BACK ON THE BIKES. It felt good to get back on the bikes today and ride 104 kilometers / 64 miles north on National Highway 7. After three days of NOT riding, we were anxious to pedal toward our goal. Not long after 6:30 am, we left Hyderabad with two new Indian riders and David Goodnight of Seattle, Washington with us. The first of our group arrived in Kamareddi, our day’s destination, around 4:00 pm in 100-degree Fahrenheit heat. We received a gracious welcome and spent an extended 2-hour lunchtime in Ramayampet, about 70 km into the ride. Another group welcomed us in a small village about 15 kilometers further up the road. We had no punctured tires on our bikes, but our support vehicle experienced two flat tires today. All is repaired and Sanje Sumadra’s Tata Victa is ready to go forward.
“DELHI – 1459 KM.” On the far north side of Hyderabad we saw the first road sign with the name “Delhi” and an official measurement in distance to our goal—“1459 km” (that’s 926 miles). Actually, it will take us quite a few more kilometers/miles than that, since we will veer off NH7 toward Umri and Yavatmal. We plan to rejoin NH7 in Nagpur, riding along it until NH28 splits off to the northwest--directing us to Agra, Delhi and New Delhi. Tomorrow, we should pass 1000 miles by the time we reach Nirmal So far, we’ve ridden 1523 kilometers / 944 miles. We’ve got a long way to go! But it was great to begin to see road signs that remind us of our hoped-for destination. By the way, Delhi is the older city that is next to New Delhi, a newer city that is now the central government center for India.
THANK YOU. We must say “thank you” to all our friends and supporters in Hyderabad who celebrated our journey and made us feel good about our effort. Your smiles, words, laughter, songs, dances, processions, garlands, shawls, flower petals, offerings, meals, hospitality and prayers will be in our hearts and minds as we forge ahead. May your expressions sustain us from Nagpur to New Delhi. And may all you have offered and expended come back to you multiplied! Thanks for your interest & involvement. Check back often for updates. Learn more @www.bikeindia.org.
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