Day 11 – Mussoorie to Rishikesh

Again a seven o’clock in the morning. A clear blue sky so a sunny day for driving.

Views from our hotel at Mussoorie

Steve had Denise ready to leave and we retraced our route from the day before then up into the sky. We travelled up and up. The roads began to show greater deterioration.

The route went up for hours until the summit. The villages popped up on the way with their colourful shop fronts and the dogs, goats and cows.

I don’t know how they make a living but it must be said that these people who do work, work very hard. They physically break rocks with large sledge hammers, mix concrete and place rocks onto huge walls in gabion baskets. They are not inhibited by health and safety, nor the bureaucracy we find in NZ.

The roads that they build don’t have resource consents etc for the large roading projects.

The workers live along the sides of the roads where they camp with their families and their animals.

The views from the roadsides can be spectacular. Stunning.

Shots from the road and… the kings of the road.

As we headed through the back roads, chosen for the sights to be seen, the roads just got nearly impassable. Rough roads for 35 kms. The cars were being demolished.

Cows and how they still transport stones by Human Resources.

Before the last TC, time controls, we encountered a car accident involving Lars and Annette, having demolished a small 4-door car. Lars was hurt and shocked as was Annette. They were taken to hospital but they are well. They will head home tomorrow. The car must have been badly damaged too. We feel for them. It could have been anyone of us hitting a car cutting a corner. All cars in India do this. It was a matter of time. We wish them a speedy recovery.

Some hydro lake shots in the back of nowhere.

Onwards over more rough roads to our hotel. This hotel is situated on the Ganges River. The home for people of the Hindu faith.

We have not had a look around as it was getting dark when we arrived. I guess this is where they build pyres on the riverside and burn their dead, then dispose of the ashes in the river.

Some interesting construction and the labour camps along the road.

It has been a really tiring day for all of us.

Alcohol is not permitted here so it has been a dry argument.

The rooms are somewhat sub standard, with cold showers and unclean facilities. It’s for one night, so……

After a quick bite in the hotel restaurant, very nice too, we’re back in the pit.

Our start tomorrow is at 10.00. So a little more time to get some recovery.