Members of the bike-search team, from left to right, Nancy, Maktar, Niyat Ullah, Columbo, Todd.

Today being Thursday and all, I’m supposed to write about our final day in Karimabad. But truthfully, since I never actually write my Thursday journals on Thursday, I’d rather write about the much-more-exciting things that happened Friday and Saturday. Instead of writing about how we kicked around in town and bid farewell to all of our new Hunza friends, I’d rather write briefly about how we left Karimabad the following morning and drove to the Pakistan border town of Sost to meet up with Nick and Todd. If tomorrow were my journal day, I’d talk freely about how we passed through customs and immigration there, for the second time, and drove up and over the Khunjerab pass…again. Somehow, I’d fit in a road description for that section of the Karakoram Highway (smooth and paved until after the Chinese checkpoint on the East side of the pass, winding and beautiful on the way up, straight and gradual on the way down; the road turns into a big mess for most of the Chinese side), as per Nick’s new journal rule. Then I’d to talk about clearing Chinese immigration and having the vehicles impounded in the customs yard because our license tags and travel permits expired while we were organizing new visas. But Colin will probably tell you about all that in his Friday journal.

Something so personally horrifying and unimaginable happened Friday that I cannot help but usurp some of Colin’s Friday privileges (and even some of Justin’s Saturday privileges) to describe what, to me, has been the most tragic event of the expedition.

The road from the Khunjerab Pass (dividing line between Pakistan and China) to the Chinese border town of Tashikurgan has been completely ripped up and is under construction. It is one of the bumpiest and dustiest we’ve yet to encounter. Migrant road crews are spread out along the entire length of the road, pushing dirt around and making rock piles. Basically, the whole road is one big, bumpy detour. Well, somewhere along that lovely stretch of road, D1 made a $4,000 deposit, for when we arrived at the Chinese customs parking lot, we realized that the whole spare tire assembly had snapped off the back of Nick and Chanda’s vehicle. By “assembly”, of course, I am referring to the mounting bracket, which is (was?) attached to the spare BFGoodrich tire, to which our BVG bike rack is (was?) attached, to which our beloved Santa Cruz Mountain bike was (is?) mounted, the whole assembly being chained and locked together by Kryptonite cables and a U-lock. I looked at the naked rear door of D1, and you military types will know exactly what I mean when I tell you the phrase, “Whisky, tango, foxtrot?” passed through my head. This was not good.

We spent an hour trying to rush the Chinese officials through our check-in process, but they weren’t too impressed with our sense of urgency. I knew one of the truckers or one of the villagers behind us on that road were going to seize every moment we wasted to haul their $4,000 prize off the highway and into hiding. After what seemed like an eternity, Justin and I were allowed to depart in D3 with our issued Chinese guard to backtrack in search of our lost expedition gear.

We searched the dark night with all of our Hella lights shining into the unknown. “Put the spotlight over there, Justin. Is that just sticks, or is it my bike?” It was just sticks. This went on for three hours; an hour and a half out, an hour and a half back. To no avail. Some lucky individual had hit the jackpot. Still, though, Justin and I gave up our fruitless search with hope in our hearts, for we both believe in the kindness and humanity of the people we have met along the Karakoram Highway. Maybe somebody will realize the importance of their find and turn it all in to Chinese or Pakistani customs…We hit the sack at 2:00 a.m., exhausted.

Well, the team woke up Saturday morning, packed, and departed for customs. Todd and I decided we would remain behind to conduct a final search, if they’d let us, and the rest of the team would continue on to Kashgar via taxi. Our vehicles would remain in the customs yard until permits and licenses could be arranged.

After much ado about nothing, Todd and I were finally introduced to the Tashikurgan police, and wheels were set into motion for a solid day of searching and camaraderie. Our guide translated our needs and then left with our team, whom we would meet tonight or tomorrow in Kashgar. The police, one in uniform, one in street clothes, were eager to help, but they had no vehicle. We pantomimed that they should persuade the customs officials to allow us to use one of the Drive Around the World vehicles in the search, and we walked the two or three kilometers to the impound lot. There, the two cops were joined by a friend of theirs, a Pakistani shop owner named Niyat Ullah, who spoke wonderful English. The men adeptly persuaded customs to let us take D1 down the highway to look for our bike and tire, and the adventure began.

Because of his fine interrogation style and his American television cop persona, we nicknamed the plainclothes police officer “Columbo.” His uniformed friend is Maktar, and that’s a name that requires no nickname. We drove down the bumpy, dusty road, stopping at every house and construction camp, and flagging down every truck we met along the way. Each time, Maktar, Columbo, Niyat Ullah, and Todd would hop out of the car and approach the potential witnesses. Oh, the skill and style with which the police officers did this! Columbo would lead, approaching each witness in a friendly but professional manner. Smiles and handshakes told me mutual respect had been achieved. The witnesses would smile, and they’d point down the road, or at our vehicle. They’d nod their heads and chat up a storm. Columbo would lean forward into their personal space and talk to them from the top of his forehead, one hand in his pocket, and the other holding a cigarette. Classic American television cop. Finally, they would all smile, shake hands, and get back into the car. “Did they have any information? Have they seen my bike?” No, no.

This went on dozens of times, and we stopped at about five police checkpoints along the way. At each stop, our friends and heroes told the cops, workers, and villagers that a cash reward has been offered for the missing items. We cased the entire Karakoram Highway. We turned around after a witness said he had seen the four vehicles drive through, and two of them still had their bikes and tires attached. On the way back, we made a final stop at the most westerly police building, and there we found our first shred of evidence. A villager had seen the convoy at the bridge, and he had tried to yell at the last vehicle to stop, but they didn’t hear. They were dragging a bike, and it seemed badly damaged. Yikes. I wonder how long it dangled back there before it finally broke off.

After more than six hours of searching, we returned to Tashikurgan after 9 p.m. Our new friends were very sorry they’d been unable to find our missing gear, but they still had hope it would find its way back. Everybody knows about it, and they know a reward is offered.

During our search, we were informed by Niyat Ullah that the three of them had been on their way to a wedding party when we approached them with our problem. Out of a strong sense of duty and humanity, they each selflessly gave up their plans to help two perfect strangers find a bicycle and a tire that had gone missing. I mean, price aside, when it comes right down to it, we were just looking for a bike and a wheel. Big deal. But it was a big deal to them, and it was a huge deal to us, and they felt they must help.

We were all starving by the end of the search, so we went to dinner at a local place with our new friends. We got a private room , and the wedding party, their wedding party, was going on in the next hall. But our friends chose to eat with us, and at the end of a night filled with camaraderie, adventure, and warm friendship, Niyat Ullah paid for the meal we had wanted to buy for our heroes. We have the most profound respect for our new friends.

So, while we still cling to the hope that our gear will turn up again by the time we return for our vehicles in a week or so, we figure a bike and a spare tire are a small sacrifice for the friendship that their loss has brought to us. Isn’t it funny how everything seems to happen for a reason? Lose a bike, gain three friends. It was a heck of an adventure.

Karimabad: Quite possibly the most beautiful place on Earth.

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.

Our new friend, Dawood, brought us to see the hot springs that bubble up out of the ground near his village. Here, Neil seizes the moment to take a hot shower.

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.

Boys chase our vehicle through their village near Karimabad to catch a ride on the bumper. We had tea and dinner with their wonderful family, and it was a highlight of our journey.

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.

Neil poses with his new best friend.

Journal and photos by Neil Dana

Who would have thought that getting denied at the Chinese border would be a good thing? Well, I guess it wasn’t, but today, the day after our denial, being back in Pakistan was a very pleasant one……… for some of us.

Poor Nick and Todd left last night after dinner to drive more than 16 hours all the way back to Islamabad to get new Chinese Visas. They were not excited about that at all. Luckily, our previous guide, Riaz, was still around and met them just a few hours into their drive. We haven’t heard from them yet, so I am assuming they haven’t arrived. It is going to be a long journey; thank goodness we received a huge shipment of Red Bull the other day.

As for us, we woke up today and drove a couple hours to the town of Hunza, which is a beautiful mountain town in the middle of the Karakoram Hwy. We are staying just above Hunza in tiny town called Karim Abad. Mountain peaks in every direction surround us and it is extremely peaceful and quiet.

The rest of the team decided to drive a couple of hours towards Gilget to use the Internet, and I stayed behind by myself and sat on a cliff edge and played some guitar while overlooking the most scenic mountains ever! Then the local antique store owner here, a young man named Anwar came up to me and sat down. We chatted for a few hours and picked some local grapes and stuffed our bellies. He is actually from Afghanistan and lives here for half the year when trekkers come to hike the local mountains and buy his merchandise. He is a really nice guy, and I asked him all kinds of questions about his view on America.

Now as you all know, Afghanistan is where the Taliban came from. We gave them guns and ammunition and put them in power there back in 1979 or so, then they went crazy and we ended up air striking them in 1996 and ousting them from power. Anwar said that he loves Americans, and he is so happy that we ousted the Taliban. He really likes the new man in power now. He also says that many foreigners travel to Afghanistan and tourism is picking up.

He doesn’t have many friends here, just one really. He has eight brothers, and they are spread all over the world, including a few of who are antique dealers.

After hanging with Anwar for a while, I went for a walk as the sun was setting and I spotted some goats and hung out with them. Their owner came by and we ended up talking for an hour, too. He and his brother are really cool guys. They are farmers and live on this sweet plot of land overlooking the mountains with a stream running through it. I believe his name was Marab, and he has three brothers; one reads, one drives, and the other one works on the farm. He was really friendly and grabbed his goat and then told me to come over and take a picture with him. It was pretty funny, as this goat didn’t really like to be held too much. However, after I held him and let him go, he kept coming back up to me and rubbing my leg and jabbing me with his horns!

The people I have met in Pakistan are very friendly, and it is hard to imagine there are so many fundamentalists and hard-core religious fanatics that cause such terror and fear for most Americans. The truth is, there are parts of Pakistan that are very dangerous, yet most of Pakistan is beautiful and very worth visiting. The Pakistani people are just people, just like you and me. And like everywhere in the world, there are some crazy people whom the media focus on and terrify the rest of the world by only showing those small negative incidents on TV news constantly. We have been traveling through many parts of the world now which have TRAVEL WARNINGS, and which the news always portrays as being very dangerous; however, the reality is very different from what you see on TV. The only way to really judge is to come over here yourself and check it out.

Of course, some areas of the world are extremely dangerous, and I wouldn’t go near if I were paid very large amounts of money, such as Iraq!

Well, I hope Nick and Todd are alright and they call us soon to let us know they have arrived in Islamabad. Until then, I will continue to soak in the beautiful mountainous surrounding Pakistan and its people and animals. In fact, right now, the moon is shining right over the mountain top! MMMnnnnn.

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.

Justin points out our route to a Chinese immigration official. The niceties didn't work, however, as we were deported the very next day.

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.

Boys who live near the pass that separates Pakistan from China line up in military fashion for a photo. We seriously love their fashion sense!

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.

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.

Nancy and Chanda all wrapped up in Pakistan.
Journal by Nancy Olson, Photo by Justin Mounts

This blog will be short, because I’m at a restaurant, and people are looking over my shoulder. NOT COOL! They don’t speak or read English, but I’m touchy.

So, we’re driving through the Northern Areas of Pakistan, and it is quite an experience. It’s a little bit unsettling that our guide, Riaz, a native of Hunza in the Northern Area, feels like we must choose our stops and activities very carefully. When we have to make a bathroom stop, he makes sure we stop only at fancy, approved hotels. He says there are people in these parts who do not like Westerners, and that we should say we are from Canada if asked. I vowed I would never say I was from Canada, but I realize that I don’t have that right when traveling with a group. If, by saying I am an American, I can somehow endanger or jeopardize our group, I will, with great pain, say am a doggone Canadian. No offense to you fine neighbors to the north, but I am too proud of my country to feel at all comfortable saying I’m from anywhere but the U.S. I doubt I am very convincing, after all.

We met a busload of schoolchildren, boys and girls, and we had so much fun snapping pictures with them, shaking hands, and giving high fives. We each had so much fun that I just really wanted to let them know that we are Americans, so their perception of us could be based more on experience than schoolbooks and media. But we all lied and said we’re from Canada. So now they all have a wonderful perception of Canadians. So, you’re welcome, Canada. And I am sorry, U.S.

In these parts, the people are extremely conservative. There are few, if any, women visible in the streets. Although there are hundreds and hundreds of men out doing their business, I have seen but three women. And when I say I have “seen” them, what I mean is that I have recognized their presence. You can see them in the same way you can see a person hiding beneath a down comforter; they’re there, but that’s all you know. Remember when E.T. dressed up as a ghost for Halloween in order to sneak past Elliott’s mother? He was covered from head to toe, and all you could see were his big clown shoes. Well, E.T. had it good. He had holes for his eyeballs. These women have neither big clown shoes nor holes for their eyeballs. Their viewing slits are covered in dark mesh so that they can see out but nobody can see in. It must be hot under all that garb. I’m not judging either, because maybe they like it, but I sure wouldn’t.

Chanda asked where all the women are, and Riaz informed us they are in their homes. They do the housework and keep the home, washing, cleaning, cooking, minding the children, and what have you. I suspect, like most women, they also spend a bit of time gossiping with their neighbor ladies who are also at home doing the household chores. I mean, women are women, after all.

So, we drove north along the world’s most beautiful highway (the Karakoram Highway is smooth, and it passes through the most beautiful countryside I’ve ever seen). Pakistan is stunningly beautiful, and the weather has been perfect. The only problem is time. I look out at these incredible mountains, and I long to go to the top of them. But there’s no time for that. Oh, and the only other problem is that Chanda and I have to cover up from head to toe, with long pants, long sleeves, and scarves on our heads. It’s a small price to pay for a visit to this incredible country, and we don’t wish to offend.

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 Land Rover mechanic looks at the undercarriage in Lahore.

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.

Todd and a Pakistani customs official inspect the vehicle tag numbers before crossing into Pakistan.

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 lonely calf provided more than 15 minutes of entertainment to Neil and Adam during the team's drive toward Keylong.

Journal and photos by Neil Dana

Today the sun decided to shine, and it made the drive back across the Himalayas towards the Indian and Pakistan border a dreamy drive. We woke up really early today, about 4:30 a.m., and were on the road by 5 a.m. A few hours after we left, we started ascending the pass, and it was gorgeous. It was also extremely dangerous as well, with sheer drops of a thousand feet or more to certain death, not to mention narrowly scraping constantly along the narrow roads amongst huge cargo trucks. Every corner you come up to, you need to honk your horn and go very slowly. It is a one-lane road, and sometimes we had to back up until there was shoulder enough to pull onto so the truck going uphill could pass. The whole time the trucks are passing our cars, we are looking over the edge of a very long drop off and praying that the cement or rock won’t give away. And luckily, it hasn’t.

Aside from the sketchiness of the road, the beauty is overwhelming. You can see down the entire valley, filled with pine trees, wild flowers, horses, cows, snowcapped mountains, and windy roads dissipating into the distance. Along the way down, Adam and I stopped for some masala tea and chatted with a local man who had his vending station right next to a waterfall. What a lucky place to work from. This was not your average job in India. Later on, we came across the cutest calf as well. We stopped and mooooed at him for 15 minutes. He would mooooo back and we would mooooo at him, and so on for a while; it was really funny. I guess you had to be there, but it was so serene and peaceful we just couldn’t get away from the little guy.

And of course, a day this beautiful can’t be filled with pure pleasure, there has to be something that goes awry, and sure enough it did!

Nancy, our sweetheart mountain biker, loves to get to the top of mountain passes and speed all the way down in front of our convoy, and then we pick her up at the bottom. Well today, she decided to take on this mountain with super windy curves, construction workers, death defying cliffs, and all alone! We weren’t scared for her though, actually just really stoked for her; she loves this!

So as we drive down the pass and enjoy the amazing scenery, we finally come down to the bottom of the mountains to Manali and go to the gas station, where we normally would all go and meet to fill up. Well, when we arrived 2 ½ hours later, Nancy wasn’t there! So we started looking around for her and weren’t worried because we thought she must just be somewhere we didn’t see previously. But after 30 minutes of searching, the worries really began. Adam and I checked back up the mountain, and Todd went to check the hospital, and Colin and Justin checked on past the town, but no one was having any luck, and I was really beginning to actually contemplate the unimaginable. It is amazing what your mind can do to you in these situations.

I started thinking about all the cliffs and hairpin turns and thought there was a possibility she got nailed head-on by a truck and went over the edge and got seriously injured, or even worse, died! I mean come on, there is no way she could actually die, that is crazy!! No way!! Well, after an hour of searching, the crazy thoughts start becoming more and more scary and possible. We were showing people her picture that we had on our laptops, and no one was recognizing her.

Finally, Todd radioed us and told us he found her, phew!! I guess she had missed a turn over a bridge, and went the wrong way. The funny thing was that when Todd arrived and found Nancy, she was wondering where the heck we were the whole time! But as soon as she saw Todd’s face, she knew we had been looking for her and asked , “Am I in trouble?”

And boy oh boy, we would have scolded her if it had taken us a half hour to find her, but since it took over an hour and we all started having such vivid imaginations, we were all ecstatic and happy to see sweet Nancy alive and very embarrassed, and even with some tears.

Neil

Nancy pauses during her long downhill ride from almost 18,000 feet at Khardung-la Pass, the highest motorable road in the world.

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.

Vehicle D3 peers over a huge gorge on the drive from Leh to Keylong. It's quite a drop down to an icy river.

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 convoy at the top of the highest motorable road in the world, Kardung-la Pass.

Kardung-La is said to stand at 18,300 feet, but our Garmin GPS indicates 17,600. Locals say the GPS is correct.

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.

Neil stands in front of the world's highest polo field here in Leh. It's at around 12,000 feet.

Journal by Colin McAuliffe, photo by Nancy Olson

Recent readings

The following is a list of most of the books that I’ve read since Australia. I say “most,” because I’m sure I forgot some of the less-significant ones. I read a lot, and sometimes some books don’t make it into my long-term memory.

Jetlag Guide: Moldavia
This is a hilarious spoof on guidebooks. It tells you everything you need to know about the fictional country Moldavia, a land without modern dentistry. It’s a great read, although you wouldn’t really read it cover to cover, which is kind of nice because you can open it to any page and have a good laugh.

A Passage to India, E.M. Forster
This is one of those classic British Empire ex-pat novels. Kind of in the same vein as Burma Days by Orwell, it deals with the relationship between native Indians and English subjects, often talking about “the club,” another theme that lays heavy in Burma Days.

Sometimes A Great Notion, Ken Kesey
This is a pretty good book, although a bit of a hard read. It centers on the life of a few generations of a family in Oregon. It starts off a little slow and confusing, but picks up towards the end. I think Kesey was taking a lot of LSD when he wrote this one, because it’s really all over the place.

East of Eden, Steinbeck
I liked this one a lot; it’s one of those books that’s really hard to put down. Apparently it is semi-autobiographical. But it is very typical Steinbeck, sad ending and all.

The Drifters, James Michner
Another good one by Michner. Much different from the other books of his that I’ve read, although still very gripping. Written from the very believable point of view of an older guy that befriends a group of hippy-types during the sixties in Europe. It takes place in a lot of places I’ve always wanted to visit, like Spain and Turkey, so I really enjoyed it.

First They Killed My Father, Luang Ung.
A young girls’ first-person account of the Khmer Rouge invasion of Cambodia. We picked this one up from an annoying kid in front of Angkor Wat who was crying her eyes out because we wouldn’t buy her book. Well, Adam bought it, and we all read it. It’s OK.

Children of the Killing Field, Various Authors
This one is a compendium of various survivors accounts of the killing fields. It’s OK, although all the stories are pretty much the same. I bought this one from another little kid in front of Angkor Wat, who, early in the day, drew a picture for me. I tried to turn it down, knowing that it meant that I would have to buy something from her, but when I walked away, she gave the picture to Chanda to give to me. So I was stuck. She asked me my name and I told her it was Jellybean Joe Joe. She asked if I wanted to buy a book, and I said No. She then asked if maybe later, I would want buy one. I told her probably not. Anyway, on our way out of the temple I hear her yelling my name, “Jellybean Joe Joe! Jellybean Joe Joe!” I tried to escape, but to no avail. She cornered me and began trying to get me to buy her book. I didn’t want it, and she started to cry. I hopped in the car, and within minutes I was surrounded by about a hundred kids berating me and flipping me the bird, all calling me a liar, and there, right outside my window was the girl who had drawn the picture, crying her little eyes out. I’m still not sure if the tears were genuine, but they were enough. So I bought her book, thinking it would get me out of that predicament, but it didn’t. I sat there with kids yelling at me for another twenty minutes before we could get out of there. It was an ugly scene, but hey, I got a book out of it.

Among Insurgents, Shelby Tucker
This is the most interesting non-fiction book I’ve read on this trip. It’s about two guys who, in the late eighties, decided to walk across Burma, which at the time was totally illegal, and pretty much still is. Within a few days, they run into a rebel army and end up spending their entire time in their company. Tucker is pretty much insane, but his writing gives people a glimpse into a part of Burma that no one really gets to see. Of course, it really doesn’t paint a very good picture of the Burmese government.

Stranger In a Strange Land, Robert Heinlin
One of the best SciFi books I’ve read in years. In fact, I think it’s one of the best books I’ve read this whole trip. Truly insightful and interesting, and it’s in that Billy Joel song “We Didn’t Start the Fire.” The book has some great lines in it, and Heinlin invented some amazing vocabulary for the novel. Most notably the verb Grok, which Neil and I use all the time now.

One Hit Wonderland, Tony Hawks
This is a comedy/travel book by an English comedian who takes a bet that he can get a chart-topping single within a year. It’s pretty funny, and definitely worth a read. I found my copy in a Bangkok bathroom.

Filth, Irvine Welsh
Written by the guy who wrote Trainspotting, I’m sure this is a great book, however, It is seriously hard to read. It’s written pretty much all Scottish slang, and after about 20 pages I gave it up for an easier book.

Then and Now, Joseph Heller
Well, I’ve always wanted to read Catch-22, but I never find it in book exchanges, and I’m pretty cheap as far as buying books is concerned, so I have yet to get to it; however, I did manage to score Heller’s autobiography, Then and Now. It’s pretty good; unfortunately it draws a lot of parallels between his life and the characters in his books, but since I haven’t read any of them, that whole part of the book passed me by.

Jitterbug Perfume, Tom Robbins
The master of sentence construction and dirty mindedness, Robbin’s books always entertain me. He always manages to somehow fuse seriously intense subjects with copulation and debauchery, and he does it well. His descriptions are great, and the characters are always interesting. This one deals with the theme of everlasting life.

The Secret Life of Bees, Sue Monk Kidd
I borrowed this book off of Nancy. It is a total chick book, but very good all the same. I can totally see it as a movie with Oprah as one of the starring roles. In fact, I’m surprised it hasn’t been shot yet. Anyway, it’s set in the civil rights days and deals with a group of women overcoming this and that. Good stuff.

Bel Canto, Author’s Name Forgotten
Got this one from Kathryn in Bangkok. It takes place in a fictional Latin American Country. It’s all about opera and kidnapping, and it’s pretty good. In fact, I couldn’t put it down and was very pleased with it, until the end, which is no good at all. Maybe you shouldn’t read it.

Holidays in Hell, P.J. O’Rourke
This is a hilarious collection of travel stories, all written by a comedic genius/madman. O’rourke’s travel stories do not take you to the average places, but rather to more interesting locales such as Beirut. This one is a definite must-read.

To The Hilt, Author’s Name Forgotten
Standard bubblegum mystery stuff. Based in London and Scotland. The kind of book that has a cheesy glossy picture of the author in a silly English outfit on the back cover. Nothing worth remembering, but it kept me entertained for a few nights.

Anyway, I know there are a few others too, but I can’t remember them at all, so I’m sure they are not worth remembering nor mentioning.

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 vehicle reaches the crest of Lachalang-la, at 16,600 feet.

Journal and photo by Nancy Olson

This "journal" comes to you in the form of a press release, and it is early. The release is for a few days from now, but since this is my journal day, and since I haven't written a journal yet, here you go:

KEYLONG, India, Sept. 19, 2004--Drive Around the World and Land Rover Certified have driven over the highest motorable road in the world. At a proclaimed 18,320 ft, Khardung-La is the highest mountain pass on Earth.

After driving more than 25,000 miles through 22 countries since Nov. 1, 2003 on their yearlong Parkinson’s Research drive-a-thon, the LONGITUDE Expedition team headed north, and up, into the Indian Himalayas. In this part of the Karakoram Range, the Indian Army is always on guard to protect the high-altitude borders it shares with Pakistan and China. A drive up to the Khardung-La required a special permit, and the expedition team was greeted by smiling Indian Army troops and tough-as-nails road crews working at the summit.

Signs all along the paved and winding road remind travelers to drive safely, while other strategically placed signs give insight to the immense pride of the engineers, road crews, and military who build, maintain, and protect these “highest roads in the world.”

To reach Kardung-La, the Drive Around the World convoy of four Land Rover Certified Discoverys and eight crew members traveled 362 miles north along the well-known Manali-to-Leh Route. This road, the second-highest in the world according to India, traverses four 16K-foot-plus mountain passes, with the highest, Kanglang-La, topping out at 17,590 ft.

The team had previously spent three nights at 5,000 ft, with a final night at 11 K feet before hitting the high altitudes. The team says they experienced first-hand some of the effects these high altitudes can have on the human body.

“I feel really bad,” said Take Me With You! guest Matt Candelaria, 36, of Los Angeles, Calif., at around 16,000 ft. Candelaria is traveling with the team as their guest throughout India.

Experiencing symptoms of Acute Mountain Sickness, which indlude headache, dizziness, nausea, euporia, and diminished appetite, Candelaria just wanted to “lose altitude.”

The quickest way to do that was to continue ahead to Leh, which sits at about 11,500 ft up in the Indian Himalayas.

The roads were narrow and crowded with slow-moving trucks and buses, but the team climbed and descended easily, clearing all the mountain passes before dark, and reaching their destination at Leh just after nightfall.

In Leh, the team and Candelaria adjusted to the high altitude while researching permits for the Khardung-La Pass, just 16 miles to the North.

“This area and several others near India’s borders require a special travel permit,” said expedition leader and Drive Around the World founder Nick Baggarly, 36, of Upland, Calif..

With permit in hand, the team, including Candelaria, but minus three who were feeling mild altitude sickness, drove the steep switchbacks up to the summit at Khardung-La. Their GPS and altimeter reading 17,700 ft, the team questioned the validity of the road’s 18,320-foot claim.

“The locals and the tour guides here say the pass isn’t really 18-three, but who cares,” said Baggarly. “This is the highest we’ve ever been, and we’re out of breath. The guys who built these roads are amazing.”

From Leh, the team is headed through China, Krzykstan, Khazakstan, Russia, Alaska, and Canada, before their expected return in Dec.

“This is one of the most beautiful stretches we have driven on this expedition, and we’re soaking up in every minute of it,” said Baggarly. “As much as we want to get home, we know we’ll miss these places when the journey ends.”

LONGITUDE Expedition team members include Baggarly, Chanda Baggarly, 33, of Visalia, Calif.; Todd Borgie, 35, of San Gabriel, Calif.; Adam Burgess, 31, of Saratoga, Calif.; Neil Dana, 31, of Danville, Calif.; Colin McAuliffe, 25, of New Paltz, New York; Justin Mounts, 31, of Witchita, Kansas; and Nancy L. Olson, 31, of Southlake, Texas.

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.

Todd plays on a suspension bridge that hangs over an icy river. He and Matt and Nancy jumped in harmony to get this thing to bounce and sway dramatically.

Journal by Todd Borgie, photo by Nancy Olson

The morning started out as a modest driving day from Mandi to Keylong, a meager 219 km, but you had to earn these kilometers…more on that later. I was still on a buzz from meeting the Dalai Lama, so all was good! A 9:00 a.m. rollout was planned, and we were going to have a nice driving day into the Northern Mountains of India, the foothills of the Himalayas.

I rolled out of bed first, as I had some maintenance to perform on the vehicles, Matt and Nancy were real troopers to volunteer to help out. I thought an hour and a half would be plenty of time to complete the required tasks and return to my room and have a shower before departing, but I was wrong.

The maintenance started out with tightening of lug nuts, checking air pressure in the tires, and filling them as needed (the work adds up with four vehicles). The final task was to extract a quart of oil from each vehicle and replace it with fresh oil. One of the sponsorship agreements with Mobil 1 was to not change the oil during the entire 50,000 kilometer expedition. Every 15,000 kilometers, we extract a sample of oil and then mail the sample back home for analysis. Despite some of our best efforts, the oil has been accidentally changed in two out of the four vehicles. When we have taken the vehicles in for maintenance, the nice mechanics often assume we want to the oil changed in addition to whatever else we asked them to do. This happened when we took one vehicle into a dealership for an alignment check, and then another time when we took the vehicle in for an engine service light. Now we have stickers everywhere saying do not change the oil, and one of us usually acts as a sentry in order to protect and maintain our agreement.

Anyway, with two of the vehicles especially, we have watched the oil get blacker and blacker. It was getting to such a stage that Mobil One suggested that we remove a quart of old oil and replace it with fresh stuff, they went on to suggest that we overfill the vehicle, for a reason I am not so sure about. The dusty conditions that we often find ourselves in have contributed to dust in the engines and the engine oil.

Generally, when we take oil samples, we have a little pump that Mobil One provided, plenty of tubing to run down into the oil pan from where the dipstick sits, and little 100ml sample containers that screw directly into the pump. However, the best we could do for containers for oil samples were one-liter water bottles, and these did not have the same size mouth or threads for the pump, therefore we had to fill nine 100 ml sample bottles and pour them into the one liter-bottles (one quart is about 950ml, and one litter is 1000 ml). The process was tedious enough, but then the rain came; uffda! However, after that painful experience, I know how to do it much quicker now!

We extracted the quarts out of the vehicles with the oldest oil first. Unbelievable! This oil is the worst I have ever seen! The oil samples came out like soft-serve chocolate ice cream. Ugh. There were clumps, but I didn’t see any metallic shavings, so that was good news.

With our sluggish way of taking samples, the rain, and that fact that we could do only one vehicle at a time, rollout moved to 11:00 AM. I thank, Nancy, Matt, Neil and Adam, for their help with this process, despite the fact we only got two vehicles done.

I am glad that we were able to put fresh oil in, but leaving the oil in as it is makes me nervous. I hope Mobile One will continue to work it’s synthetic wonders and keep our engines running smooth until we arrive home.

Anyway, we rollout at a rainy 11:00 a.m., but not as rainy as when we were working on the vehicles, I might add. The drive was beautiful! I have always heard that the Kashmir area was amazing, and now we were headed to it.

Once we got on the road, the scenery drastically changed from our Delhi days. The area was not as densely populated; the road paralleled a clean rushing river, and the pedestrian suspension bridges that spanned the rivers were fun to play and bounce on. However, the roads were windy, and the drop offs were abrupt, offering new challenges to driving in India.

As we started to ascend the 13,000 ft pass, the conifer forests and the rocky rugged mountains made me feel almost as if I was in the Pacific Northwest, another factor that increased my homesickness after more than 10 months on the road. As I mentioned earlier, the drive was only 219 kilometers (135 miles), but this took us about 10 hours. As the crow flies, the distance was much shorter than 135 miles due the many switchbacks that gradually lifted us from 5,000 ft to over 13,000 ft.

One of the greatest things about the last couple of days was the fact that we were out of the hustle and bustle. Despite the fact that there were always people asking you for money, the crowds were not as intense as they were in Delhi, and the headache of doing business was much reduced, although the variety of food and services was diminished as well.

It was almost unnoticeable how the auto rickshaws disappeared as we headed into the hills. Although these Vespa-turned-passenger-carriers were a great way to get around in cities, when you are driving with them they seem like traffic mosquitoes. Their agility on the road enables them to buzz around you with great ease. However, when there are so many of them buzzing here and there, you don’t always know where they will end up. They will pass you on the left or right or whatever way they can, another complication on the roads in India. All this to say we have left the headaches of the city behind and now were are in the mountains, with crystal clear streams and snowcapped peaks and John Denver on the radio--a very nice change!

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.

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.

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.

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.

We met Coen several days ago on our way to Dharamsala. Then, today, we met him again. He's made quite a bit of progress. As we did when we saw him the first time, we fueled him up with Red Bull and wished him much luck. We're all headed toward Leh, so there's a chance we'll see him on our way back through the mountain passes. Coen is riding from his home in Holland to China.

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 Delhi auto rickshaw driver and son.

Photo by Todd Borgie

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.

Nancy's latest stray closes his eyes against the pain as he is picked up to be carried into a Nepalese veterinary clinic.

Journal by Nancy Olson, photo by Matt Candelaria

Delhi, Delhi, Delhi…We at Drive Around the World know we’ve been in one spot too long when our weekly journal day rolls around more than once. This happened in Bangkok quite often, and, frankly, it’s no picnic trying to come up with interesting things to write about when we’re not actually driving.

I described my impressions of Delhi in my September 2 journal, so I won’t bore you with that again. We’ve been venturing out into the hot and sticky weather here each day, taking auto rickshaws to various markets for shopping and errand running, and we usually get charged exorbitant fees. Delhi has turned me into a very rude bargainer, and of that I am not proud. On more than one occasion, I have told the driver off for charging Chanda and me triple or quadruple what he would charge a local, and on another occasion I just handed him twenty rupees and walked away as he screamed about the other eighty rupees he wanted. The nerve!

Occasionally, I have the good fortune to meet a sweet little street dog who lifts my spirits and allows me a brief escape from the hustle and bustle going on about me. The dogs here in India are bigger, healthier, prettier, and more pure-bred-looking than those of many other countries. We refer to them lovingly as “third-world dogs”, and we love them. Two days ago, for example, I met a yellow Labrador retriever puppy. He was beautiful, and he was wandering the streets alone, so I decided to befriend him. When I first spotted him, he was being scolded and chased off by a mean-looking chef holding a butcher knife! Yikes! So, I scolded the chef and led the dog to a safer loitering area. He was so cute and friendly that I ALMOST kept him. The reason I didn’t? A fear of commitment. Dogs like that one are at least a 10-14-year commitment, and I can’t make that step. That’s definitely a good thing, too, as it has prevented me from taking on strays in nearly every country we’ve visited.

A few days ago, as you might already know, Matt Candelaria and I took a short weekend trip to Kathmandu in Nepal. The trip was too short, but it was great. By the way, I have Nick and Chanda to thank for making my dream of visiting that city a reality, so, “Thanks, Nick and Chanda!” Matt’s journal (Sept. 5) explains the curfews, Maoist insurgents, the city, and the mountain flight, so that saves me from including a description here. What he didn’t tell you about is the dog we met on our first day out in the city.

We were walking down the street, taking in the sights; Matt was eyeballing cool clothing for his girlfriend, and I was drooling over all the camping and climbing stores, when we heard the most woeful cries up ahead.

In the gutter in front of one of the shops was a cute little dog curled up into a little ball, his head down, rear end immobile, and front paw lifting up and down rhythmically. Careful not to receive a bite from the obviously scared and hurting pup, I tried to comfort him and feel for broken bones. I was certain he must have been hit by a car and had his hips busted or dislocated. But everything seemed intact. I didn’t know what to do. He was cute, scared, and helpless. Matt and I could not stand to see him suffering, yet we couldn’t walk away and pull the out of sight-out of mind trick. Matt stood by the little fella while I ran into a bookstore to get a map and directions to the nearest veterinary clinic.

Because he was covered in mud and cold, I wrapped him in a newspaper and held him to my chest. We hopped in a taxi and rode some 10 minutes to a vet; it felt like a half hour. The pup screamed at every bump. When we arrived at the clinic, it was closed. Fifteen minutes-or-so later, a young girl opened the doors, and ten minutes later, a kind-looking man approached. He took one look at the pup and said, “Looks like canine distemper,” and walked away.

I used to work for a vet as a kid, and I spent a year selling veterinary diagnostic equipment for a company called IDEXX Laboratories, so I wracked my brain trying to come up with the symptoms and treatments for distemper. Nothing. I know we vaccinate for it in the states, and I know it’s a dreadful disease, but that’s all I cold remember. Is it neurological? Yes, I think it’s neurological.

Anyway, I asked the man about the treatment. He said that, in this advanced state, they cold try to treat the disease with medication for seven or eight days, and it would cost a lot of money, and the dog would probably just suffer and then die, anyway. The best and most humane treatment would be to have the pup put to sleep right away. The cost? Five hundred rupees, or around $8.50 US.

Matt and I couldn’t stay in Nepal for eight days, and I didn’t want the dog to suffer a minute longer, so I walked into the back room with him and put him on a counter to await the lethal injection. A skinny man met us back there, and I held my dog while he attempted to put a huge-gauge needle into a vein in the left forearm. He must have had 200 cc of death in that huge syringe. He couldn’t find the vein (duh, the dog was extremely dehydrated), but he kept sticking it in and pushing the fluid in under the skin, anyway. I was becoming furious with him and yelled at him to knock it off. Matt walked away toward the window in the corner, unable to witness the needle and the little doggie’s impending death. Finally, he switched to the other arm, found the vein, and administered the drug. My dog reached around and landed a final death-nip to my hand before he went under. I was an idiot for relaxing my grip on his head, knowing from experience that dogs are instinctually programmed to fend off death by biting. The dog was just barely out before the skinny man picked him up, put him on the floor like a sack of potatoes, and covered him with the newspaper. I flashed him a dirty look for treating my dog so roughly. And that was that.

I handed a 500-rupee note to the kind older doctor, and we left. I must admit that I was a wreck for the next 20-30 minutes. It wasn’t even my dog, really, and yet I was crying over him. Had he been curable, I had great plans to keep him and smuggle him to India with us. He was going to be my little riding companion, because he was a perfect traveling size. But it wasn’t to be, and it’s probably for the best.

It was a rotten way to begin our Nepalese adventure, but the mood soon changed, and Matt and I had a wonderful time in Kathmandu.

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.

Remember these? Anyone born after about 1980 won't, but you oldies will. Pull-tabs. They still have these on the soda cans in India. Seen 'em on the fake Red Bulls, Coke, and Sprite...For you youngsters, the reason they are discontinued is because the standard operating procedure was to pull off the tab and stick it inside the can. I guess a few challenged individuals ended up choking on them or severely injuring their innards. But we here at Drive Around the World still like to put the tabs inside our cans...we like risk...and danger...

[Photo by Matt Candelaria]

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.

Todd visited this hospital in Delhi, and he also spoke with a Parkinson's specialist. Todd's words: "Dr. Behari was great; we had a fantastic meeting. She told me of how she decided to become a neurologist, and she discussed the local Parkinson’s organization PRAN (Parkinsonisms and Related Disorders Awareness Network) here (and lamented the fact information about it was not yet available on the net). She told me why so many people wanted to cover it up, and she invited me to her weekly clinic on Saturday. It was great that she took the time to meet with me. You can read more about the interview soon on the Parkinson’s page.

[Photo by Todd Borgie]

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 blue deity, Vishnu, rides past on a float in the Krishna parade in New Delhi.

Journal and photos by Neil Dana

We moved hotels into another part of not-so-New Delhi, and there are all kinds of hotels and shops here. It is filled with people and noises all the time, especially when the speakers across the street are blaring music and advertising. I must admit, I do love the music they play, but all the ads and prayers in between are a bit annoying when it is so loud! The music is fascinating, and the voices are so melodic and sweet that you become entranced by it all. This is India, and there is music blaring everywhere. I had been hoping to hear this the whole time I had thought about coming to India. In Varanasi, we found some live musicians playing tablas and sitar, and that is what I had hoped to find. Here in Delhi, though, it is more difficult to find.

This evening, we had a pleasant surprise though. There was a parade filled with marching bands and floats and hundreds and hundreds of kids and adults screaming and singing. The Krishna festival, which has been going on for throughout the month of August, is supposed to have its finale on Tuesday; however, last night they had a parade. It was great, and it was passing right in front of our hotel. The parade came in waves, too. It would start with some police clearing the way, then the marching band with drums, trombones, trumpets, baritones, and whistles would march down the street with lights carried above them, which were electrified by a wheeled generator that a few people would push behind. Next the floats would start with different statues of Vishnu and all kinds of deities represented. The women, men, and children were all dressed up in very fancy outfits and painted faces. It was extremely colorful and predominantly orange, since that is the color for Krishna. Eventually it would die down, and then the street would be somewhat darker and quieter, but then five minutes later another procession would come around. This happened about five times and lasted for a little more than an hour.

Kids were running around smiling and slapping five with me, and whenever I would try to take a picture of anything, five to ten kids would jump in front of my camera and make it next to impossible to take a shot. It was pretty funny. They were really aggressive, and some of the shop owners would come out and yell at them and shoe them away. Unfortunately, Justin had his wallet stolen from his pocket while he was shooting. The kids are very sly, very courageous, and very annoying. It really is too bad, because they are so cute, too.

Amidst all the action from the parade, the people and the children watching would stop by a man standing on a bench who was pouring out water from a pitcher, hold their hands out and get a drink. Everyone was thirsty and sweaty and panting heavily. It was quite a scene. No matter where you go in India, there is always something interesting to stumble upon. The Krishna festival is just one of the many.

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.