the border, and seeing one of the most beautiful girls I have ever seen, we received an escort of armed guards and we were heading the final 110 kilometers to our resting point for the night, Imphal, the capital of Manipur.

Although the distance didn’t seem too far, it was already 4:00 p.m., and we were in a hurry to beat the moon to Imphal. We were all on our guard here, as there has been a lot of unrest in this area, all based on the fact that this seven-state area (Manipur being one of the seven states) is not particularly happy being under Indian rule. Back in the late 40’s, when the British turned over their colonies in this area, for independence, this area was thrown under India’s jurisdiction. Due to the continued unrest since the incorporation into the empire, India has enacted some very controversial policies that have continued to fan the flames of discontent. At the end of the day, neither side is free from bloodshed; but from the looks of things, there is a long way to go before there is peace in this valley.

We were whisked up and down through the hills before finally entering the valley (and straight-aways) towards Imphal. Police seemed to be everywhere as David Burlinson and I (the fifth car, who had once been refused admittance into India with his vehicle, and whose advice was invaluable in the planning of this leg of the journey) thumped down the road listening to techno music. I am not sure what was going on, I just knew that I was a bit uncomfortable with all the guns around.

We finally made it to the hotel about 9:00 p.m., checked in, stripped everything off the vehicles that wasn’t locked down, and went in for the night. What will tomorrow bring?

--Todd

The Drive Around the World team drove north along the India-Myanmar Friendship Road during the final stretch to the India border. We're the first team to complete a continuous overland journey through this former country of Burma since 1953.

Photo by Nancy Olson

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four Certified, Pre-Owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking HERE. One hundred percent of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research, and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

The team prepares to winch a Myanmar Army Jeep out of the mire with the WARN winch. This was one of seven vehicle recoveries performed this day.

Thanks to our mud-eating BFGoodrich tires, we had no problem tracking through the awful roads of Myanmar. Thanks, BFG!!!

Photos by Chanda Baggarly

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four Certified, Pre-Owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our