I have bought myself a new Indian bicycle!

Things have been changing. I have sent my bicycle 520km forward, to Nagpur, because the

spokes on the back wheel kept on braking and nobody can fix it. I dont have the good tools and neither the mechanics here in India. So, hopefully I will get some tools sent to Nagpur, and I can fix my bicycle there. I dont hope too much though. Emotionally it was really tough to send the bicycle away. I always say that it is my wife when people ask if I am married.

So, to be able to get forward I bought myself an Indian bicycle for around 30 euros. It is really shitty. At least I hope it can take me 520km to Nagpur, and then we will see what happens.

These are all the things I sent with my bicycle and that I decided that I could not carry on the Indian one. Things include the sleeping bag (sheet is enough), jeans, sweater, deodorant, hair wax, tooth brush (that one was for the bicycle, I have another one for the teeth), sun screen (no need, cause I'm already tanned!), rain wear (no rain here I hope) and other things.

The local newspaper came and took some photos and had an interview with me. My ass is nicely dirty I notice.

They asked deep questions. Example: "As a foreigner, which advice would you give to us in India?". I had no good answer at all.

The crew who helped me buy the new bicycle. It was a big thing.

Me and Vikram, the couchsurfer I stayed with. He was such a nice man and I had a discussion with him that gave me some perspective to my problem with the bicycle. He was a wealthy man, having a business in the jewellery industry and staying in a big, nice house, but unlike many other wealthy Indians I have met he had his feet on the ground. The day I stayed with him he arranged a day for mute children in the city. However, we both decided that I should not participate because it would kind of steal the show. Anyway, he had a deep insight in poor India and when he told me about all that I realized that my problems are not so big after all, when put in perspective. I dont know, it might sound philosophical, but I try to think of that when my bicycle or something else fucks up. Hehe, or maybe I'm just mindfucking myself.

On the new bicycle. The seat is way too low and I cannot raise it more.

Picture taken today, the day after buying the bicycle. Today I went 120km on it in the rain. It makes very strange sounds and it feels like it will brake down whenever, but it is going strong. So now I have cycled 180km with it in total. And people are a lot more happy and friendly when they see me on this bicycle. Always when I stop I say "Atlas, Atlas" which is the brand of the bicycle. "To Kolkata!". Everyone starts to laugh. Today one guy said: "Haha, Atlas cycle. Ordinary. No ranger!".