Cows, rikshaws, crazy truck drivers driving the trucks in a crazy way and which can fall down upside down very easily but still nobody gives a (...)!!!, strange vehicles, bicycles or sth what looks like that, people coming from nowhere and...
besides that fact...we have group of expats! They came to India few years ago, some of them few months ago and decided to buy a bike for themselves.
Some of them had previous experience. Some of them have never touched the bike before in their lives and have decided that India is this place on the earth where you can take a risk and try... try not to kill yourself and try not to be killed - thats the gold rule here, in this crazy and amazing country! aha...and remember: check if your horn works before you start riding your bike!!!
Let me introduce the gang of expats with some local flavour which had huge influence on us... while getting bikes and riding skills:)
1. Me, Basia from Poland.
Blond. White. Never ever rode a bike before coming to India. I guess I have never even touched one. The only girl on a bike in the gang but still treated as a boy. No mercy for loosers;p I managed to get a compliment from my colleague from work: " You ride better than Indians in a traffic".
2. Frenchie, org. Aurelien form France
One of those experienced one. Surprised every time sth breaks down in his bike as he claims he has never gotten his bike serviced back to France. Rides in a crazy but still safe way. Doesn't care about the signs...and the group of ppl that he should follow...always going into his directions...
3. Javed, our local guru of all the staff connected with bikes and bike trips. Kind of specialist of everything. Always ready for a ride no matter what. Positive spirit in our group.
4. Balis, from Lithuania. Accident master. Every time he comes with new scratch, bruise, new story and of course his version of accident. He likes to pay attention of locals riding without t-shirt (I guess white color of his skin is not visible when he has his t-shirt on). As the others say: his helmet protects only from the shits of the birds falling from the sky but still looks cool (at least he thinks so). Unfortunately went back to Lithuania few days ago...but still his spirit is and will be with us!
5. Karol from Poland. Another beginner. Ok, used to be...beginner. Screams at ppl in Polish, as he says: they won't understand it anyway. He uses his motor to attract local beauties (it works!!!).
6. Amal, easy - going rider. Always joining the bike trips in the last moment but still joining. His easy and calm attitude alywas calm the atmosphare in every nervous situation. Beer provider in a group.
7. Tom, 2 meters mix of German-Czech:) Invite him for a bike trip if you wanna be sure you don't want to get bored. Attracts lots of "luck" but in different meaning. Flat tyres, broken enigines, small collisions with other members of the gang - that're his specialities.
8. Rouf, local seller or whatever you wanna buy and whatever he can find on the street (see pic). He has decided to join this gang for Leh trip and automaticly became the part of the crew. Good teacher of "how to change the position with your pillion while riding". I tried and I survived:)
9. Indian roads...itself!
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