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India from Bihar State to Uttar Pradesh

I continue to enjoy my run through Iran enjoying the countries wonderful modern facilities, mentality, food and proper tea :)

It’s a month since I ran out of India and just like Indonesia it has left me traumatized. Here is a blog I wrote about 6 weeks ago and for one reason or another never got around to posting it. I have more on India, am sure I could write a book on it!
I continued my run through Bihar state being harassed by day on the roads and also at my rest breaks. I found a plastic handle which looks like a batton  so I run with this in my hand now waving the bicycles and small motor bikes they ride here, mostly 100 or 125cc out of my way. Sometimes I laugh at some of the guys as they  ride these bikes with their shades  thinking they are so cool or even a Tom Cruise in Top Gun. Indonesians ride the same way.
In India a pedestrian is the lowest of low for a hierarchy definitely exists here. The bigger the vehicle he more self importance these stupid drivers place upon themselves.
Sometimes a bicycle comes speeding down the shoulder as in a sprint finish in the tour de France and the motor bikes too expect me to jump out of the way, Sorry folks my Van Helen days are over… No more JUMP! Many of these guys got a whack of my batton  when they got too close… Well guys what do you expect :)
They are not only surprised that I don’t jump they are also surprised when they get a whack from my batton
It’s like a different country when I get off the road at then end of the day and talk to the people.
This particular day I though I was running by a temple when in fact it was a regular house which the people were decorating up for an important Hindu festival. I had stopped to ask if I could sleep there and when I realised my mistake the family told me I was welcome. They prepared an evening meal and fixed me a bed under a mosquito net. I slept very well.
Next night I was also stuck and came to what seemed like a club for there were a lot of young people singing and dancing to what sounded like hip hop music to me but I was told it was in fact Hindu religious music! 50km that day.
Another day I was so weary I stopped for a 15 minute meditation break in the corner of a dhaba.. Facing the wall right u to the sink. The owner was a gentleman who upon seeing me stressed just left me and talked in very gentle tones calling me sir.  It had been a particularly tough day mentally as people kept swarming around me like Australian
bush flies. At least in the Outback I had a fly net! I now am very particular about entering conversations after all I am not on a social as I remind many people, I am on a mission. I find it best in India in my situation to remain aloof. The best advice I can give anyone ever considering running across this country is to run fast or better still run very fast!
One gawker on a bike hit a dead cow on the road for it was dark. Luckily he got up OK just a bit shaken, I slowed down the oncoming traffic as best as I could, such a request is akin to swearing at these guys. The motorcyclist rode off a big dazed.
Another night spent in a dhaba. Left my mobile to be charged up in backroom they had a power connection in. Was wondering why the family were up at 3am laughing. In the morning I found my mobile messed up, airplane mode on, a full page of APS missing and Facebook which I rarely use was right up there on the front screen.
Another 47km took me to the Uttar Pradesh state line. U.P perhaps one of Indias  most peaceful states as a newspaper reports the state had ‘ Only 150 riots last year! ‘

Today I tried the don’t speak Hindi, don’t  speak English.. I am from Spain, followed by a blast of Spanish and an ” I’m from Barcelona, Now please leave me alona! And it worked.
A month later as I type this out on my phone a man who was looking over my shoulder asked me if I am from Barcelona! They say that in India there is always someone around and if you think you are alone that you just don’t see them!
I am running on route 28 now. Today I saw a camel.
I have a bad cold with running nose and an infection also a heavy cough so stopped at a pharmacy and picked up a bottle of Cortex cough syrup and a six day supply of antibiotics called Almox 500. An email to my pharmacist friend Greg and he tells me they should have given me a ten day course, so i got some more. Such things can be got over the counter without a prescription in the developing world. This all worked a treat and right enough ten days later I am as right as rain.

 

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4 Responses to “India from Bihar State to Uttar Pradesh”

  1. Ann Says:

    Glad to hear your cold and cough cleared up Tony. Take care -:)

  2. theworldjog Says:

    Saturday I had a poor mornings running, couldnt get into my stride. A bakery gave me tea with my bread. Ten minutes later a family stopped me for more tea and the most delicious sweet biscuits a delicacy from nearby Tabriz.
    Then I had a big lunch and ran strong in afternoon. I finished with 47 so a good day. I even managed to suss out a rare pizza joint for dinner and found a restaurant to sleep in for 4euro (with the help of mosque caretaker who wouldn’t let me sleep in mosque)
    Iran is very cheap, exception is accommodation, so pleased with this.
    3 km needed for 43,000. A big week will get me to Turkey next weekend.

  3. Ann Says:

    Hi Tony, I see from spot you are running so congratulations on 43,000 kms today. Great achievement for you -:)

  4. Serena Says:

    Hi tony another great read. Pity about your phone. Hope you got it sorted. Congrats on 43000 km amazing!

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About Tony

I have always considered myself to be an average runner. In school, I was even bullied for I was a sports wimp. Through hard work, dedication, perseverance, self-belief and a strong mind I succeeded in not only running around the world but breaking four ultra running world records during my competitive career. Having previously cycled around the world I didn't start running until I was almost 30. Then I had a dream of running around the world. For many reasons, I waited for over 20 years. One reason was to establish my pedigree as an endurance athlete. I started and finished my world run as the current World Record-Holder for 48 Hours Indoor Track 426 kilometres (265 miles), a record I have held since 2007. I also broke and still hold the World Record for 48 hours on a Treadmill 405 kilometres (251 miles) in 2008. When I retired from competition, more pleasing than any of my world, European or Irish records I had the respect of my fellow athletes from all over the world - in my opinion, sports greatest reward - an achievement I am most proud of. Then I finally put myself out to pasture, to live my ultimate dream to run around the world! This blog was written on the road while I struggled to find places to sleep and to recover from running an average of 43.3 kilometres or 27 miles per day for 1,165 road days. There were many nights I typed this blog on a smart phone, so fatigued my eyes closed. Many journalists and endurance athletes have referred to my world run as the most difficult endurance challenge ever attempted. During my expedition I rarely had any support vehicles, running mostly with a backpack. In the more desolate areas I pushed my gear, food and water in a cart which I called Nirvana, then I sent her on ahead to run with my backpack once again over altitudes of almost 5,000 metres in the Andes. I stayed in remote villages where many people had never seen a white person before. I literally met the most wonderful people of this world in their own backyard and share many of those amazing experiences in this blog. My run around the world took 4 years. There were no short cuts, I ran every single metre on the road while seeking out the most comprehensive route across 41 countries, 5 continents, I used 50 pair of running shoes and my final footstep of the run was exactly 50,000 kilometres, (almost 31,000 miles) I eventually finished this tongue in cheek named world jog where I started, at the finish line of my city marathon. I started my global run with the Dublin Marathon on October 25th 2010 and finished with the Dublin Marathon on October 27th 2014 at 3 05pm! Thank you for your support, I hope you can share my unique way of seeing the world, the ultimate endurance challenge! Read more...

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