Sunday, October 27, 2013

(Very) Early morning walk

Sunday morning - 6.00am - all set for a 13 mile promenade? - not exactly,  especially after a very late Saturday night - but off we go!

Oxfam organize an annual 100Km in 48 hours hike as a fundraiser, in close proximity to Bangers. Teams of four - each member of the team having to complete the 100K. This was a pre-registration, is this a good, or even sane idea? comparatively short hike.

It was a beautiful temp for any sort of physical exertion - grey, overcast with a slight breeze. In the UK this would herald rain and cold - but here doesn't mean anything of the sort! I didn't take my real camera as - I'd firstly have to carry it and secondly would be a source of irritation to my fellow hikers as I'd be forever stopping and clicking so these pics are all i-phone.

Its hard to believe that there is this incredible peace and tranquility only a mile or less from the hustle and bustle of mainstream Bangers. Given our on-going monsoon season it's incredibly green and lush at the moment.  Even just taking i-phone pics I seem to be lagging here as a couple of my fellow hikers seem to disappear on the horizon.



Its very rural with scattered small farmers cottages and low tech/high manual crop agriculture underway. Both the motor bike and the farmer seem drowned by their loads of sugar cane. But being India both overladen bike and driver will wobble off to market without loosing a single sugar cane on route.


Before we completely left urbanisation we walked through a few small villages and even at just after 6.00 am some pooja was underway. The rooster just partially visable on the left side of the pic. was about to meet a sticky end and evolve into an offering to some God, to the accompanianment of some very loud drum beats.




 And this being India - folks were going about their business regardless of this strange band of walkers. As their lives are so labour intensive they must find it hard to comprehend why we would need or want to go strolling about the countryside for no apparent reason.


 I must admit I felt way better at the end of the walk than I did at the beginning! Twenty -two Kilometres in just over 4 hours - not bad going. Do I feel 100K is possible in 48 hours - yes, desirable I'm not so sure. Our next hike of 30K is planned for three weeks time, Diwali break interupting any atempt at a more rigorous intensive training schedule! 

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