Passing through the brick district. Envision mordor, from lord of the rings. Smoke so heavy it burns your throat. So far all the India I’ve seen has been covered in smog.

Cow pie homes. It would be tough being reincarnated as a dog in India but it might be tougher being a woman of the lower caste.

Water buffaloes produce the raw material for these fire cakes. They also make houses out of them. The woman pat them out while still wet, note finger prints.

My clay cup of Chai Tea

Stopping by the road draws quite a crowd, two of the five doctors that are with us. Rich on left from Canada an Rick from CO. Both are with their wives who are also doctors.

A road side stop, this guy is a barrister and his specialty is Chai Tea with milk and sugar. I’m hoping the boiling kills everything. The cost is ten rupees which includes the small clay cup which is disposed of after.

Hair cut, beard cut, shave and face massage 600 rupees. Ask how much first, I think 300 rupees would have been more like it. There is no electricity in in the smaller shops until after 4:00 pm. So everything was done by hand.

Rick is ranked #1 in his age group nationally in Cyclocross, he is also an ER doc, he and his wife Jean have been on the TDA orient express tour. As you can see looking back over where we came a prerequisite for this kind of travel is an open mind.