Jammin Global with Jay Kannaiyan

Introducing Riding Towards Me

Sun, 29 Sep 2019 04:00:00 GMT

It's here! Introducing Riding Towards Me, or, a search for identity on the world's backroads.

Riding Towards Me by Jay Kannaiyan

Riding Towards Me is the epic adventure story of Jay Kannaiyan who dropped everything he had in the US to ride his motorcycle back home to India by the longest possible route. The journey took him three years and three months as he rode through Latin America, Europe and Africa, finally reaching New Delhi in 2013. Jay and his motorcycle, sanDRina, encountered mechanical meltdowns, remote Mayan villages, weeks of high-altitude desert isolation, Caribbean and Atlantic voyages, humility and friendship. The book explores what it means to have an identity in today's world. Jay's go-with-the-flow attitude mixed with whatever-it-takes resolve brought him fame amongst the overland traveling community. This account of Jay’s extraordinary escapades, which almost destroyed his bike and spirit, makes for a riveting read. The book about the journey has just been published. Get your copy on Amazon.

Get it in India here and in the US here.

Formula 1 2018 Calendar with Race and Qualification Timings

Tue, 13 Feb 2018 05:00:00 GMT

The Formula 1 2018 season is just around the corner! Here's a google calendar with all the race and qualification timings correctly entered with their respective time zones. You can just bookmark this page or add this public calendar to your google calendar.

Link to the calendar: F1 2018 Race And Quali Calendar

You'll notice that this year the race start time is pushed back by 10 mins. This is to accommodate advertisers on the local broadcast.

Suzuki DRZ 400, Shall I Get It?

Thu, 08 Feb 2018 05:00:00 GMT

https://www.instagram.com/p/Be8OfwKg8gW/?taken-by=jamminglobal

RIP Hubert Kriegel, an adventure legend has passed :(

Fri, 26 Jan 2018 05:00:00 GMT

https://www.instagram.com/p/BeayCBDg2IK/?taken-by=jamminglobal

A Motorcycle Tour Of Ancient Egypt

Thu, 14 Dec 2017 05:00:00 GMT

For those with an interest in human history, there may not be a more stunning country to travel through than Egypt. It’s a deceptively large country for one thing, which means you can truly treat it as a journey rather than a casual one- or two-day ride. Best of all however is that there’s a relatively straightforward layout of incredibly ancient sights to see on your way up or down the country.

Naturally specific routes will differ, but we’ll lay out one possible itinerary below. We’re recommending you start in Alexandria, where there is an international airport and where you can, if necessary, rent a motorcycle for cross-country purposes. We’ll begin with the first attraction you might want to cross off your sightseeing list.

Pompey’s Pillar

Pompey's Pillar

This is a stunning structure that doesn’t get quite as much attention as some other Egyptian monuments – perhaps because by comparison it’s quite young. The pillar, about 20 meters tall and weighing as much as 285 tons, was erected in the 3rd century A.D. to commemorate a victor of the Roman emperor Diocletian. It was named erroneously for Pompey because Middle Age crusaders mistakenly believed that the old general’s ashes were in a pot at the top of the column. Taking an in-person look at this freestanding column is a great starting point before you head on to the main attractions of the journey, in Cairo.

(220km on Route 75M, southeast toward Cairo)

Great Sphinx & Pyramids Of Giza

The Great Sphinx & the Pyramids of Giza

The ancient sites of Giza just across the Nile from Cairo, are naturally the stuff of legend. The Sphinx is a mythical creature that has appeared in legends and fantasies even quite apart from Egyptian culture. For instance, the famous Harry Potter novels involved a living Sphinx at one point – a mysterious beast who told riddles to characters looking to make their way through a magical maze. Because of interpretations like these it can be easy to lose sight of the fact that the Great Sphinx is a real structure. It’s a stunning limestone monolith dating back to about 2,000 B.C., and thus one of the most fascinating man-made structures on the planet. It also gives the appearance of guarding the great pyramids beyond – perhaps the most famous buildings on Earth.

With the pyramids too, we can lose sight of the reality of their construction and existence, simply because there are so many fictions that revolve around them. In 2017 alone we’ve seen multiple video games celebrating the pyramids. First there was the circulation of “Pyramid: Quest For Immortality,” a slot reel in which symbols are made up of ancient Egyptian wonders; then there was “Assassin’s Creed: Origins,” a wild adventure game set in a vividly rendered take on the ancient civilization. It speaks to the buildings’ mystique that people are still designing these kinds of fictional interpretations. But nothing compares to seeing the pyramids in person. They’re larger, more beautiful, and more astonishing than most visitors realize they’re going to be.

Once you’ve seen the ancient wonders of Giza, it’s time to pay a visit to Hatshepsut and the Valley of the Kings.

(620km on Asyuit Desert – Cairo Road/Route 75M toward Qus)

Hatshepsut’s Temple & The Valley of the Kings

Hatshepsut’s Temple

Qus is a city you might want to stay in to break up your journey, and makes for a nice starting point from which to visit the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut, just south along Route 75M. Located on the Nile’s West Bank near the famous Valley of the Kings, this is one of the more impressive funerary shrines in Egypt, though it has been reconstructed over the years. Built into the base of the towering Deir el Bahari cliffs, the ancient shrine is considered to be among the more sophisticated examples of Egyptian architecture – not unlike some classical Greek and Roman building.

Close by you can visit the Valley of the Kings. In fact, it takes only a matter of minutes to get from one to the other – a sort of loop northwest along Kings Valley Road. Once in the Valley of the Kings, you’ll find that there’s as much to learn as there is to actually see. There are not towering monuments here, but rather a surprisingly humble set of rolling burial mounds and hidden tombs. This is where you’ll find yourself in the presence of perhaps the most famous archaeological find in Egypt – the tomb of King Tut.

Following this sightseeing tour, which should take a full day between Hatshepsut’s temple and the Valley of the Kings, you might consider staying the night in nearby Luxor, a city as closely tied to the ancient civilization as Cairo or Giza. It’s just across the Nile to the east and slightly south of the Valley.

(30km on Aswan-Giza/Aswan Western Agricultural Road toward Luxor)

Luxor

The Great Hypostyle Hall at the Karnak Temple Complex.

In Luxor and in its immediate vicinity, there are several stunning structures to take in if you’d like to stay put for a day, or even a morning. Luxor Temple, a place of worship beginning in 1500 B.C. is still standing; Medinet Habu is a temple in honor of the great Ramesses III; and the Colossi of Memnon, two giant sandstone statues at the edge of town, are certainly among the entire country’s most impressive monuments. Indeed Luxor can be difficult to tear yourself away from. But to complete the journey, there’s one more drive south to the village of Abu Simbel and the Abu Simbel temples.

(488km on Luxor-Aswan & Aswan – Abu Simbel Road/Route 75M toward Abu Simbel)

Abu Simbel Temples

Abu Simbel

Near the border with the Sudan and on the bank of Lake Nasser you will find these two temples – far south of the rest of Egypt’s most noteworthy monuments, but well worth the journey. These temples were built not as a posthumous tribute to a ruler, or a celebration of the gods, but rather directly by pharaoh Ramesses II (who lived in the 1200s B.C.). The temples were actually dismantled and relocated in 1968 when there was a new damn built in the area, so they’re not quite as they were thousands of years ago – but the structures themselves, including temples and giant, incredible statues, are the same. It’s an awe-inspiring place to wrap up your motorcycle journey through ancient Egypt.

sanDRina Still Going Strong, a 20 year old Motorcycle

Sat, 02 Sep 2017 04:00:00 GMT

https://www.instagram.com/p/BYilXwjA16v/?taken-by=jamminglobal

Filter Coffee and Dirt Bikes, Riding Offroad in South India

Wed, 30 Aug 2017 04:00:00 GMT

https://www.instagram.com/p/BYcTT-8gTtZ/?taken-by=jamminglobal

10 Reasons to Visit Spiti Valley in Gorgeous Timelapse

Mon, 24 Jul 2017 04:00:00 GMT

Just came across the gorgeous creative works of Saravana Kumar, who is traveling around India shooting timelapse. He quit his corporate life for one spent outdoors through all that nature throws at him as he captures the beauty of places in timelapse. This video about Spiti sure makes me want to jump on the bike and ride there right now!

Check out his other work at: IndiainMotion.com

Support him on Patreon.

And here's an interview with the man behind the lens.

Click here for more Videos.

Offroad Riding in Rajasthan on Royal Enfields

Sun, 18 Dec 2016 05:00:00 GMT

https://www.instagram.com/p/BOLdBiAgVhE/?taken-by=jamminglobal

10 Things I Learned Riding from the USA to India

Sat, 28 May 2016 04:00:00 GMT

In March 2010, I traded away my corporate job, house and life in urban America for a solo life on the road. For the next three years and three months, sanDRina, my Suzuki DR650, took me 100,000 km through 33 countries of Latin America, Europe and Africa with the journey ending in India. Here are 10 lessons I learned from this most amazing experience of my life.

Fish market in Nairobi, Kenya

#1 Street food is better than restaurant food

During my whole trip, I only got sick from food-poisoning twice and that was from eating at established places. I kept myself on a tight budget as the trip was primarily self-funded, and that meant a lot of street food. I never got sick from it and actually prefer it to restaurant food for the main reason that out on the street, you can see the food being prepared hot compared to the back kitchen of a restaurant, and besides, the germs on the street add to the flavor.

#2 Be spontaneous, forget your plan

I had a rough plan for my journey mainly driven by the local seasons (dry season for the Amazon, summer for Patagonia, etc.) but I stayed open to random changes that came my way. In southern Mexico, the CouchSurfing host I was staying at introduced me to a German girl with dreadlocks who was heading off into the jungle to go see a remote Mayan tribe. She invited me to join her. I changed my plans right there and had a great experience staying with this Mayan tribe and exploring the jungle with her.

#3 Staying with locals is always better than a hotel

On that note, if someone invites you to stay with them, which will most likely happen when they see that you’ve come from a long way away, accept it. In northern Sudan, by chance I pitched my tent on the Nile next to a local fisherman’s camp and they invited me to stay with them. They had no electricity in the Saharan summer, but I survived and started to thrive like them, wearing a jellabiya (the white-flowing dress of desert people), drinking copious amounts of sweet, mint tea and staying cool with frequent dips in the Nile. The nearby hotel would have been a drab affair.

Jay meditating at the Pyramids of Giza, Egypt

#4 Travel slowly

Initially, I gave myself two years to get from the U.S. to India, but in the end that became three-plus. Traveling slowly allowed me to do things such as take a four-week journey aboard a cargo ship across the Atlantic, spend two weeks on the shores of Lake Tana in Ethiopia and really get to know the locals, spend one year in Kenya to get deep into a new culture, and other experiences that the freedom of time makes possible. Not everyone has the luxury of time, but with whatever time you have, spend it in less places so that you can have a deeper experience of that place, rather than a shallower experience of a lot of places.

#5 Never refuse an offer of a meal

In Egypt, I stopped for a drink of water out on the Oasis Route through the Western Desert of the Sahara and this local man with a long beard and a loose turban on a Chinese motorcycle pulled up and signaled with that universal sign for food—fingers bunched together pointing at the mouth. I nodded and followed him a few kilometers off the road to his house. I was told to sit in the front room, and pretty soon a large plate with various dishes of food was brought out by his wife who quickly departed. We ate in silence as I didn’t know much Arabic but I felt we bonded. He allowed me to take a nap during the afternoon heat before I got back on the bike and rode on. Accepting that offer of a meal gave me an insight into the local culture.

#6 Own less stuff

This lesson cannot be told enough. I knew it before leaving that I was taking too much stuff and suffered whenever I had to pick up my fully-loaded adventure motorcycle. But my logic was to plan for as many contingencies as I could, such as a flat tire, which is essential, to the non-essential such as carrying a solar panel on my top box! Always take less stuff than you think you need. You can always buy it on the road somewhere.

Riding across the Andes in Bolivia

#7 When the bike breaks, you will meet an angel

Instead of panicking when the bike had a breakdown, I learned to just relax and wait for my angel to show up. Whenever I had a serious bike problem, I ended up meeting local people that showered kindness on me and helped me get on my way. There was Helmut in southern Peru who appeared out of nowhere and took me in when sanDRina’s rear wheel bearings gave up, and there was this retired army officer in northern Brazil who took me in as I dealt with a broken throttle cable. I still remember those times vividly and am ever grateful for them.

#8 Get involved with a project besides the travel

Long-term travel is a wonderful experience, but after a few months on the road the travel itself could get boring. To keep your mind active, get involved with something besides the actual travel that stirs your intellectual or creative side. Keeping a blog and getting involved in photography is one way. Another way would be to volunteer along the way, or as I did, study for a distance masters in sustainable development. There are a number of distance programs that can be studied just from a laptop and the occasional internet connection. Use your journey to set yourself up for life after the journey.

#9 Keep a journal

The one thing constant about travel is change. Changing places, faces and experiences. It can almost be too much stimulation for the brain and after the journey it can be hard to remember all the amazing experiences. Keep a journal and note down something in it every day. If you don’t have the patience to write out your thoughts, at least write down what you ate and where you slept. That alone could trigger a flood of memories many years down the line.

Riding the Cloud Forest Route of Northern Peru

#10 The hardest part is the beginning

Sitting in the U.S., I didn’t know whether I could actually get to India. Would I get all the required visas? Was my budget enough to get me there? What if I got mugged in Mexico? What if I caught some deadly disease in Mozambique? I realized that all these were unfounded fears and the biggest fear was actually starting. It’s easy to get cold feet if you think of every eventuality that could go wrong, but most likely it won’t and you’ll be fine. Just start and let the adventure play out.

India to Thailand, Through Myanmar, on the Royal Enfield Bullet

Sat, 17 Oct 2015 04:00:00 GMT

An Indian Army officer took a quick look at our stamped papers and motioned for the gate to be lifted. Noel, my Aussie riding buddy, and I had left New Delhi a few days earlier on Asian Highway 1, battling northern India’s freezing winter conditions on a pair of kick-start Royal Enfield Bullet Machismo 500s.

Many travellers have made the journey to the border at Moreh, only to be turned away. If the Indian border officials didn’t think you’d be allowed into Myanmar, they wouldn’t allow you to exit. But things are different now. After months of anxious planning and wondering whether to attempt this trip, we were almost there.

Until a few years ago, crossing Myanmar overland with your own vehicle was prohibited. It took some enterprising individuals to sort out the paperwork and convince their governments to open the border and allow travellers to enter.

Riding through the jungles of western Myanmar where the tar road hasn’t reached yet.

Myanmar is now, technically, a democracy. But it remains military-dominated and paranoid about state security. What do secretive states fear most? Independent travellers roaming the country, interacting with locals and reporting to the outside world. As a compromise, overlanders are now allowed to cross the country to Thailand with one major caveat – they have to be escorted by a government officer and a tour guide, along with a fixed itinerary following a pre-planned route. This isn’t my preferred style, but the opportunity to be one of the first to blaze the trail across this ‘virgin’ country was too tempting.

Crossing the single-lane, iron Indo-Myanmar Friendship Bridge at Moreh was a big moment – a continuation of my round-the-world journey without needing to take a flight.

The enigmatic plains of Bagan with pagodas from a thousand years still standing.

The western part of Myanmar is quite remote compared to the south and the east. With no tar roads until a few years ago, there were many tales of notorious mud jungle roads that mired vehicles. But the Indian government, in its bid to open trade with Myanmar and counter China’s influence, surfaced a 160 km-long road from the border to Kalay.

However, any chances of making quick time were ruined by more than a hundred narrow wooden and iron bridges. Some were well-maintained, but others resembled those I’d traversed deep in the Amazon with missing planks and exposed nails.

Crossing over a hundred wooden bridges in remote western Myanmar. How good is your balance?

We made it to Kalay in a day, then set off for Mandalay. The tar surface disappeared within a few kilometres, revealing baseball-sized rocks jutting from the hard-packed mud.

Our Bullets bounced about and just like in the Amazon, when trucks inevitably came from the opposite direction, the road’s fine clay dust enveloped us, drowning our senses for several seconds and leaving a powdery residue everywhere. But in this primitive landscape, riding through virgin jungles, we were in adventure riding paradise.

Down the Irrawaddy River lay Bagan, Myanmar’s tourist Mecca and a place to marvel at the imperial legacy from the Eleventh Century. Thousands of pagodas dot this plain, many covered in gold leaf. Its grandeur is intense, emotional and deeply personal. As we caught the sunset that evening from atop one of the largest pagodas, spontaneous applause broke from the crowd when the last ray disappeared beyond the horizon.

The temples of Bagan.

The next day we headed east and the road twisted tightly up and over the Shan Hills. Bullets are low on horsepower, but their balanced chassis makes for nimble cornering. Going uphill, sliding our butts off the seats, and leaning into corners is a movement every biker learns to love, even if the Bullet wasn’t designed to be ridden like a sportbike.

Back over the Shan Hills and we entered Nay Pyi Taw, the new capital built 10 years ago. Like most planned capitals, this one feels sterile, filled with wide, multi-lane concrete roads almost entirely devoid of traffic. We were left stunned by a 20-lane road in front of the parliament building. Ten lanes each side, with no cars. A sad demonstration of showmanship – no doubt a venue for military parades intended to signal the government’s disdain for Western sanctions – instead it remains a monolith of Myanmar’s squandered fortunes.

Fisherman on Inle Lake.

Bikes are banned from Nay Pyi Taw’s modern four-lane concrete highway to Yangon and they’re not even allowed into the city, so we had to park them at the city’s northern edge from where we caught a van and made it just in time to visit the Shwedagon Pagoda.

Over 325 feet tall, covered in gold leaf, with endless candles lit by chanting devotees around its base, the pagoda possesses an immense spirituality. We said a customary prayer, walked around the base and then headed to 19th Street in Old Town for a night of barbeque meats and cold beer.

A typical lunch in Myanmar!

After fetching our bikes the following morning, it was a leisurely ride east to Kyaiktiyo. Here we took the hour-long steep uphill climb in the back of a truck to Golden Rock – a massive boulder impossibly balanced on the edge of a cliff, covered in gold. When the sun came out from behind the clouds and lit up the rock in all its golden radiance, it was almost enough to make me a believer.

On the last day, we crossed the Dawna Range to reach the Thai border. And, just like in the far west where the road is yet to be paved, Noel and I had one last hairy ride. From Hpa’an, the road east is laden with trucks and tourist buses. This deteriorated road gave us a bone-rattling ride, which worsened in the mountains, becoming a gnarly off-road track filled with giant potholes. We charged up along the sides of minibuses, tankers and trucks – not lingering on the cliff edges longer than necessary.

Long boats on Inle lake where the locals have created a thriving economy whilst living on the lake.

This thrilling ride made for a fitting end to the journey through this adventure rider’s paradise. We reached the Thai border at Mae Sot and after bidding farewell to our escorts whom we’d befriended over the past ten days, we exited Myanmar.

Noel and I high-fived as we realized we were among the first riders to cross this wonderful country from India to Thailand – and on Royal Enfields!

What a stunning country to experience on a bike. If you would like to do this, get in touch as I’m organising another ride across in a few months.

Successfully entering Thailand at Mae Sot after crossing the length of Myanmar!

(This post originally appeared on The Quint.)

All Packed for Ladakh! Road Trip to Spiti and Leh

Wed, 24 Jun 2015 04:00:00 GMT

All packed and ready to go! This is Behzad on the Bullet. He's Amigo #2 on this trip. Amigo #3, Avi on a KTM 640, is joining us at our 4 am departure. Behzad runs Voygr and rode up from Bangalore. He's carrying lots of specialized camera equipment. We've spent the past few days figuring out the route, getting supplies and prepping the bikes. Big thanks to Sean at Big Bad Bikes for providing us with SW Motech Dry Bags. sanDRina is excited to be heading out to the mountains. Her panniers are full of food as we plan to camp as much as possible, far away from civilization :D

Altitude Charts: Manali to Leh Highway with Khardung La and More

Tue, 09 Jun 2015 04:00:00 GMT

Here are some altitude charts of Ladakh in the Indian Himalayas drawn with data taken from my Garmin 60Cx GPS on my motorcycle trip through the "Abode in the Sky" in May/June 2013. The altitude signboards put up by the army are off by a few hundred feet but here it is accurate to within a few feet. Scroll down for the route map, a chart in meters and photos from the trip.

Altitude Chart from Manali - Leh - Srinagar - Delhi (in feet)

Route Map

Altitude Chart from Manali - Leh - Srinagar - Delhi (in meters)

Press: Got Featured on RedBull.com! They Love Adventure ;)

Tue, 02 Jun 2015 04:00:00 GMT

Got featured on RedBull.com! Hit the link to find out why I rode from the US to India, what it took and how you can get on the road.

Excerpt: "Calling all travel and motorcycling enthusiasts, this is one story you absolutely must know about! His ‘follow your dream’ philosophy and pursuit of his own kind of ‘freedom’, makes him an inspiration for anyone who has found their real passion, but is too scared to go the distance with it. Having moved to the US from India to pursue a career in engineering; 10 years on, Jay dropped everything he had to motorcycle his way all across South America, into Europe, and through Africa to return to his hometown, Chennai. Staying with local hosts wherever he went, his is by far the most immersive travel experience you’ve ever heard of - and here’s how he did it."

https://www.redbull.com/in/en/stories/1331726443922/peeps-with-wings-jay-kannaiyan

Peeps with Wings - Jay Kannaiyan | RedBull.com

Happy Mother's Day from the Masai Maara!

Mon, 11 May 2015 04:00:00 GMT

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers on Planet Earth!

Join us this September for Jammin thru Kenya.

Lions in the Masai Maara

Map: From US to Australia, 74 Countries Eligible for Online Tourist Visa for India

Fri, 08 May 2015 04:00:00 GMT

Finally, India is making it easier for tourists to visit this incredible country! If you're from one of the 74 countries highlighted on the map or listed below, now there's no need to apply for an Indian tourist visa weeks or months ahead. With a minimum of 4 days and a maximum of 34 days before you show up in India, you can go online, fill out the visa application form, upload your passport info page and passport photo, pay online and get an email confirmation. Print that out and bring it with you to the immigration officer when you land in Delhi and voila, you'll be stamped in.

Note that this is not a Visa on Arrival program. You have to apply online before getting to India. This is an e-Tourist Visa program.

Here is the e-Tourist Visa website where you can apply for your visa: https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/info1.jsp

Map of countries that are eligible for the e-Tourist Visa for India:

E-Tourist Visa Countries

A simplified application process:

Full list of countries that are eligible for the e-Tourist Visa for India:

Anguilla Antigua & Barbuda Australia Bahamas Barbados Belize Brazil Cambodia Canada Cayman Island Chile Cook Islands Costa Rica Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador El Salvador Estonia Fiji Finland France Georgia Germany Grenada Guyana Haiti Honduras Indonesia Israel Japan Jordan Kenya Kiribati Laos Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Marshall Islands Mauritius Mexico Micronesia, Federated States of Montenegro Montserrat Myanmar Nauru New Zealand Nicaragua Niue Island Norway Oman Palau Palestine Papua New Guinea Paraguay Philippines Republic of Korea Republic of Macedonia Russia St Kitts and Nevis Samoa Singapore Solomon Islands Sri Lanka Thailand Tonga Tuvalu UAE Ukraine USA Vanuatu Vatican City-Holy See Vietnam

Press: YourStory features Jammin Global Adventures

Mon, 27 Apr 2015 04:00:00 GMT

Got featured in an article on YourStory (all about entrepreneurs) about those of us who have made adventure travel our new careers :) Thanks for the piece and cover shot, Sindhu!

@JamminGlobal @YourStoryCo http://t.co/Gc6U0VbAX2
— Sindhu V Kashyap (@Sindhuvkashyap) April 25, 2015

http://yourstory.com/2015/04/adventure-travel-india/

Kenya Motorcycle Tour with Elephants, Matatus and KLRs

Sat, 25 Apr 2015 04:00:00 GMT

In [Kenya](http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-1.26666666667,36.8&spn=10.0,10.0&q=-1.26666666667,36.8 (Kenya)&t=h "Kenya")... you have to lane-split the matatus, best done at speed breakers, ride through dust clouds on the Masai Maara, keep distance from elephants protecting their young and enjoy some of the best riding in the world with a great group of friends. Join us! This September from the 14th to the 23rd, Jammin thru Kenya 2015 is adventure motorcycling at its best!

jamminglobal.com/kenya for all the details.

_ Riding through dust clouds in the Masai Maara on Kawasaki KLR650.

Lane splitting the matatus.

Elephants protecting their young in the Masai Maara.

Group shot at the Great Rift Valley viewpoint on our way back to Nairobi.

Photo Credit: Raymond Shaw, our best rider on the tour :)_

Dreaming of Mongolia... this July!

Fri, 10 Apr 2015 04:00:00 GMT

Dreaming of flying across the vast steppes of Mongolia aboard the majestic Royal Enfield Machismo. Can't wait to get back there. Who's coming? This July, 19 - 28. Be one among the very few that get to visit the open and welcoming land of Mongolia.

The 10 day tour starts and ends in [Ulanbataar](http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=47.9166666667,106.916666667&spn=0.1,0.1&q=47.9166666667,106.916666667 (Ulan%20Bator)&t=h "Ulan Bator") and here are some of the highlights:

- Ride one of the true wilderness spaces on the planet - Sleep in yurts and feel like an explorer - Travel from the Khangai Mountains to Khogno Khan Sand Dunes - See the night sky like you've never seen it before! - Take a selfie with a Bactrian Camel - Spend a day on horseback in Orkhon Valley - Go fishing with the locals - Immerse yourself into Mongolian culture with a homestay - Ride with the eagles of the steppes

Jammin thru the USA! Travel Talk Schedule

Mon, 16 Mar 2015 04:00:00 GMT

Excited to be coming back to the US after leaving on sanDRina. I'll be moving around the country visiting old and new friends and giving a bunch of talks on my three year journey from the US to India. If you're in the area, come by and say hi :)

Mar 19th - San Francisco - Piston & Chain

Mar 24th - Los Angeles - New Century BMW

Mar 27th - Death Valley - ADV Noobs Rally

Mar 31st - Chicago - BMW of Countryside

April 2nd - Metuchen, New Jersey - Cross Country BMW

April 3rd - New York City - Spiegel Bar

April 9th - Houston - BMW Motorcycle Club of Houston

The first talk in San Francisco at Piston & Chain Motorcycle Club

The next talk in Los Angeles at New Century BMW

Coming home to Chicago!

Launching new tour: Transcontinental South to Southeast Asia!

Wed, 11 Mar 2015 04:00:00 GMT

Excited to announce the launch of a new tour: Transcontinental: South to Southeast Asia.

This isn't a regular tour. It's a real expedition. We'll be crossing 4 borders from India through Myanmar, then into Thailand and ending in Laos, covering 5,000 kms on Royal Enfield Bullets. The tour will last 36 days starting in New Delhi, India and finishing in Vientiane, Laos.

One of the most special aspects of this tour is the fact that we'll be one of first few riders to cross Myanmar on a motorcycle from India to Thailand. The country is only now slowly opening up and if you are an adventurer, this is the time to ride through Myanmar. The sights and sounds along the way are just too many to list. Hit the tour page for more details:

https://jamminglobal.com/transconseasia

Bagan, Myanmar

Tour Route Map

Motorcycle Travellers Meet at India Bike Week 2015

Mon, 23 Feb 2015 05:00:00 GMT

India Bike Week just happened and the MTM crew put on a great show at The Big Trip! Jammin Global is a core partner of MTM and we hosted tonnes of overland travellers, such as Hubert who has been riding around the world for 10 years on a Ural sidecar, Grant and Susan Johnson from Horizons Unlimited, Pat and Sheonagh, two elderly Brit ladies riding around on dirt bikes, along with seasoned travellers such as Avinash Thadani, Sangeetha Jairam and Frank Voellm among many others. To be honest, many of those that came for the bike festival said our travellers tent was the most interesting thing going on and that shows our mission of enabling riders to follow their two-wheel dreams is growing ;)

Great job Motorcycle Travellers Meet - India Team!

India Bike Week 2015 at Vagator, Goa.

Hubert's Ural with a Sidecar. Traveling around the world for more than 10 years now. If you see him on the road, invite him home ;) www.thetimelessride.com

Avinash Thadani shares his story of riding a KTM 640 Adv from New York down to [Tierra del Fuego](http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-54.0,-70.0&spn=0.1,0.1&q=-54.0,-70.0 (Tierra%20del%20Fuego)&t=h "Tierra del Fuego") and at the end of his presentation, he gave a little homage to Santosh Kumar, the man behind Motorcycle Travellers Meet - India. Thanks Avi!

The MTM crew all smiles at The Big Trip.

Women Riders Discussion Group. These ladies have ridden far and wide and hope they inspired a few more to get on the bike and start riding.

Video: Jammin thru Thailand | South to South East Asia

Tue, 20 Jan 2015 05:00:00 GMT

Video from our ride through Thailand, coming from Myanmar and heading to Laos, across the gorgeous Northern Thailand mountains, passing through Chang Mai, Chang Rai and the Golden Triangle.

Click here for more Videos.

Transcon: Goodbye Laos and Luang Prabang

Mon, 05 Jan 2015 05:00:00 GMT

New Years was lovely in Luang Prabang with lantern lighting and intense fireworks ringing in 2015 with a bang! I took a few days off with my special someone at a nature resort on the banks of the Nam Khan River where we kayaked and swam at the Se waterfalls. Laos is full of waterfalls and this limestone landscape creates mesmerizing blue lagoons at the waterfalls. Lots of elephants here and after having some refreshing coconut water, I gave the meat and husk to a patiently waiting elephant. Gentle giants they are. Oh and there was a bear sanctuary at the Kuangxi Falls, Free The Bears, where Asiatic Black Bears are rescued and allowed to be their natural playful self

The time has come to bid goodbye to Laos and what a fantastic experience this journey has been! Noel, thanks for being an awesome riding partner and I'll try to be on time for the next ride

Onwards to Hong Kong...

Overland riders in Laos.

Touching elephants at Tat Se, a waterfalls near Luang Prabang.

Kuangxi Waterfall near Luang Prabang.

Asiatic bears in Luang Prabang at the Free the Bear centre.

Sunset on the Mekong River at Luang Prabang.

Happy New Year from Laos!

Thu, 01 Jan 2015 05:00:00 GMT

2014 has been a fantastic year! In January, there was India Bike Week in Goa where I got to ride with Ted Simon :D February saw me launch my motorcycle adventure travel company, Jammin Global Adventures Ltd! March, I started thawing out from Delhi's winter, brrr and enjoyed Holi, In April, there was the Motorcycle Travellers Meet in Bangalore, May saw our first regional MTM in Mumbai, June and it was roasting hot in North India! July was when I took this wonderful night walk through Old Delhi during Ramzan, In August I had my first tour in Kenya and it went great! September and I was in Mongolia on another tour for my company, In October I celebrated Diwali with family in Hyderabad and there was MTM North in Delhi. November saw the start of this motorcycle journey heading east from India, and December was the highlight of the year as I rode through Myanmar, Thailand and Laos.

If 2015 is anything like 2014, I can't wait!! Enjoy the last few hours and have a Happy New Year :D

Cheers from Laos :)

Happy New Year from Southeast Asia!

Transcon: We did it! Delhi to Laos, 7400 km!

Mon, 29 Dec 2014 05:00:00 GMT

Woohoo! We made it to the end of the journey :D Jammin South to South East Asia successfully crossed from India through Myanmar and Thailand into Laos. The 33 day trip covered 7,400 kms across plains, mountains, jungles and valleys. Noel and I are thrilled to be one of the first few riders to have crossed Myanmar on a motorcycle! We met so many gentle and smiley people on this trip and ate such delicious food, mmm. The Royal Enfield Machismo 500, prepared by Vintage Rides, did a super job and besides a slight clutch issue, the bikes were very reliable. There's something about riding a retro bike through new lands that made us feel more like explorers ;)

The last day's ride from Vientiane up past Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang was quite epic as we crossed a high mountain range and could look all the way to the valley below. A great ending for the journey. And now for some much deserved R&R. Thanks for following along and I'll post more videos and photos soon. Cheers!

We did it! Delhi to Laos. 7400 km. India - Myanmar - Thailand - Laos.

Transcon: Dirt Riding in Northern Laos and Christmas in Paxan

Sat, 27 Dec 2014 05:00:00 GMT

The journey is nearing its end but the adventure doesn't stop! We left Phonsavanh in the cold and after crossing a mountain range it got really hot and we were back in tropical jungle. We were trying to follow a route along the eastern edge of Laos down to the south but we got lost amongst the construction roads of a huge hydropower project deep in the jungle. The dirt roads were tough with deep ruts and steep climbs and single lane wooden bridges. And on top of that, Noel just had to find the biggest nail possible and rip his rear tube but with my expert tire changing skills, we were back rolling in under half an hour ;)

We emerged from the jungle roads on smooth tarmac and realized we were heading west towards Thailand instead of south towards Cambodia. Haha, well that's what adventure is all about! We were lost for a reason - exploring new lands on two wheels... Plans changed and we got down to the Mekong River just as the sun set and enjoyed Christmas Dinner in Pakxan with some other two-wheel travelers over hot pot beef and BeerLao.

Now we're in Vientiane, the capital, and it feels so flash compared to where we've been and we splurged on seafood pizza and espressos. One more day left on this Transcontinental ride!

Riding the wonderful dirt roads of Northern Laos, getting lost in the jungle.

Sublime paddy fields.

Crossing a narrow wooden bridge. Just do it!

Sunset at the Mekong River.

Christmas with travellers in Pakxan. Cheers!

Transcon: Hmong New Year and Phonsavanh

Thu, 25 Dec 2014 05:00:00 GMT

Back on the road after a few days rest. We left Luang Prabang and started climbing high and what a sight to see the clouds trapped in the valley. We were literally riding above the clouds, although it was just fog.

It's time for Hmong New Year and they are the people of the mountainous area of Laos. In every town and village we saw people decked out in the their traditional wear and there's this courting custom where girls and guys stand across each other and throw a ball to play catch. If the guy drops it, he's considered not worthy.

The beautiful thing about riding your own vehicle and especially a motorcycle in a new land is noticing the gradual changes between places. Luang Prabang had more tropical forest and now we're south a bit in the east, in [Phonsavanh](http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=19.4166666667,103.166666667&spn=0.1,0.1&q=19.4166666667,103.166666667 (Phonsavan)&t=h "Phonsavan"), where the trees are deciduous and pine. The altitude is a little higher but the scenery has changed quite dramatically. Riding in Northern Laos meant twisting and turning tightly around the rugged mountains and now in Central Laos it's more open and flowing. We visited the Plain of Jars where there are these huge stone-carved jars scattered over a wide area. They date from the Iron Age and it's a mystery how they got here. Archaeologists think they were burial urns but the local legends say the gods made them to brew Lao Rice Whiskey ;)

Cheers and Happy Christmas!

Riding above the clouds as we left Luang Prabang.

Coming across Hmong people as they celebrate their New Year. Very colorful attire.

Royal Enfield Bullet, best captured in Black & White...

The Plain of Jairs in Phonsavanh.

Transcon: All roads lead to Luang Prabang

Tue, 23 Dec 2014 05:00:00 GMT

All roads in northern Laos lead to Luang Prabang. We took a day off to explore a bit of this unique town that has kept its charm through the years. There's a mix of Lao and French colonial influences everywhere from the warm baguettes to the hammer and sickle flying from every building. We've been enjoying tasty noddle soups that come with heaps of fresh greens and for a change we found an Aussie sports bar for lunch! The day off was well used to wash all our gear that was covered in dust and take care of some bike issues, flat tire, welding, just the usual stuff ;) Now we're heading for the last week of this journey, a loop around Laos.

Royal Enfields in Luang Prabang! Riding from India to Laos.

Super tasty Laotian noodles with crispy pork.

Laos is a communist country and we saw the red sickle flags all over. Every building has to fly it.

Transcon: Exciting Northern Laos, Nong Khiaw

Mon, 22 Dec 2014 05:00:00 GMT

Exciting riding in Laos! From Luang Namtha, we continued on more sublime twisties and then there was a long stretch of construction through the jungle that made for fun offroading. It's the dry season now so that means we were covered in dust, the fine powdery kind that gets in everywhere! The landscape is just stunning here with so many limestone karst formations and the people are very friendly and always up for a photo.

Laos feels less developed than Thailand and I guess Vietnam also and we've been riding through rural areas seeing people working hard on the land. But China is just to the north and lots of construction is going on here. Glad to visit before it becomes too easy to travel through ;)

Ended up in Nong Khiaw for the night and what a location with steep mountains on either side of the Nam Ou River. It's nice and warm during the day but the nights are cold. Noel and I stayed right on the river and had some Beerlao while going over thrilling bits of the ride from the day.

Laotian girl on a scooter

Tractor and Bullet

Nong Khiaw Sunset

Adventure Riders in Laos

Offroad riding in Laos

Transcon: Sabaidee, Welcome to Laos!

Sun, 21 Dec 2014 05:00:00 GMT

We crossed into [Laos](http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=17.9666666667,102.6&spn=10.0,10.0&q=17.9666666667,102.6 (Laos)&t=h "Laos")! Sabaidee and welcome to the 4th and final country of this journey. Smooth ride up from Chiang Rai and now there's a new bridge to cross over the Mekong River from Chiang Kong on the Thai side to Huay Xai on the Lao side. I wasn't expecting so much paperwork as entering Thailand was very quick but we spent over 3 hours crossing the border! And once again we had to change sides and now we're back to riding on the right side of the road. We've just being going left-right-left-right from India through Myanmar, Thailand and now Laos.

Oh and we picked up some other bike travelers at the border. Zackey here is riding from Singapore on his BMW R1200GS and it was good fun trying to keep up with him. The Royal Enfield Machismo feels so antique compared to the fancy technology on the beemer. But he was envious of our thump ;)

First impressions of Laos are that the landscape is amazing! So many tall mountains, all covered in thick green forests and the roads, wow, banked so beautifully that we hardly have to change gears while leaning through the corners. The kids are smiley and wave very excitedly as we pass by and there's more animals crossing the road now. It's cold and refreshing. Come along as we explore this quickly popularising destination of South East Asia...

Saibadee, Welcome to Laos!

Video: Jammin South to South East Asia | Kayin Mountains Myanmar

Wed, 17 Dec 2014 05:00:00 GMT

Video from our last day of riding in ‪‎Myanmar‬ from Hpa'an up and over the Kayin mountains to the border with Thailand. It starts out on bumpy tarmac and then the road disappears into huge potholes as it becomes a one-way track filled with trucks and people movers. We were hauling through there! Good fun on the Royal Enfield Machismo 500s prepped by Vintage Rides.

Click here for more Videos.

Transcon: Northern Thailand Motorcycling Paradise

Wed, 17 Dec 2014 05:00:00 GMT

Northern Thailand is a paradise for motorcyclists, especially those with an adventurous stomach ;) We got the bikes serviced in Chiang Mai and now my Bullet is feeling crisp! We left the big city behind and the mountains and forests welcomed us. Food has ranged from slow-cooked buffalo to raw papaya salad to chicken blood in noodle soup. Oh and some blueberry cheesecake. Noel and I are just swinging the bikes from left to right as we glide through the mountainous north of Thailand. We swung by Chiang Rai and its weird White Temple, which is most stark against a clear blue sky. Last night in Thailand as we continue east...

_ Fantastic riding in Northern Thailand

Well-marked road signs make for enjoyable riding

Meat shop in Chiang Mai Market

Cold baby and grandma near Phrao

White Temple of Chiang Rai_

Transcon: Thailand Twisting Roads

Tue, 16 Dec 2014 05:00:00 GMT

Thailand feels so modern compared to where we have ridden from. There's 4-lane roads with traffic lights, big box shops, 7-11s and coffee shops. The coffee is great but we're not here for the rest of it, so buzzing through. From Maesot, we heading up along the border riding some fantastic twisting roads that were smooth, wide and well-banked, almost like a motorcyclist designed them. There's huge forests up here and tall trees always make me smile. We overnighted in Mae Sarieng, a small riverside town, and continued on great roads up and over Doi Inthanon National Park, where we found some delicious local sausage and dried fruits, and rode into bustling Chiang Mai. Drinks with Chris and Ann in the evening along with tasty, local Thai food. Now we're off to service the bikes.

_ Noel riding Northern Thailand

Jay riding Northern Thailand

Forests of Northern Thailand

Local sausage in Doi Inthanon National Park

Dinner and drinks in Chiang Mai_

Transcon: Myanmar Crossing Done! Into Thailand

Sun, 14 Dec 2014 05:00:00 GMT

We made it! We rode across Myanmar from India to Thailand on Royal Enfields :D Super happy and main objective of this journey accomplished. Now everything else is a bonus.

From Hpa'an, the road was really bad with massive potholes but good fun on our bikes. We had some electrical issues on Noel's bikes and my luggage carrier cracked again, which was fixed at a nearby welder. We got to the border town of Myawaddy on the Myanmar side and it was such a relaxed border crossing. We exited from Myanmar, then came back for lunch on the riverside looking across at Thailand. Then it was time to bid farewell to our guide, driver and rest of the crew that's been with us all through Myanmar. Great bunch to travel with but I was ready to feel like an independent traveler again.

On the bridge we had to switch sides and now we're driving on the left once again in Thailand. Another easy crossing and within 20 minutes, we were in Thailand. Met a friend, Chris, who lives here and is going to ride with us for the next few days and in the evening, there was a local house party. Quite a change to the night life from the past ten days in Myanmar...

Transcon: Golden Rock and Batman in Myanmar

Sat, 13 Dec 2014 05:00:00 GMT

Our journey through Myanmar is nearing its end but there's no dearth in amazing experiences. A short ride from Yangon is Kyaiktiyo from where we had to leave our bikes and jump in the back of a truck for a steep and twisty climb up a mountainside to see the Golden Rock. It's a geological wonder that this huge boulder stays balanced on the cliff edge and it's been a holy Buddhist site for over 2,000 years with interesting legends on how the boulder got there. They've painted it gold now and devotees, including Noel and I, continue to stick gold leaf stickers on it.

Another short day's ride and we are in Hpa'an now, our last stop in Myanmar. This is a sleepy little town surrounded with some stunning limestone cliffs. There are lots of caves in those cliffs and lots of images of the Buddha in them but I was more intrigued by the Bat Cave. No, Batman was not there but there was a man who lived in front of the bat cave so I guess he could be Batman ;) At precisely 5:30 pm, as Batman said, the bats rushed out for their nightly feeding. It's quite a site to see hundreds of thousands of bats rush out, form emergent bodies in the sky and fly off. Batman, an 80 year old Burmese, was running an operation of extracting all the guano, bat droppings, as the nitrate can be used as fertilizer or gunpowder.

We ended up at a local eatery for a taste of the regional Kayin food. Burmese food is really delicious and it's balanced with a lot of simple, boiled and salted veggies to deep fried pork and succulent duck. We even had a bowl of lentils as soup. I think I would like to spend more time here and get deeper under the surface of this country that has just recently opened its doors to outsiders.

We head for the border with Thailand today. See you on the other side!

_ Riding in a truck to Golden Rock

Golden Rock, Myanmar

Batman in Hpa'an

Bats in Hpa'an_

Video: Jammin thru Myanmar | South to South East Asia

Wed, 10 Dec 2014 05:00:00 GMT

Video from our ride through Myanmar so far. It's been epic riding from the Indian border through Mandalay, Bagan and Inlay Lake.

Don't these Royal Enfield Bullets look just the part? ;)

Click here for more Videos.

Transcon: Inlay Lake, Nay Pyi Taw and Yangon

Wed, 10 Dec 2014 05:00:00 GMT

We swapped our bikes for boats for a day on [Inlay Lake](http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=20.55,96.9166666667&spn=0.1,0.1&q=20.55,96.9166666667 (Inle%20Lake)&t=h "Inle Lake"), an impressive sight as we started out in the thick early morning fog. There were fishermen using a leg-rowing technique, farmers who have made the seaweed into floating gardens for vegetable production and weavers using lotus-fiber to create some fine scarfs. Myanmar people seem to be quite resourceful in using what they have to make the most of it. I guess living under self-imposed isolation for decades can engender that.

From there we rode back over the Shan Hills down to the brand new capital city of Nay Pyi Taw, which is covered in concrete, from the roads to the grandiose lotus flower sculptures in the roundabouts. In front of the parliament house is a 20 lane road. Yes, 10 lanes each way. And it was empty. But on the 2 lane roads, traffic was packed ;)

It was a straight shot south to Yangon, or Rangoon as it was known earlier, the biggest city of Myanmar and motorcycles are banned from entering the city. We parked outside the city limits and took a drive to the grandest pagoda of them all, Shwedagon. It is said to have started out in the time of the Buddha, 6th century BC, and has slowly grown over the years to now be 100 m tall. And it's covered in gold. They say now it probably has about a 100 tons of gold, which has been donated by the people of this country. That says something about their real wealth. We ended the night with some BBQ on Nineteenth Street, a popular eating joint in Chinatown and got a flavor of the old Rangoon.

Leg rowing on Inlay Lake

Lotus-fiber scarf on Inlay Lake

Empty concrete roads of Nay Pyi Taw

Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon

19th Street Yangon Chinatown

Update: Bagan Sunrise and Lungis

Tue, 09 Dec 2014 05:00:00 GMT

After an epic sunrise at Bagan where the sun slowly revealed the field of pagodas, we rode east across Myanmar, up and over the Shan Hills. The landscape of this country changes everyday and I love it! After a short break at the hill station of Kalaw for some coffee and fried snacks, we descended down to Inlay Lake for another day off.

But just a few kilometers from the end of the day, my clutch cable felt that it snapped. With Noel's encouragment, I managed to ride the bike without using the clutch till our hotel. After poking around a bit, I found out it wasn't the clutch cable but the plate that attaches to the end of the cable in the gear box. Good thing the garage manager and mechanics at Vintage Rides warned me of this and gave me spares for this part. I found a local mechanic, who had never worked on such a bike, but I could tell that he knew what he was doing, and together we got the part changed.

Oh and to blend in better, Noel and I bought lungis! All the men in Myanmar wear lungis, which they call lungee. It's considered formal wear and only the younger urban generation wears pants. They tie it differently than lungies of South India and it's really easy to walk in and of course, lots of ventilation ;)

Update: The Pagodas of Bagan in Myanmar

Sat, 06 Dec 2014 05:00:00 GMT

Myanmar continues to impress. From Mandalay we rode along the Ayerawaddy River to Bagan, an amazing site of thousands of pagados and temples built almost a millenia ago. Noel and I are enjoying how friendly and welcoming the locals are. On the way to Bagan, I randomly stopped under some shady trees and there happened to be a farmer's house there where we had a cup of green tea and a sticky rice snack. Visitors are always welcome in Myanmar and it's wonderful to experience it.

After 10 days on the road from Delhi, we finally took a day off to let our bones and the bikes' suspensions rest. It was also a wash day and we cleaned all our gear, shedding a kg or two in dirt.

We have a guide for our trip along with a government escort as we are doing something out of the norm in crossing this once-restricted country on our own vehicles. We are supposed to follow the pilot car but they are really nice and let us ride ahead at times. Our guide, Michael, was once a philosophy graduate and now wants foreigners to take away a great impression of his country.

Bagan is the most touristy site in the country and rightly so with its stunning wealth of pagodas and temples. Some are grand and covered in gold leaf and others are simple with exposed brick. All of them have an image of the Buddha inside and people still pray here. At the end of the day, we climbed up to watch the sun do its magic across the Plains of Bagan. The magnitude of nature never ceases to amaze us, moreso when you are standing atop a thousand year old pagoda with a magnificent sun setting in the west and the full moon rising in the east silhouetting hundreds of pagodas.

Jammin South to South East Asia - The Start

Fri, 05 Dec 2014 05:00:00 GMT

Now that we're safely into Myanmar, I can reveal what this ride is about - Welcome to Jammin South to South East Asia! We're riding a pair of Royal Enfield Bullets from India through Myanmar and Thailand into Laos. Even though we had all our papers, we weren't sure we could cross the border but that's all behind us now and we're off exploring a new country :D

Epic day of riding from Kalay in the west, up and over the Chin Hills of the Arakan Mountains down into the Irrawaddy river basin and into [Mandalay](http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=21.975,96.0833333333&spn=0.1,0.1&q=21.975,96.0833333333 (Mandalay)&t=h "Mandalay") - a name that evokes a sense of a far-off place that is today a bustling city. The Arakan Mountains are covered in dense rain forest and we've timed it to be here in the dry season, which also meant lots of dust. The scenery is stunning; huge trees, green carpeted hills, lots of rivers and beautiful little villages with stilt houses.

Our Bullets make their presence known with their loud thumping and people wave and smile and are amused to see us trundling up and over the bumps. The bikes are doing great and Noel and I are gaining strong right legs with the hefty kicking these bikes need to get started. We have a long journey ahead and stay tuned as the adventure unfolds...

_ Rivers near Kalay

Wooden bridges of Myanmar

Riding the Chin Hills of western Burma

So much Burmese food!

Beautiful riding in the Arakan Mountains_

Update: Welcome to Myanmar!

Wed, 03 Dec 2014 05:00:00 GMT

We continued riding east and now we're into Myanmar!! First time crossing a land border with a Royal Enfield and wow, so thrilled to make it through the Moreh/Tamu border between India and Myanmar!

The Indian army has built this road a bit of the way into Myanmar and BRO leaves their trademark of smirky road safety signs, just like in Ladakh.

First impressions are that the people are super friendly and gentle and the landscape is lush. We rode south from the border along the mountains of Manipur and now we're in Kalay. Lunch was exciting and delicious; fish, quail eggs and other things I couldn't recognize. We're riding right across this country as it opens up to the outside world :)

Update: The Women of the Hornbill Festival

Wed, 03 Dec 2014 05:00:00 GMT

Women from the Garo tribe in Meghalaya dressed up in tribal wear for the Hornbill Festival in Nagaland. Very colorful and great display of northeast tribal culture.

Update: Elephant Safari in Kaziranga National Park

Tue, 02 Dec 2014 05:00:00 GMT

Elephant safari this morning to see the rhinos at Kaziranga National Park. As the fog lifted, the lone horns came into view. Magnificent beasts, just like our Royal Enfield Bullets ;)

Update: Assamese Selfie

Tue, 02 Dec 2014 05:00:00 GMT

A curious little Assamese kid at a dhaba. Heavy fog this morning getting to Guwahati where traffic was snarled due to PM Modi visiting the region. Left the city and gliding through the twisty roads up to Kohora, the entrance to Kaziranga National Park. The Bullets are running great and feel very stable in the corners. There's not much horsepower in them so it's all about keeping the momentum up through the turns ;)

Update: Roads of Bihar

Sun, 30 Nov 2014 05:00:00 GMT

Lovely side roads of Bihar. We're making good progress across rural north India. People are friendly, chai is great and scenery is pleasantly picturesque, lots of paddy fields at harvest. We're into West Bengal now at Siliguri, the gateway to the NorthEast. Nepal to the left, Bangladesh to the south, Sikkim to the north and Assam ahead of us.

Roads of Bihar

Update: Coal-fired Dhaba Stove in Uttar Pradesh

Sat, 29 Nov 2014 05:00:00 GMT

Roadside food at a dhaba. This guy is spinning a fan for the coal-fired stove. Had fresh rotis and dahl fry. We crossed the whole state of Uttar Pradesh and then the road disappeared as we entered Bihar! Lots of construction filled with crazy drivers makes for a tiring end to the day. But we found a pretty cool place to stay for the night and even got inside parking for the bikes :)

Update: First Day Chai

Wed, 26 Nov 2014 05:00:00 GMT

Chai should always be served in clay cups :)

Left Delhi before dawn and watched the sun struggle to rise against the smog. Easy riding on the highway to Agra and then madness on the local highways of Uttar Pradesh. Got the bikes serviced at Royal Enfield in Kanpur as the engines have just been rebuilt. Good to be riding with Noel.

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New Jammin Global Adventure Begins!

Tue, 25 Nov 2014 05:00:00 GMT

And so it begins... a new Jammin Global Adventure! The bikes are ready, we are packed and I'm super excited. It's been a long time since I've left on a bike trip from home and this time, I'm going as light as possible, that is besides spares and tools for the Enfields and camera equipment ;)

Thanks to Vintage Rides for the bikes and the awesome support in their garage these last few weeks. I've been there tearing down the bikes and helping in the rebuild, learning about them as I like to know how to maintain the machines I ride. These are Royal Enfield Machismo 500 with kick starts, 22L fuel tanks and I think about 23 hp and a good 30 ft-lbs of torque. That should be good enough for the road trip we got ahead...

Video: Jammin Rides around Delhi, Clue to Next Destination

Mon, 24 Nov 2014 05:00:00 GMT

I'm getting ready to start a new motorcycle journey and here's a video revealing the country I'll be riding through... It's a view into my daily urban riding in Delhi on a KTM 390 Duke as I chase down a visa. Warning: if you're not a lover of speed or fast riding, DON'T watch! and don't hate, I'm a professional :p

Click here for more Videos.

Video: Kenya Tour Testimonial - Noel

Fri, 21 Nov 2014 05:00:00 GMT

Here's the second video testimonial from Noel, one of the riders on the Jammin thru Kenya 2014 tour that happened in August this year. I think he enjoyed himself ;)

Get in touch if you want to do this.

Click here for more Videos.

Video: Kenya Tour Testimonial - Sangeetha

Tue, 11 Nov 2014 05:00:00 GMT

Here's the first video testimonial from one of the riders on the Jammin thru Kenya 2014 tour that happened in August this year. I think she enjoyed it ;)

Get in touch if you want to do this.

Click here for more Videos.

Snapshot from Mongolia: Dramatic Sky at Ogui Lake

Sat, 04 Oct 2014 04:00:00 GMT

A painting in the sky over Ogui Lake. What an artist our #sun is!
#epicsunset #skyphotography #JamminGlobal #Mongolia #nature #lake #adventuretravel #blog #epicnaturecaptures #amazingnature #orange #

Snapshot from Mongolia: Trying the Local Cuisine

Sat, 27 Sep 2014 04:00:00 GMT

Trying some of the local grub of #Mongolia in the #ger #yurt of our driver, Eba. They love #mutton and more the fat than the meat. They need it for the cold.

#JamminGlobal #stew #strangefood #golocal #adventuretravel #JamminMongolia #Canon #50D #wideangle #blog #vintagerides #fbvr #fbjg

Snapshot from Mongolia: Playing in the Rivers on a Royal Enfield

Thu, 25 Sep 2014 04:00:00 GMT

#Playing in the rivers of #Mongolia on a #RoyalEnfield. It's such a #thrill to cross a stream on a bike, especially when you're in the #middleofnowhere.

#JamminGlobal #motorcyclesofinstagram #splash #reflection #adventure #travelpics #justdoit #watercrossing #bikepics #instamoto #JamminMongolia #fbvr #fbjg #blog

Video from Jammin thru Mongolia 2014

Mon, 15 Sep 2014 04:00:00 GMT

Here's what it's been like on Jammin thru Mongolia 2014. A fun little video shot in the Orkhon Valley riding Royal Enfield Bullets. And the ride is not over, yet!

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Snapshot from Mongolia: Riding Bliss on the Steppes

Sun, 14 Sep 2014 04:00:00 GMT

Riding #bliss on the #steppes of Mongolia @RoyalEnfield

#JamminMongolia #adventuretravel #motorcyclesofinstagram #potd #JamminGlobal #skyphotography #offroad #motorcycle #blog

Jammin thru Mongolia Begins!!

Fri, 12 Sep 2014 04:00:00 GMT

Jammin thru Mongolia begins and wow, just a few kilometers outside town and we're in awe at the immensity of the landscape. Once the concrete gives way, the grassland takes over from horizon to horizon. It isn't that flat as we rolled up and over hills that gave us views far across the land. It looks sort of like Montana but of course, there's Russia to the north and China to the south here ;) We had a coffee break up on one hill and after lunch, the big sky, bactrian camels and wild horses kept us enthralled and affirmed that yes, we were riding in Mongolia!

Jammin thru Mongolia begins!

We left the city behind and the landscape opened up in front of us and all around us. It's not as flat as I imagined as we rolled up and over small and big hills. It makes for some pretty sublime riding and that too when chugging along on a #RoyalEnfiled Bullet

Coffee break out on the steppes and check out our super cool support van. It's an old Russian UAZ-452 offroad van in an original fetching teal blue

Wild horses of Mongolia moving around in herds.

Riding a #RoyalEnfield Bullet across the mind expanding landscape of #Mongolia and looking cool while doing it

Snapshot from Mongolia: Monk at Gadan Monastery in Ulaanbaatar

Wed, 10 Sep 2014 04:00:00 GMT

A #Mongolian monk at Gadan #monastery in #Ulaanbaatar

#JamminGlobal #JamminMongolia #adventure #tour #blog #traveltheworld #potd #portrait #Tibetan #Buddhism

Snapshot from Mongolia: Horseman of Genghis Khan

Wed, 10 Sep 2014 04:00:00 GMT

A Mongol #horseman outside parliament in #Ulaanbaatar

#JamminGlobal #blog #silhouette

Snapshot from Mongolia: Selfie with Genghis Khan

Mon, 08 Sep 2014 04:00:00 GMT

Say hello to my friend, Genghis Khan, sitting like a boss in the center of Mongolia. On the flight in I had a long look at the desert and the rolling hills surrounding Ulaanbaatar and can't wait to get out there on two wheels. The city looks clean and orderly and I can feel a Soviet vibe with the wide pavements and big block buildings along with massive statues everywhere. Mongolians appear very friendly and the lady sorting out my SIM card went out of her way to get me all set up. There's not much English here but those that know have stepped in and helped out when they saw me struggling, like buying roasted pine nuts from a street vendor. Looks like there's lots of new money here from minerals and every other car is a Land Cruiser or a Prius! Good to explore a new city but the wilderness is calling...

Jammin thru Mongolia Starts Now!

Sat, 06 Sep 2014 04:00:00 GMT

div>A #dreamcometrue! Flying tonight to #Ulaanbaatar for the start of Jammin thru #[Mongolia](http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=47.9166666667,106.883333333&spn=10.0,10.0&q=47.9166666667,106.883333333 (Mongolia)&t=h "Mongolia"). Ten days #riding #RoyalEnfield Bullets across the vast #steppes.

#cantwait #soexcited #JamminMongolia #adventuretravel #expedition #travelpics #JamminGlobal

Jammin Global Travelgram September 2014

Sat, 06 Sep 2014 04:00:00 GMT

Here's the Jammin Global Travelgram for September 2014. Click the image to see the whole newsletter.

Go here for the full newsletter: Jammin Global Travelgram for September 2014

Launching New Destination - Sri Lanka!!

Thu, 04 Sep 2014 04:00:00 GMT

4 September 2014

Launching a new destination for 2015... Sri Lanka! Come with me for a circumnavigation of this island filled with sublime coastal riding, offroad tracks through jungles and twisty mountain lanes all surrounded by wildlife parks, paddy fields and tea plantations. This is happening next April. Put in your holiday notice now :)

https://jamminglobal.com/srilanka

Other tour dates for 2015
February - Kenya
May - Mongolia
June - Peru
July - Ladakh

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Snapshot: Riding the dusty tracks around the Maasai Mara

Sun, 31 Aug 2014 04:00:00 GMT

Riding the dusty tracks around the "Maasai Mara".

#AfricaIsBeautiful #JamminGlobal #Kenya #instablog #potd #Savannah #magichour

Snapshot: Elephant in the Rain, Maasai Mara, Kenya

Fri, 29 Aug 2014 04:00:00 GMT

#African #elephant caught in an afternoon downpour in the #Masaai #Mara. The heat was intense just minutes before and you could feel the relief from the land and its creatures. #safari #wildlifephotography #rain #JamminGlobal #instablog #travelpics #naturephotography

Jambo from Kenya!

Sat, 02 Aug 2014 04:00:00 GMT

2 August 2014

Ahh, Stoneys! I've missed you. Jambo from Kenya :) I've arrived in Nairobi for my first tour, Jammin thru Kenya. It was an easy flight over and nice to be back 'home' after almost two years. Riding around town, getting things ready for the tour and nothing as refreshing as a cold Stoneys - Kenya's trademark ginger beer, I'm definitely taking some back with me!

New Arai XD3 Helmet for New Riding Chapter

Sat, 02 Aug 2014 04:00:00 GMT

1 August 2014

I got a new helmet! and yes, it's just like the old one. The graphics are too flashy for me, so I got it painted.

Arai make top of the line helmets and since this is my life and business now, got to go for the best. The older one is an Arai XD (1) that I bought used on eBay and it has served me wonderfully through my whole journey and then some. Thankfully I've never had to test how well it protects my head but a helmet's structure gets weak over the years and now it feels nasty inside, even after a thorough cleaning. Just imagine all the grime soaked in there! So, thanks to Josh Rhodes who brought me this new Arai XD3, again from eBay. They've already released the XD4, which I'll probably upgrade to in three years ;)

The old Arai XD and new XD3.

Masked and in the process of getting a new livery.

Mr Rawat in Munirka of New Delhi did a fine job of the painting.

How do you like that? It's matte but has a sheen right now that I hope will wear off after riding through some Kenyan dust ;)

Snapshot: The lifeless tress of Dead Vlei in Sossusvlei, Namibia

Sat, 19 Jul 2014 04:00:00 GMT

19 July 2014

Sculptures in the desert. These are the lifeless tress of Dead Vlei in Sossusvlei, surrounded by the giant sand dunes of the Namib Desert.

I'm slowly sorting through the photos from my ride through Namibia in early 2013. From over 5,000 photos, I'm selecting a collection of about 200. What a tough task!

Signup for Jammin Global Travelgram

Tue, 15 Jul 2014 04:00:00 GMT

15 July 2014

Introducing Jammin Global Travelgram, a newsletter about motorcycle traveling. If you'd like to stay informed about my upcoming tours, new destinations that I'm scouting and other news about traveling on two wheels, sign up!

https://jamminglobal.com/signup

July 2014 Calendar Download from Ladakh Himalayas

Thu, 03 Jul 2014 04:00:00 GMT

3 July 2014

Happy July from Ladakh where they say Julley!

Download this calendar for your desktop with these resolutions:

1280 x 800: http://bit.ly/jg-july-1280

1440 x 900 (MacBook Air): http://bit.ly/jg-july-1440

1920 x 1200: http://bit.ly/jg-july-1920

2880 x 1800 (MacBook Pro Retina Displays): http://bit.ly/jg-july-2880

Jammin Global to present at miniMTM Mumbai 2014

Sun, 08 Jun 2014 04:00:00 GMT

8 June 2014

I'll be in Mumbai in a few weeks for the first Mini Motorcycle Travellers Meet :) We had our big annual event in Bangalore in April and now we'll be putting on a series of Mini MTMs at various locations around India. Mumbai is first up. It's just a day event and it'll be packed with inspirational motorcycle travel stories, practical workshops and info sessions to get you on the road.

http://motorcycle.travellersmeet.in/mtm-minis/mumbai/

Steph Jeavons, who recently started her RTW on a Honda CRF 250 from London will be our feature speaker, then we have Avinash Thadani who rode a KTM 640 around South America and Kedarnath who got inspired from the first MTM in 2013 to ride to Europe on his Royal Enfield Thunderbird. I'll be doing my off-road ride skills workshop early in the morning and we'll end with a Ladakh info session.

Zambia, Part 3: Victoria Falls and Maintenance

Fri, 23 May 2014 04:00:00 GMT

31 December 2012 - 3 January 2013

As I made my way west across Zambia, I had come to my final destination of Livingstone. And here lies one of the greatest natural wonders of the world, Victoria Falls, the longest curtain of water in the world. I remembered coming here as a kid and as much as being a natural wonder visit, it was also a nostalgic visit. I stayed with an American rider friend who was part of a mission and he had been following my trip and saw that sanDRina had some serious cracks in her frame and offered to weld her up properly before I headed into Namibia. It also happened to be new years and I welcomed 2013 in style.

Pete had been following my ride report on ADVrider.com and invited me to come and stay at the camp he was part of for his mission duties in Zambia. They had a lovely property just south of Livingstone and being the low season for missionary visitors, I was put up in one of these tented cottages for a few days and the first thing I did was head over to...

Victoria Falls! Wow, what a sight. It's also known by its indigenous name of Mosi-oa-Tunya, which in the Zambian language of Tonga translates to the Smoke that Thunders. In full flow (from February to May), the mist from the falls can be see from kilometers away and the rumble can be heard as it spreads over this generally flat land.

The thundering power of water.

It's not the highest (Angel Falls), widest (Iguazu Falls) or even fastest flowing (Niagara Falls) but Victoria Falls is considered the largest falls in the world. In full flow, the water flows over the edge in an uninterrupted sheet more than a mile across (1,708 m, 5,604 ft). I don't care much for comparisons as each mega falls is awe-inspiring on its own. There's something about being so close to massive amounts of water free-falling. Click here to see the high resolution version.

The Victoria Falls Bridge over the outlet gorge with Zambia on the left and Zimbabwe on the right. Good ol' Cecil Rhodes got the bridge built in 1905 to complete his epic Cairo to Cape Town railway and he wanted the train to pass under the mist of the falls as a delight for the passengers. Since then, tourists have been flocking to the falls from far away, except for about a decade in the 70s when Zimbabwe (called Rhodesia during that time) was fighting for her independence.

Happy New Year 2013 with a double rainbow! I'm wearing the football jersey of the Zambian team in the country's flag colors and felt proud to call this country home during my early years.

The Smoke that Thunders. The chasm is about a 100 m (330 ft) deep and the narrow gorge forces the spray high into the sky. In full flow, it's actually hard to even see the falls because the whole area is covered in mist.

A flashback photo of my family at Victoria Falls, sometime in the early 80s. We lived on the other end of Zambia but managed to see the falls quite a few times. This looks like the start of the dry season with the falls in full flow. Yes, I had lots of hair when I was young.

Looking across Mosi-ao-Tunya from its eastern edge with rainbows all around. From an aerial view, it's clear that the falls have slowly been moving upstream over the eons. Just south of the falls are a series of diagonal canyons that show where the falls were at an earlier time. A new cut has started and in a few million years, the falls will be at a new gorge. It's humbling to realize the vast timescales that natural events take compared to our few decades on this planet.

Enjoying a little lunch from the top of the falls. The Zambezi looks like any old river, just flowing aimlessly over the flat terrain upstream until suddenly the water comes across this massive cut in the earth and goes charging over the edge.

That evening, at the mission camp, they were celebrating New Years and I enjoyed my first proper American hamburger since probably when I left the States.

Dan and Pete with a stash of some epic fireworks. We rode out to one of the nearby villages and...

...put on a great fireworks show for everyone.

Pete using an acetylene torch to light...

...sparklers! The kids went running all over the place...

...making for dancing light in the night.

After the fun and games and tourist visit, it was down to business. I had a few serious frame cracks on sanDRina and didn't have the time or couldn't find a suitable place or welder to get the job done. Pete reached out to me and said he had a TIG welding machine and was an experienced welder and would be glad to fix up sanDRina, especially also cause he rode a Suzuki DR650. To get to the cracks on the inside of the frame, I had to remove the rear shock, battery box and clear out all the electricals from that area. That meant I had to disconnect some connections that I haven't touched since when I built sanDRina in my garage in Chicago. I opened this connector and was surprised to still see the contacts covered in dielectric grease that I used to prevent rust and corrosion building up. I must say, I've quite proud of my electrical work on sanDRina, having studied Mechanical Engineering. I haven't had a major electrical issue on this whole trip (except for the wrong diagnosis in Tanzania) and put that down to diligently setting everything up properly the first time with quality parts.

Pete cleaning out the cracks with an angle grinder. He's also a mechanical engineer and at UW-Madison, he was part of the Formula Baja team, where college engineering teams build a buggy racer and compete against other colleges. At Purdue, I was part of the Formula SAE team, where we built a mini formula race car. So it was really good to talk shop with another gear head. Pete is in-charge of the garage at the mission and ensuring their overland trucks are ready to tackle the bush.

Two major cracks on the inside left of the frame. The cracks started when I had that big jump and hard landing on the Mozambican coast and then again when I hit that massive pothole a few days later. At that time, I couldn't get to these cracks and just managed to weld the outside.

A proper Lincoln Electric TIG welder and sanDRina having some deep surgery done. Pete put in a lot of hours over three days and patched up all the cracks that we found.

A beautiful welding job. That looks almost as good as factory welds!

I thanked Pete and everyone at the mission for hosting me in the best way I know, cooking my chicken curry. Julie offered to help and we had a good chat in the kitchen. She trained as a paramedic but wasn't excited about constantly responding to developed world problems of heart attacks and gun shot wounds and found her calling after spending two years volunteering in The Philippines. She now runs medical camps for the villages in the area and finds it much more satisfying to treat basic health problems.

I made one pot spicy and the other not spicy and both were devoured. There was an Indian-South African from Durban there and she was very impressed and said she had not had a curry like this before.

I was all set to go and thanked Pete for his awesome work on sanDRina. He was glad to help out and know that now I could ride the off-road paradise of Namibia coming up next.

One last look at Mosi-ao-Tunya, rumbling in the distance...

...exchanging money at The Capitol in Livingstone and...

...off for the last 220 km (137 mi) of Zambia. The road to the Namibian border follows the Zambezi upstream and I soaked in these last few minutes of being in Zambia.

Crossing over the Zambezi at Sesheke to...

...stamp out of Zambia.

I knew my visit to Zambia was not going to be like any of the other countries that I had ridden through on this trip for it was a homecoming. I waded in deep memories from my childhood and was thankful for getting the chance to come back and touch base with those memories. I managed to sleep in my childhood bedroom, visit my first school and travel over the roads that I had traversed as a kid. I visited the girl that I had been sponsoring and wanted another child to enjoy growing up in Zambia. I felt the awe of Victoria Falls and not for the first time. And good girl sanDRina finally got all healed up from her cracks. Now I was all set for some adventure motorcycling in Namibia.

Next: Home

Previous: Zambia, Part 2: Luangwa River and Lusaka

Zambia, Part 2: Luangwa River and Lusaka

Fri, 16 May 2014 04:00:00 GMT

23 - 30 December 2012

After the nostalgic visit to Chipata, I turned around and headed west. I spent a night along the banks of Luangwa River and then got to Lusaka where I had a special appointment with a girl child.

From Chipata, on the eastern edge of Zambia, it was 570 km (354 mi) to Lusaka, the capital. I had been driven on this road many times as a kid in old Land Cruisers and this would be the first time that I was journeying on it myself.

At the junction town of Katete, I ran into these motorcycle travelers from South Africa on BMW R1200GSs, the mac daddy of adventure bikes. They were making a loop of Southern Africa. They had blasted up Namibia, across Zambia and after hitting the beaches in Malawi, they planned to blast down Mozambique before getting home.

A panoramic view of the lush hills of Zambia. That's one good thing about being in a country during the rainy season; the landscape is verdant. As I got near the halfway point of the route to Lusaka, to the Luangwa River Valley, the terrain became more hilly and with the excellent roads, it made for fun riding. (Click on the image for the full size.)

Being the rainy season, wild mushrooms were available everywhere. These boys were trying to sell me a whole bucket but I told them I was just cooking for myself that night with a small pot and managed to buy just a few large, fresh mushrooms.

The halfway marker on the Chipata to Lusaka Highway is the bridge over Luangwa River but being a national strategic asset, it's guarded by the military and no photos are allowed. I remembered crossing this bridge many times during my childhood trips. Right next to the bridge is the aptly named Bridge Camp that overlooks Luangwa River.

The Luangwa River, flowing from the northeast of Zambia through the wildlife parks of North and South Luangwa National Park and connecting to the Zambezi at the Zimbabwean border. When living in Chipata, our family used to visit South Luangwa NP quite frequently and now, it's being heralded as a hidden gem of Africa, compared to the limelight that the Serengeti, Maasi Mara and Kruger NP get. I hope it stays that way and keeps Zambia a bit off-the-radar.

A panorama from Bridge Camp of the passing Luangwa River. (Click on the image for the full size.)

Morning sunrise from the banks of the Luangwa River.

Filling up my LifeSaver water filter with juice from the Luangwa River. It tasted of sweet childhood memories. Further up in South Luangwa National Park, I saw my first lions and elephants in the wild before seeing them in a zoo and thank Zambia for providing me with a fantastic childhood.

Bridge Camp was empty during my stay as it was the low season and I set up my tent at the cooking pavilion where I made a tasty mushroom and rice dish.

A few kilometers of off-road getting back to the highway. I didn't get the chance to explore Zambia much as I was on a schedule for my South African visa that was already counting down to expiry.

Riding the wonderful twists and turns and enjoying leaning sanDRina at a good speed. She's a heavy bike, laden with all my stuff, but she's still very well balanced and a true dual sport; handling almost anything off-road and a joy on-road.

Entering Lusaka and lane-splitting in traffic. I love riding out in the open but I also get some kicks riding in dense cities. If you think this is scary or dangerous, trust me, I'm a professional.

Staying with an Indian family in Lusaka whom my parents knew and Verma Aunty is making some fresh rotis.

Simple Indian homefood of rotis, dahl, aloo subzi (potato) and drumstick curry. Drumstick is one of my favorite Indian vegetables and it's grown locally here just for the large Indian population, who have been in Zambia for over a hundred years. Unlike Indian migrants who went to South Africa or other parts of Africa, Indians who came to Zambia, or Northern Rhodesia as it was known before independence, most of them were not indentured laborers but artisans and businesspeople. And also unlike the uneasy relations between Indians and the local citizens, such as in Uganda in the 70s, Zambian has had a good relation with its Indian community and maybe that's why so many Indian families came and stayed here.

One of the main reasons I came to Lusaka was to visit the local Children International Centre. I had been sponsoring a child with them for the past few years and for \$22 a month (of which 80% goes to the child), they lift one child out of poverty and give them a solid start to life by providing education, nutrition and guidance.

Getting a tour of the Children Intl Centre and one of the main benefits of the program is a dedicated clinic that ensures child and mother are in optimal health.

There's also a library and a school at the facility. Children Intl has centres in India, Latin America and Zambia and I chose the centre here because I wanted to give back to the fantastic childhood that Zambia gave me.

Joan, the officer from the Children Intl Centre in Lusaka showing me the mattresses that each kid gets every year.

They also receive regular gifts such as clothes and utensils that the family can benefit from.

Meeting my sponsored child, Abigail! She was 7 years old and I don't know if she understood what was going on but she seemed like a smart girl with a good head on her. When I was a kid, my nick name was Abi and it was a strong moment when Abigail's mother referred to her as Abi. This was meant to be :) I spent some time hanging out with Abigail and hoped she would remember this bald man who visited her once.

While taking pictures with Abigail, these boys really wanted their photo taken and struck up some great poses.

So much joy and laughter.

The kid in the middle had this twinkle in his eye and I can see him going far in life. Such wonderful energy to end my visit to the Children Intl Centre. I hope these kids benefit from the program and contribute to a strong Zambia in the future.

Right opposite the Children Intl Centre, a bar with Mosi Lager, the beer of Zambia. Mosi, referring to Mosi-oa-Tunya, the name for a thundering waterfalls that I was heading to next.

I received my visa for Namibia and thanked Verma uncle for the stay. He is an agronomist and is an important figure in the Zambian agricultural sector. We had many interesting discussions over the few days I stayed here. Uncle told me that it's been calculated that to feed the entire world, it would take 850,000 sq km of land and Zambia is a very fertile land and its total area is 750,000 sq km. Wow, that means we have more than enough arable land to feed everyone on the planet, yet, a billion people still go hungry every night while one and a half billion are overweight. We also discussed physics as uncle, being a biologist, never fully understood some concepts in physics and asked me to explain what e = mc2 means, which I did.

Heading out of Lusaka and I remember this iconic building, Findeco House.

Back on the open road, heading south to Livingstone with storm clouds making for a spectacular sky.

A dragonfly caught in sanDRina's oil cooler. I remember as a kid that dragonflies were sold as a cheap protein in the market to go with nshima, the maize meal staple of Zambians.

Stopping for some roadside lunch and having the staple food of north Indians, roti and aloo with some spicy achar (pickle). This would probably be my last bite of Indian food till I got to Durban in South Africa.

sanDRina, my beautiful home on the road. She was hurting a bit from some serious cracks in her frame and up next was a much-needed visit to a specialist.

Next: Zambia, Part 3: Victoria Falls and Maintenance

Previous: Zambia, Part 1: Visiting My Childhood Home in Chipata

Jammin Global at Revv Cafe in Delhi, Sunday May 11

Thu, 08 May 2014 04:00:00 GMT

8 May 2014

If you're in Delhi this Sunday, I'll be presenting about my trip at Revv Cafe. sanDRina will also be there ;)

Share the flyer and let's have a full house at Saurabh's motorcycle-themed cafe!

Event details: http://bit.ly/jayrevv

Press: Yahoo India covers Jammin thru India, One Year On

Thu, 01 May 2014 04:00:00 GMT

1 May 2014

It was one year ago that I began the last leg of my journey, a 40 day, 8,000 km ride from Kanyakumari to Kargil called Jammin thru India. I live-blogged it for Yahoo India and head over if you'd like to see daily video clips and updates from the journey. My friend at Yahoo, Bijoy Venugopal, wrote this piece summing up my journey and on the joys of solo travel.

https://in.lifestyle.yahoo.com/blogs/traveler/the-unrequited-joy-of-solo-travel-104558385.html

Excerpt: "Only misery loves company. Solitude is its own reward. Solitude is not loneliness; it is the joy of alone-ness, of being in touch with yourself, of discovering your inner core. This philosophy is driving a global solo travel movement that is inspiring more and more people to leave it all behind and embark on a life-affirming journey of discovery, often with no clear destination or return ticket. There is only one aim: Departure. And within that are enfolded the manifold possibilities of discovery, self-realization, purpose, even relationships and career. Believe it or not, everyone can afford one. Jay Kannaiyan did, and his journey is proof that we all can."

New Tour: Jammin thru Mongolia this Septebmer

Mon, 28 Apr 2014 04:00:00 GMT

28 April 2014

Excited to announce that Jammin Global Adventure Travel will be riding in Mongolia this September! I've partnered up with Vintage Rides to put on this motorcycle adventure through one of the most epic landscapes to ride through. It'll be a 9 day tour on Royal Enfield Bullets; riding through an ancient landscape on vintage bikes ;)

https://jamminglobal.com/mongolia

Get in touch if you want to do this or share with friends who might be interested :)

Jammin Global at Motorcycle Travellers Meet 2014

Mon, 21 Apr 2014 04:00:00 GMT

21 April 2014

Had a wonderful three days at the 2014 Motorcycle Travellers Meet India. About 120 moto travel enthusiasts converged at Camp Shristi outside Bangalore for talks from riders currently on their RTW, those who've gone and those who are going. I conducted a few workshops and here Johan and I mounted a new rear tire on his Suzuki DR650 and explained the process to the captive audience. That little dirt bike in the background, a Hero Impulse, was used to practice the proper technique for lifting up your bike when it drops. I also lead some off-road ride skills workshops in the mornings at a dried lake bed and shared the benefits of standing on the foot pegs. The more advanced riders got to play in some craters and excavated pits.

It was fantastic to connect with such an interesting mix of riders from all walks of life who basically say, 'have two wheels, will travel.' :) #MTMIndia is growing and there's a lot more in the coming months...

MTM 2014

_
Off-road ride skills workshop at a dried lake bed. Johan let me ride his DR650 and he's on my loaner Hero Impulse 150 and with us are Abijith on his Bullet with the GoPro and Aditya on his Karizma. Great riding with you guys!

Riders meeting at the off-road ride skills workshop.

Very cool to see so many women riders at the meet and Huda Masood takes the trophy for most epic fall. She came flying up the mud ramp, hit a bump and got bucked off her Impulse. She picked it up, went back again and big smile on conquering the ramp :)

On two wheels, surrounded by nature. Does it get any better? :)

Toga party with the MTM banner? Having some fun at the end of the meet with Bikerni riders Aishwarya and Madhuri, riding KTM Duke 200 and Royal Enfield Thunderbird. Both of them progressed rapidly on the off-road course and were comfortable standing on the pegs by the end. What do you say, girls, Raid de Himalaya next? ;)

Zambia, Part 1: Visiting My Childhood Home in Chipata

Mon, 07 Apr 2014 04:00:00 GMT

21 - 23 December 2012

In all of Africa, one country holds special significance to me and that is, Zambia. In 1983, at the age of 2, my family moved to the small town of Chipata in Eastern Zambia and we lived there for 9 years. My father, an agricultural scientist with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the UN, was stationed at a research center near town. My family says those were the best years as life was good in Zambia. Vacations were spent on the shores of Lake Malawi and going for game drives in South Luangwa National Park. I saw lions and elephants out on the savanna before I saw them in a zoo. I got my first taste for road trips in rickety Land Cruisers and was crossing borders before I could even write. My time in Zambia is a fundamental part of who I am today and I knew I had to visit this ‘home country’ on my motorcycle journey.

It wasn't easy to come back because the visa process is extremely difficult for Indians, which was surprising considering the long relation Indians have with Zambia. In the 1970s and 80s, there were many Indian families all around Zambia and even the provincial town of Chipata had over 50 Indian expat families, which made for fun parties. What was great was that there were many kids around the same age as my sister and I and our friends from Chipata are still all in touch, thanks to facebook.

Besides the personal connection to Zambia, I wanted to revisit Victoria Falls and then connect overland to Namibia. And in Lusaka, I was looking forward to meeting the girl child that I was sponsoring for the past few years through Children International.

Entering Zambia at the Chanida border with Mozambique. Zambians are known to be super friendly and some of that must come from the relative stability and growth the country has experienced since independence.

Checking in at immigration and everything was very orderly and professional. Just a few days before I had received notice from my contact in Lusaka that my visa was approved and I presented that letter here, along with \$50 and was welcomed back home. For sanDRina, Zambia doesn't accept (or need) the carnet and customs simply issued a temporary import permit for free that I was to hand over when I left, which reminded me of the smooth border crossings in South America. Being politically stable meant that Zambia was on top of its bureaucracy and the customs agent made sure I bought insurance for sanDRina.

On the road to Katete with lots of bicycle traffic.

My route through Zambia. I entered from Mozambique then visited Chipata before heading for Lusaka and Livingstone. From there, I exited to Namibia. Click on it to go to the interactive version in Google Maps.

I was here right in the middle of the rainy season and was keeping an eye of this localized rain cell that eventually crossed my path as I neared Chipata.

Oh, yes. Welcome to Chipata and a walk down my memory lanes. I think the welcome sign was different back then...

It had been over 20 years since I left Chipata but I remembered the map of town perfectly. I knew exactly where the last house we lived in was. I figured that if it was still there, someone else might be living there so I tried to find a hotel nearby with the plan of paying a visit later. But there were no rooms available due to some conference, so I decided to just swing by the old house and as I got closer...

...I realized our old house had been turned in to a guest house! Oh wow, that meant I could sleep in my old house. I remember those massive roots as I would cycle over them.

Back home!!! I was overcome with emotion to finally be back at my old house. I was so happy that it was still there and had not been demolished and was even happier to know that I could sleep in my old bedroom. I went inside and declared triumphantly to the young manager that this used to be my old house. He said, great, you can stay in your old room for $25 a night. There was no discount for past residents. But anyways, I would have paid $100 or more to spend a night in my old house.

This was different. The front porch used to be just the part on the left and they've constructed the extension on the right. I remember long afternoons of aunties and uncles playing card games out here and my father making me sit out here and read the encyclopedia, which I loved.

The hallway from the living room, with my parent’s room on the left, guest room on the right and my sister’s and mine straight ahead. This corridor was so long in my memory as my little feet would run in the middle of the night, being scared of something to my parent's room. Now, I covered it in just a few steps.

My childhood room. Excuse the mess.

My old bathroom. Still the same. So many good memories of bubble baths.

That evening the power went out and the manager said they couldn't prepare dinner as the cooking range was electric. No problem for this overland traveler. I set up my camping stove on the kitchen table, where I used to help my mom make cakes and lick the batter, and made a simple meal of egg-fried rice. I cherished this moment, reveling in the thought that I was actually cooking in the kitchen that set me on a course to use my cooking skills to connect with people all over the world and here was was now, back where it started.

The next day, I strolled through the golf course that was next to our house and remembered cycling all over the grounds and feeling the wind in my face, a precursor to my motorcycling life.

A bit further up the road and I came across Hillside Basic School. The first school I went to.

A map of Africa on one of the school buildings. Maybe they’re depicting Africa when the Sahara was greener...

I left Chipata, traveled the world and now, I'm back. What a privilege to come back and visit such a deep part of my memory and know that it did happen and these are my roots. I was nomadic for the past few years and that nomadism brought me home, at least just for a visit.

I walked down the road and came across the Chipata General Hospital where my mother and some of our close family friends used to work at.

Walking around town and I saw these guys playing Checkers. Just like most small towns in Africa that I've come across, there's quite a passion for board games.

Getting a meal-to-go of fried chicken and french fries served in a plastic bag - proper African street style.

I took sanDRina for a spin around town and came across the old mosque and shops nearby where we used to buy provisions.

At the old Barclays Bank at the main intersection of town. They wouldn't let me take a picture of the bank, so from the bank, looking across at the petrol station that used to be a BP and the Great East Mall that now has many South African chain restaurants. I remember sitting in the bank, waiting on my dad, and staring out at the main road as big trucks from South Africa would roll in. Zambia and South Africa have a long connection as this area was first brought under British rule through the British South African Company, led by Cecil Rhodes, who was seeking the mineral wealth that sustains Zambia till this day.

I was back in Zambia during an important moment in its history as the country rebased its currency. They were lobbing off three zeros for a number of reasons that included psychological confidence in the currency and making imports cheaper that the people depend on. During my time in Zambia, the Kwacha was a pretty strong currency as it was pegged to the dollar at 1.2 Kwacha. But in the late 80s and early 90s, poor policies were catching up with the country and high inflation set in. That was also when many long time resident expats moved out of Zambia, including my family. Now, when I arrived back in Zambia, the Old Kwacha was trading at 5,250 to the dollar. After the new year, it would be 5.25 to the dollar.

I strolled into the super market and being a lover of oats, I was happy to see this sign. From January 1, 2013, only the new prices were going to be accepted and until then, everything was quoted in Old Kwacha and New Kwacha. Sadly for Zambia, all these oats are imported from South Africa, which puts a strain on the economy.

There weren't that many Indians around but there was an amazing selection of canned Indian food. I had never seen Delhi Breyani in a can before now. I wasn't tempted to try any of them.

I rode a few kilometers out of town towards the Msekera Research Institute, where my dad was stationed at. I was also keeping an eye on those rain clouds.

Visiting the first house that we lived in in Chipata, which was next to the research station. There was no one around, so I wandered around for a bit and absorbed the flood of memories coming back. Click here to see the high resolution version.

Flashback photo: My sister, Lavanya, and close childhood friends of Deepak and Kiran in the garden of that first house. We look so 1980s. I wonder why Deepak's stepping on my foot? A nice coincidence is that Deepak and I share the same birthday, but he's a year older. There were always two birthday parties that day. Both their parents were doctors at the same hospital that my mother was at and I remember the immunization policies that all the families adhered to. Namely that if any kid got a childhood disease, such as measles, mumps or chicken pox, there was a sleepover at the infected kid's house so that all the kids got the disease, got over it together and built a strong immune system when it doesn't hurt the body much. Some people in the West might think it's crazy to voluntarily subject your kid to a disease but it's much smarter to get those diseases as a child rather than as an adult when it's much more serious. Interestingly, besides me, everyone else in that photo is now a doctor.

Looking down the rough road from that first house to the research station and the main road. I remember bouncing along on this road in our standard issue Toyota Land Cruiser FJ45. And now, I was riding down this same road on a Suzuki DR650 that I was riding through Africa. I soaked in the moment and GoPro'd it.

I rode through town and continued on towards the border with Malawi. This was a special moment as this was the place that connected music and being on the road for me.

Flashback photo: My dad taking us for a drive in our Nissan Bluebird on the road to Malawi. Many an evening we used to get in the Bluebird and just go for a drive. My dad enjoyed listening to music while driving and he would ask me to identify all the different instruments and that taught me to pay attention to music ever since. Jammin - it goes back to these moments.

I got back to town and I was checking out the condition of the houses of my childhood friends and as I turned the corner, I saw these ominous rain clouds sweeping in fast. It's so awesome to say that I ran home for safety.

I made it home as the rain hit and just like back in the day, I'm enjoying the rain from the big windows of home. These storms are just as intense as I remember them. They sweep in fast in the afternoon and are finished within half an hour. Hey, guava tree, nice to see you’re still holding it down.

And the best part about fast moving rain is that it leaves behind clear skies. Our house was an old colonial house when we lived there and thanks to being bought by these motel owners, it's got a secure future. This fence wasn't there to the garden and I remember learning to cycle around the huge front lawn and having my first skinned-knee here.

A fresh mango from this mango tree that's been at the house entrance even before my time. It tasted especially delicious.

I couldn't get over the feeling of just staring out of my old bedroom window and seeing this giant motorcycle parked outside and knowing that I had ridden it from my most current home in Chicago to this old home of Chipata and onwards to another home in Chennai. sanDRina, you connect all my homes and of course, you're my home on the road.

This dirt. I used to play in this dirt and probably ate it too. I remember building cities in this dirt for my Lego trucks and cars that would then get all muddy. I remember having a toy dump truck and wow did I have fun with that...

It was time to leave and I said bye to the motel maid in our old kitchen.

Putting on my muddy boots in my old bedroom. Goodbye old bedroom.

One last moment of reflection on the front steps of the house. Goodbye, old house. It's been fantastic to come back and touch deep memories of my early childhood. I'll be back.

sanDRina and the Chipata Golf Course. From bicycle to motorcycle. Onwards!

Next: Zambia, Part 2: Luangwa River and Lusaka

Previous: Mozambique, Part 6: From the Coast through Beira to the Border

Jay and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance at MTM 2014

Wed, 02 Apr 2014 04:00:00 GMT

2 April 2014

Getting ready for 'Jay and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance' at the second annual Motorcycle Travellers Meet - India next weekend near Bangalore.

sanDRina's rear tire has been suffering a slow leak for the past few months and I finally swapped out the inner tube, getting back in the groove of using my tire tools. I'm using a bead breaker here on my Heidenau K60 Scout tire to get access to the tube inside. The old tube was a heavy duty one from Heidenau and I've been using that since Hamburg (March 2011), all through Africa and up till now. Not a single puncture through those 46,360 km (28,812 miles)! In went another Heidenau HD tube.

I'll also be doing a Ride Skills workshop at MTM 2014, so if you've never stood on the pegs and want to gain confidence riding through sand, along with attending all the other awesome sessions planned, hit the link and register:

http://motorcycle.travellersmeet.in

Published: Piece in Little Black Book Delhi on Motorcycle Touring Outfits

Mon, 24 Mar 2014 04:00:00 GMT

24 March 2014

Here's a piece I wrote on Indian motorcycle touring outfits, including my own ;) over at Little Black Book, Delhi, a curated guide to the city and beyond.

http://littleblackbookdelhi.com/31227/biking-tours-travelling-delhiwaala

An excerpt: "When you hit the road, the destination becomes just an excuse to ride. It is the stories that happen along the way that make riders undertake this almost spiritual experience. Leave civilization behind, with just a few essentials strapped on your motorcycle. Ride across Ladakh. Cruise the Konkan Coast. Explore forests in South East Asia. Feel the space in the African Savanna. If these words speak to you, but you don’t know how to even begin to plan an escapade like this, here are your go-to people."

Featuring Vintage Rides, Helmet Stories, indiMotard adventures, IndusRider and Jammin Global.

Talks: Jammin Global to present at Motorcycle Travellers Meet 2014

Fri, 21 Mar 2014 04:00:00 GMT

21 March 2014

In 3 weeks, the second annual Motorcycle Travellers Meet - India will be taking place outside Bangalore. This is the place to be if you live and breathe motorcycle traveling in India and want to share your story, pick up tips from seasoned overlanders and get inspired from those on the road right now.

sanDRina will be coming down to #MTMindia 2014 and I'll be leading a workshop titled "Jay and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" ;) There'll be another DR650 overlander at the meet as Johan Senekal has timed his ride through India just perfectly.

The event is limited to 100 participants, so apply now at: http://motorcycle.travellersmeet.in/registration

The event page on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1417775535145386

A recap of MTM 2013:

Snapshot: Storms in Africa on the Okavango River in Namibia

Fri, 14 Mar 2014 04:00:00 GMT

14 March 2014

Storms in Africa.

This was shot on the border of Namibia and Angola on the Okavango River. I took a boat ride from my campsite in Rundu and we had to high-tail it back as this fast moving rain system moved in. I kept clicking the gorgeous sculpting of the storm clouds by the winds until the rain forced the SLR away.

If you've seen the Planet Earth show, you'll know that this river doesn't end in the sea but instead flows inland to Botswana where it spreads out as the Okavango Delta. I was here during the intense southern summer rainy season and the locals said the river was rising daily as it rushed to quench a part of the Kalahari Desert.

[Shot in Jan 2013]

Tours: Ride the Highest Roads in the World this June with Jay

Tue, 11 Mar 2014 04:00:00 GMT

11 March 2014

Clear blue skies, high snow banks and a warm chai.

Have you dreamed of riding in the high Himalayas? This June I'm leading a ride on one of the world's most epic motorcycle journeys - the Manali to Leh Highway. It's quickly getting tamed with tarmac so best to ride it sooner than later! Cross 7 extreme passes and top out at Khardung La.

Tour info and book at https://JamminGlobal.com/ladakh

Press: Featured in Sunday Times of India

Fri, 07 Mar 2014 05:00:00 GMT

7 March 2014

Got featured in an article in the Sunday Times of India on the growing trend of Indians taking motorcycle trips abroad. Got a mention for Jammin Global Adventure Travel ;)

Excerpt: "On a bike, there's a greater sense of being in the surroundings, instead of just passing through it..."

read it full size: http://bit.ly/toimar14

Jammin Global at Delhi Bikers Fest

Tue, 04 Mar 2014 05:00:00 GMT

4 March 2014

At the Delhi Bikers Fest on my birthday, standing here with Sundeep Gajjar, the founder of xBhp, a huge Indian motorcycling forum and now magazine, and Arun Thareja, founder of the Group of Delhi Superbikers. Both of these guys, along with many others at the fest, have put in a tremendous effort in growing the motorcycling scene in India. Good to meet lots of bike enthusiasts and hopefully someone got inspired to start their own journey after seeing sanDRina and my presentation ;)

Big thanks to Joshua John and his team (Sanjeev, Tarique and more) for pulling off the fest and bringing all the various flavours of bikers together at one event. There were vintage bikes, Harleys, superbikes, Enfields and of course, traveling bikes :)

Press: Interview with Rediff.com

Fri, 28 Feb 2014 05:00:00 GMT

28 February 2014

Here's an interview I did with Rediff.com, the oldest and one of the largest news portals in India.

An excerpt: "What would you consider the best moment of this marathon trip? That would have to be when I realised, about six months into my trip, somewhere in Brazil, that the reputation of my chicken curry was preceding me." ;)

http://bit.ly/jayrediff

Launching!! Jammin Global Adventure Travel, Guided Motorcycle Tours

Sat, 22 Feb 2014 05:00:00 GMT

21 February 2014

3...2...1... Launching!! >> Jammin Global Adventure Travel

Guided motorcycle tours at the new https://JamminGlobal.com

Hit the link for info and a new promo video ;)

The calling to get back on the road was too strong. But now I want others to experience what it feels like to go on a motorcycle adventure in some of the most exciting locations on the planet. If you or someone you know might be interested in joining me, get in touch!

Teaser Video On A New Project That's Launching Soon...

Fri, 14 Feb 2014 05:00:00 GMT

14 February 2014

I've been working away on a new project and getting close to launching... here's a teaser ;)

Click here for more Videos.

Presenting at Social Media Week Bangalore, Feb 19th via Google Hangout

Wed, 12 Feb 2014 05:00:00 GMT

12 February 2014

Social Media Week is happening around the world next week and I've been invited to give a talk on how I use technology, gadgets and social media to share my journey. It's on the 19th in Bangalore at 4:30 pm IST at the Hard Rock Cafe and I'll be presenting from Delhi via a Google Hangout, so there'll be an online feed to tune in :)

I'll be covering topics such as how online engagement leads to offline connections, knowing when to unplug when on the road and what are the cool gadgets that make sharing easy.

Hit the link to register; there's limited seats at the event:

http://socialmediaweek.org/bangalore/events/?id=151027

Calendar: Travel Inspiration for February 2014

Mon, 10 Feb 2014 05:00:00 GMT

10 February 2014

Here's some travel inspiration from my 2014 calendar. The Himalayas are such a stunning location. Can't wait to head back there this summer...

Press: Times of India, Chennai Edition

Mon, 03 Feb 2014 05:00:00 GMT

3 February 2014

Here's some press on my trip in today's Times of India, Chennai edition :)

Gave this interview at India Bike Week and it mentions my first overland motorcycle trip, Chicago to Canada in 2005, and it ends with what I'm planning next... launching soon.

Read it online: http://bit.ly/toimaa

Ted Simon and a Harley-Davidson on the way to Goa

Tue, 28 Jan 2014 05:00:00 GMT

28 January 2014

This sums up Ted Simon's view of Harleys.

On the Helmet Stories 'Ride with the Legends' from Bombay to Goa for India Bike Week, Harley-Davidson, being a major sponsor of the event, wanted Sir Ted to ride this new Sporster Super Low. He took one spin on it, jumped off and said, 'Jay, you ride the Harley, I'm riding the Enfield.' The seating position is not kind to the knees and the handlebar position isn't the best. But, I'm good at riding anything on two wheels fast, so I enjoyed the Harley with its torquey engine and well-balanced chassis; first time to ride a belt-driven bike! Its super short suspension kept bottoming out on the rough coastal roads we were on and I resorted to standing on the pegs and riding it like a dirt bike. Ted quipped that India is the only place where you can ride off-road on tarmac ;)

Test Riding Royal Enfield's new Continental GT on the ride to Goa

Fri, 24 Jan 2014 05:00:00 GMT

24 January 2014

Test riding Royal Enfield's new Continental GT on the ride to Goa. Wow, I love this bike! RE has done an incredible job with their café racer. The suspension and chassis are confidence-inspiring, the 535cc thumper has enough oomph for big smiles and the Brembo brakes saved me after going too hot into a sweeper. The riding position is very sporty and I was dancing on the footpegs through the twisties - haven't ridden like that in years!

Riding with Ted Simon to Goa for India Bike Week

Tue, 21 Jan 2014 05:00:00 GMT

21 January 2014

Riding a ferry with Ted Simon across a channel to Goa for India Bike Week. It's been an excellent ride on Royal Enfield Bullets down from Bombay along the coast with the Helmet Stories crew. Discovering beach roads, gorging on fish and enjoying Tedisms - the man is full of quirky sayings. What a pleasure to hear stories from both his round the world motorcycle journeys :)

Mozambique, Part 6: From the Coast through Beira to the Border

Thu, 09 Jan 2014 05:00:00 GMT

16 - 21 December 2012

The last day of riding the coastal roads of northern Mozambique with Rob, a South African rider who I met a few days earlier. The story continues from our beach camp at Quelimane and enters back into civilization at the big northern city of Beira. I took care of the crack in sanDRina's frame along with some other maintenance and then headed north, through Tete to Zambia.

Click here for the route map.

Our massive sun just after rising up past the horizon from the beach at Quelimane.

A piece of driftwood framing the sun with reflections in the wet sand.

A Mozambican man saying his prayers in the surf at Quelimane.

Rob and I packed up our camp, which was set up in the lawn of this run-down hotel and got back on the road for one last day of off-roading down Mozambique's coast.

Crossing the Zambezi River, which starts in Zambia and empties in Mozambique. I was hoping my Zambian visa would come through so that I could pay a visit to the Zambezi's most notable feature, Victoria Falls.

Back on the dirt road heading through forests that looked relatively untouched by man.

Curious kids standing a ways off and just observing these two strange men on their big motorcycles.

I was following my GPS and the route in Tracks4Africa that has all these wonderful less-traveled roads mapped.

My favorite colors: the brown earth, the green trees and the blue and white of the sky. No traffic or civilization in sight. Ahhh....

Rob and I enjoyed the last few days of riding through the rural Mozambican coast but it had to end at some point and we hit the main road and turned for Beira.

Having breakfast with friends of Rob's in Beira. They welcomed us in from the wild and we took a few days off to wash everything: ourselves, our clothes, our gear and even a bit of the bikes. I also took care of some paperwork and got lots of bike maintenance done. Deon, the man of the house is not pictured but he's into the steel business here and his wife, Denize, recently moved from Brazil. She said my Portuguese was not bad for just picking it up while traveling.

Deon put me in touch with a friend of his running a big trucking business and sanDRina is having her cracked frame re-welded at the workshop.

I removed the fuel tank and wow, what a surprise - a huge crack further up the frame. This was most definitely from riding about a thousand kilometers from when the first frame crack happened towards the start of the coastal off-road riding. Instead of viewing the DR's frame as weak, I'm so impressed that the damage wasn't worse for the kind of riding I did (wash-board/corrugations) with the load I was carrying after the first frame crack.

Nervous welding moments as I couldn't move the wiring harness too far out of the way. We had wet rags all around and no damage was done to the wiring. I thanked the welder for his excellent job in fixing up the cracks in sanDRina's frame.

Using my trusty homemade Bike Crutch to lift the swingarm while I replaced the chain and sprockets. I made this nifty tool using a walking cane and a U-bolt and it's been on all my trips since Alaska in 2007. The best part is the rubber boot - it keeps a solid grip on almost any surface. Inspired from this post on Dual-Sport BC: http://bit.ly/bikecrutch

New Galfer organic rear brake pads going on. The old set lasted 7,546 kms (4,690 mi) and was installed during the major rebuild in Nairobi. They're way past the wear indicator and check out the grit that's been grinding on the rotors. These soft pads performed well over lots and lots of off-roading (where the rear brakes are used more than the front).

sanDRina getting new JT sprockets and chain installed. I was lugging all these spare parts since Nairobi and am always happy when the spares get used because that's a weight reduction!

New JT chain going on. I got sponsored by JT for the sprockets and they wanted me to test out their new chain that they were developing. I had a spare RK chain in case this one didn't last but its side plates looked heavy duty and up to the task. The old DID V8 chain was installed way back in Addis Ababa, before my Lake Turkana ride and lasted for 14,972 kms (9,305 mi). The chain wasn't finished but it was stretching and this was a good place to work on the bike.

Riveting the master link. I love proper tools. I've been lugging this Motion Pro Chain Breaker and Riveting Tool all along since Chicago and while I've only used it a few times, it's been priceless. The thing is, I can't plan exactly where I'll be when I need to install a new chain, so my mantra has been to carry the spares and the tools to get the job done wherever the need arises, such as in San Luis, Brazil, Addis Ababa or Beira, Mozambique.

During my downtime in Beira I got news that my visa for Zambia was finally approved. Yay! I was now going to be able to visit my childhood home. The visa was quite complicated to arrange as I needed someone in Lusaka to apply for me and now I had an approval letter in hand that would allow me entry. I said good-bye to Rob as he was continuing on to Durban and thanked Deon and Denize for hosting us. From Beira, I headed inland towards Tete and the border for Zambia.

An overcast day with views of Mozambican farmland and the Bvumba Mountains in the distance. Beyond those mountains lies Zimbabwe.

I was in cruising mode and enjoying the good roads and lack of traffic, unaware what lay ahead...

I came across a blind corner at a good clip and saw that there was a bridge across a small canyon. I continued at the same speed and only at the last second did I notice a super massive pot hole at the other end of the bridge. It must've been 2 m (7 ft) across and quite deep. sanDRina hit it really hard and I was lucky to ride it out. I pulled over and yup, the frame cracked again and this time in new spots. Poor girl, just taking so much abuse.

At the edge of Tete I pulled over at a welding shop and promptly had sanDRina's frame all healed up.

Crossing the Zambezi at Tete, the largest city in this part of Mozambique. It was an important trading town before the Portuguese got here and recently it's been picking up with the mining industry.

I stayed the night with Karen through CouchSurfing, who's been posted here with the mining industry. She's a Japanese Brazilian and as I remember from my other Japanese Brazilian friends in Brazil, she said she didn't fit in back home in Brazil, nor was she accepted when she visited Japan. This remote corner of Mozambique was now home.

The last day in Mozambique, heading north for Zambia.

The kids are super-friendly in Mozambique. More than just waves, I got lots of thumbs-ups and enthusiastic cheering on. I think they're ready for the Dakar!

A common sight on the roads of Mozambique - bags piled high with charcoal. I love how the excess on top is almost as big as the main bag. They must've picked it up from consumer promotions, such as "now 75% extra!"

The long, empty road heading for the border. This road was recently paved as the government is hoping to direct truck traffic from the busy Zimbabwe to Beira corridor and encourage overland trade into Zambia and Malawi.

Good-bye, Mozambique. I completely loved my time riding in the northern half of this wonderful country. A lot of undiscovered places and friendly faces with the sweet sounds of the Portuguese language wafting over delicious sea-food. I'll be back someday...

Money changers at the Cassaticaza border with Zambia. They gave me a better rate than I was expecting as I traded the last of my Meticais for Kwacha. A nice feeling to be leaving Mozambique with. Oh yeah and my Mozambican visa was only stamped for 15 days but I stayed two days extra with no problem.

With that, my adventure through Mozambique comes to an end. Before I got to Africa, I knew this would be one of my favorite countries and it lived up to those expectations. Maybe it was the Portuguese connection, maybe it was the abundant and cheap seafood, maybe it was riding with a new friend down the rural coast or maybe it was just the good feeling I had from being there. Whatever it was, I know 15 days wasn't enough and let's see when I can get back here again.

Next: Zambia, Part 1: Visiting My Childhood Home in Chipata

Previous: Mozambique, Part 5: Coastal Riding and Wild Camping at Pebane

Published: Be Minimalist, New Years Resolution on Mint Lounge

Tue, 07 Jan 2014 05:00:00 GMT

8 January 2014

Here's an idea for a resolution: Be Minimalist

Live Mint, a WSJ affiliated newspaper in India, asked me to write a piece on this for their New Years Issue. If you want to try it, here's an exercise: count everything you own and see if you can downsize to a 100 essential items. I had more than that stashed on sanDRina during my journey but living on essentials was a very liberating feeling :)

(click the image for a larger size)

Video: Compilation of all my GoPro Videos by Mint Lounge

Sat, 04 Jan 2014 05:00:00 GMT

04 January 2014

New Year, New Press!

Mint, a business newspaper in India (part of WSJ), compiled all the GoPro videos from my trip and recorded an interview with me about using the GoPro for capturing your adventures. Check it online!

Click here for more Videos.

JamminGlobal at India Bike Week in Goa

Tue, 31 Dec 2013 05:00:00 GMT

30 December 2013

Excited to announce that I've been invited to India Bike Week in Goa (17-18 Jan 2014) and will be presenting about my trip in front of India's largest gathering of bikers. They only started last year, but IBW has big plans for becoming the Woodstock of motorcycle festivals.

And what's really exciting is that Ted Simon has also been invited! For those that don't know, he's a legend in the adventure motorcycling community having traveled around the world in the 70s and author of Jupiter's Travels that has inspired many a RTW rider. It's going to be an honor to ride with Ted from Bombay to Goa

http://indiabikeweek.in/jay-kannaiyan/

Happy Christmas and a Merry Holidays from Jammin Global!

Wed, 25 Dec 2013 05:00:00 GMT

25 December 2013

Happy Christmas and a Merry Holidays from Jammin Global!

Thank you all for supporting the journey and here's a prayer from the top of the world — at Khardung La.

Launching: 2014 Himalayan Wall Calendar at the JamminGlobal Store

Wed, 11 Dec 2013 05:00:00 GMT

11 December 2013

Here it is: my 2014 Wall Calendar featuring the high Himalayas of Ladakh splashed over with inspirational travel quotes :D

The calendar is 12"x8.5" with spiral binding at the top. It's printed on 300 gsm matte paper.

Price in India, including shipping is Rs 500.

Elsewhere, it's $9.99 and shipping's extra,

but it gets cheaper the more you get. 4 or more ship free!

To buy in India, go directly to my online store at PayU Paisa: http://bit.ly/cal14in For the rest of world, pay via PayPal here: http://store.JamminGlobal.com

Shipping will probably take 2 to 3 weeks, please be patient. US shipping will be via EMS so it should take around 10 days but no guarantees with Indian customs.

Press: Interview with Gear for Life / Wildcraft

Sat, 07 Dec 2013 05:00:00 GMT

7 December 2013

Trip Press: here's an interview that I did with GearforLife, an initiative of Wildcraft - India's top adventure gear brand.

An excerpt: "What are the 3 most important things in your life?
My Leatherman Wave multi-tool, my chicken curry and my ability to make a friend wherever I go." ;)

http://gearforlife.in/blog/interview-jay

Interested in a Wall Calendar for 2014 filled with Travel Inspiration?

Mon, 02 Dec 2013 05:00:00 GMT

2 December 2013

I'm thinking of making a wall calendar with inspirational travel quotes splashed across the Himalayas of Ladakh. Who'd be interested in one?

Probably Rs 500 shipped in India and looking at $13 for elsewhere. About A4 size, spiral bound on top, thick matte paper.

Sponsorship: Warp 9 Racing Spruces Up sanDRina

Tue, 26 Nov 2013 05:00:00 GMT

26 November 2013

My trip ended a while back but sponsors are still approaching me :D Is there a message there somewhere…?

Big thanks to Warp 9 Racing for sprucing up sanDRina with this beautifully-machined, adjustable front brake lever along with other levers, an oversized 320 mm brake disc, chain guide, handlebar riders and an improved design starter motor cap.

They're out of Salt Lake City in Utah and make bespoke accessories for dirt bikes, specializing in rims, and have recently gotten into making parts for the Suzuki DR650. Thank you Warp 9 for showing the DR some love!

If you're not a gearhead, it's like sanDRina just got a pedicure ;)

http://warp9racing.com

Snapshot: A Himalayan Panorama, Wide View from Morey Plains in Ladakh

Sun, 24 Nov 2013 05:00:00 GMT

24 November 2013

A Himalayan panorama. A 270 degree capture of the road from Manali to Leh and the epic view at the start of the Morey Plains. Perfect place to feel insignificant on this massive rock we call home.

See the high res version here: http://bit.ly/morey-pano

Snapshot: Dhabas in the High Himalayas

Thu, 21 Nov 2013 05:00:00 GMT

21 November 2013

The sun dips in the high Himalayas and with it goes any sense of warmth, except for these dhabas that spring up along the fabled Manali-Leh Highway catering to those with a calling to ride in the sky and feel small in grand nature.

The Ibex dhaba here at Sarchu, up high at 4,330m (14,200 ft), provides warm paranthas and noodle soup for the weary rider.

[Shot in June 2013]

Health Update: All Cured from Dengue!

Tue, 05 Nov 2013 05:00:00 GMT

5 November 2013

I'm all cured from dengue! I was out for about 10 days and 3 of those were really terrible but I recovered quickly. The main thing was to monitor the platelet count in my blood. It dipped below the threshold of 150 units to 130 and but came back up to a healthy 350 and that means my body has beat back the virus. There's no cure for it except rest, lots of paracetamol, water and whatever remedy you hear of for increasing platelets (papaya leaf juice, liver, pomegranate, etc).

I spent a nice Diwali with my family in our farmlands outside Chennai. I'm picking fresh brinjals (eggplant) here with my dad from my uncle's plot.

Flew back into Delhi and it's been years since I experienced Diwali with such ferocity. It sounded like a bombing campaign with the non-stop fireworks. Here's to a new year!

Video: Jay Kannaiyan Interview at Motorcycle Travellers Meet, Part 3

Sat, 02 Nov 2013 04:00:00 GMT

02 November 2013

And here's Part 3 of my interview shot at Motorcycle Travellers Meet - India.

I go over the importance of learning Spanish for Latin America, the reason behind my trip, why I pursued a Masters in Sustainable Development and advice on long-term traveling.

Big thanks to the MTMIndia crew for growing the adventure motorcycling community in India!

Click here for Part 2 and here's Part 1.

Click here for more Videos.

Mozambique, Part 5: Coastal Riding and Wild Camping at Pebane

Tue, 29 Oct 2013 04:00:00 GMT

14 - 15 December 2012

This is the continuation of the off-road adventure that I had along Mozambique's rural coast. I had teamed up with Rob, a South African chef riding to Durban and thoroughly enjoyed his delicious and simple seafood preparations at the end of each day's ride.

The story continues just as we put up camp at Pebane, about a third of the way between Ilha da Mozambique and Beira. In the morning, we had a nice exchange with a group of fishermen as they waited for calmer seas before we headed back on to the trail to Quelimane. The fun riding was over and we were beat up over washboard all day long.

The town of Pebane wasn't much to see, so Rob and I asked our way towards the beach. At the end of the road there were some cottages and a clearing under these trees. We asked the caretaker if we could camp here. Sure. How much? Free. Sweet!

Our campsite by the beach and this little stream with a beautiful sunset.

sanDRina exploded into 'home' mode. That's my one man Catoma Twist tent without the rain cover. It's just a mosquito mesh, which is perfect for letting in cool air at night and seeing the stars as I nod off. That orange towel from REI has been my traveling towel since 2006 and smells like it too! Someone said it smelled like a wet dog, which I don't really take offense to. It still absorbs all the water after a bath and dries in an hour. and sanDRina doesn't mind, dirty girl herself.

Rob's Honda Africa Twin and his traveling home.

Chef Rob is already busy preparing dinner. While he was taking a nap after the hard day's ride, I arranged with the caretaker to let us use these table and chairs for the evening. There was no fresh seafood around but he had a lot of freshly-frozen seafood, which was just fine. We bought a bunch of shrimp and squid and he threw in the use of some pots and charcoal for the night.

A wooden boat by the beach just past our campsite.

The pristine beach at Pebane with a brightly setting sun.

A far cry from the exclusive kitchens of El Bulli and El Celler de Can Roca but a good chef needs only some heat, a pan and his cooking sense to...

...prepare some tasty food. Rob cooked up some seafood pasta with just olive oil and salt. Light and delicious. Once again, the meat was too much for just the two of us but we gorged to replenish the calories after a long day in the saddle.

Just before sunrise on the Mozambican coast at Pebane.

The golden rays of the rapidly rising sun.

A lot of fishermen were about, waiting for calm seas before heading out. This man had an interesting face and...

...he was one of the few repairing his boat during the down time brought on by the rough seas.

The morning rays highlighting the concentration needed in mending a boat. The other guy just wanted in on the photo.

Everybody helping to turn this boat over, including the two ghosts up front.

An older canoe being repaired with fire.

As the fishermen gave up heading out to sea, they had to walk back through our camp and everybody just stopped and stared for a while. Fair-enough, considering we just stared at them on the beach. After about 10 minutes, we really had to pack up, so I politely asked if they could leave and most of them did.

Our Pebane camp all packed up and we thanked the caretaker for all he did. The camping itself was free but we used one of his cottages to take showers, bought the seafood and beers from him and used his furniture and pots and paid him a round 300 Meticais (\$10.12) for the both of us. Not bad, considering how expensive Mozambique usually is.

Well-rested for another long day along Mozambique's rural coast. The children in villages were always cheering us on and we felt very welcome.

Fueling up. This was the official filling station in this area. Fuel was kept in those huge tanks and sold by the jerry can.

I recognized this sweet. It was coconut burfi! My mother makes this a lot in South India and what do you know, there's an excess of coconuts in Mozambique and they figured out the same sweet to make from it, or maybe there's been some recipe exchange over the years.

Smiling coconut burfi trader.

Leaving the towns behind, it was back into the bush. A bright, sunny day through forests and corrugated roads.

We were both fatiguing quickly. After 30 kms of fast-riding over washboard, we needed a good 15 minute break, before going back in for another beating. It was a long day with 300 kms (186 mi) between Pebane and Quelimane and most of it was brutal washboard.

During one of the breaks, I noticed this huge crack on sanDRina's frame. Oh no! This must've happened on the first day of this coastal adventure when I hit a bridge at full speed and landed really hard. The forces must've gone through my rear shock mount and cracked here. We were still in the bush and had over 600 kms (373 mi) till the next city of Beira.

Nothing to do about it besides suit up and...

...get back on the bike and ride out of here, over more washboard. I was hoping the crack wouldn't get worse.

Passing through sandy villages.

We arrived at Quelimane and setup camp at this old hotel and got the caretaker to setup a charcoal stove and we were both so tired today, we just had him salt and grill the fish for us. It was a 4 kg pedra and again too much meat for us but we ate most of it.

Next: Mozambique, Part 6: From the Coast through Beira to the Border

Previous: Mozambique, Part 4: Coastal Off-roading through Moma

Down and Out with Dengue Fever

Mon, 28 Oct 2013 04:00:00 GMT

28 October 2013

Uggh, been diagnosed with Dengue Fever, also known as Breakbone Fever. Aptly named as my joints and muscles ache all over. Have flown down to Chennai for some personalized medical care by Doctor Mom.

Three years on the road and hardly a sickness. Although I did get stung by that scorpion in Namibia. Stopped traveling for a few months now in Delhi and have come down with food poisoning, dehydration and now dengue. Wish I could see Dr. Ernesto Guevara for I know he would prescribe the perfect medicine... a long motorcycle journey ;)

Had to take the first IV drip of my life to get enough fluids into the bloodstream:

It's about Day 7 now and I'm on the recovery path. Lost about 10 lbs this week. Gawd, what a brutal feeling the first few days were. Incredibly weak, could hardly sleep or eat. But the end is in sight! Mutton for lunch!

Press: Interview on Helmet Stories

Mon, 21 Oct 2013 04:00:00 GMT

21 October 2013

Here's an interview I did with Helmet Stories, an adventure tour company and motorcycle portal:

An excerpt:

"Do you have any advice for all those aspiring motorcycle nomads?

I'd like to think I'm an ambassador for Slow Travel. Take it slow. If you have only a few days off, don't think you have to cover huge distances, but go somewhere that is different to your place and let the pace of the journey reveal some adventures to you. And remember that you can have an adventure halfway around the world or just in your backyard. It's all about your perspective. " ;)

http://helmetstories.blogspot.com/2013/10/interview-jay-kannaiyan.html

The Ethics of Using Cycle Rickshaws in India

Sat, 19 Oct 2013 04:00:00 GMT

19 October 2013

Do you have qualms about paying another human to transport you around town? What about if he had only one good leg?!

I like using cycle rickshaws in Delhi. That was after I got over the "how inhumane is that in today's world?" and realized that instead of using other noisy, polluting means of transport (auto rickshaws/tuk tuks) I should be supporting the livelihoods of these guys. I got in this rickshaw and as we got moving, I saw that he was using his right hand and a stick tied to the right pedal along with his left leg to propel us forward. Instead of jumping out and feeling sorry for him, I paid Raju double.

India really challenges your ethical constructs and you can't help but smile at the perseverance of the less well-off.

Snapshot: Life on the Road, Stone Stove in Namibia

Sun, 13 Oct 2013 04:00:00 GMT

13 October 2013

Ahh, Life on the Road... the simple pleasures of cooking dinner on a stone stove fed by glowing charcoal.

This was back in January when I was camping for days on end on my month-long ride across Namibia. I got to Brandberg Mountain, sticking out of the Namib Desert, and setup camp for the night at its base. I gathered firewood that was knocked down by desert elephants and had a roaring fire going in the braai stand. As the coals formed they got pushed into my stone stove and I cooked up some miso rice with salami, peppers and onions. A tasty and filling meal that lead to happy sleep for another day on the road... ;)

Press: I Made News at The Economic Times!

Fri, 04 Oct 2013 04:00:00 GMT

04 October 2013

All the previous press on my trip was in the feature sections, but this time, I made news! Google me under news: http://goo.gl/FBvlwT ;)

Guess I can't shake my corporate history... An excerpt from Vijay Kurup at The Economic Times: "I met Kannaiyan last week in Delhi. He does not fit into the quintessential hardcore image of an explorer, but comes through more as a soft-spoken corporate executive. He talks in a measured tone with a humorous glint in his eyes and a lingering half smile on his face. He had that winsome personality essential to traversing continents and meeting 'interesting souls' from diverse backgrounds."

Click here for the high resolution scan or read it online.

Video: Jay Kannaiyan Interview at Motorcycle Travellers Meet, Part 2

Wed, 02 Oct 2013 04:00:00 GMT

02 October 2013

Here's Part 2 of my interview shot at Motorcycle Travellers Meet - India.

I cover my long-term journeying strategy (plan two weeks at a time), the gear I carried (tent, stove, water filter), funding and budgeting, the use of Couchsurfing, the story behind sanDRina and why I travel on an old bike and how I beat traveler's fatigue by carrying 'home' (my curry) with me.

Click here for Part 3 and here's Part 1.

Click here for more Videos.

Snapshot: sanDRina riding on Heidenau Tires across Morey Plains in Ladakh, Himalayas

Mon, 30 Sep 2013 04:00:00 GMT

30 September 2013

How's the view from down there?

sanDRina riding on a set of Heidenau K60 Scouts across the Morey Plains of Ladakh in the Indian Himalayas. A crisp morning at 4,650 m (15,252 ft).

[Shot in June 2013]

Published: Feature in India's Overdrive Magazine

Sun, 29 Sep 2013 04:00:00 GMT

29 Sep 2013

I was asked to write a feature on my trip in India's Overdrive magazine and the editors loved the story so much they saved it for their anniversary issue. On the stands now!

or online here: http://overdrive.in/features/jay-kannaiyans-ride-around-the-world-on-a-motorcycle

Snapshot: Mountain Man of Sangla, Himalayas

Fri, 20 Sep 2013 04:00:00 GMT

20 September 2013

Look into the eyes of a mountain man from Sangla, deep in the Himalayas of Himachal Pradesh...

Launching Jay Talks! Invite Me To Present About My Journey

Fri, 13 Sep 2013 04:00:00 GMT

13 September 2013

Launching Jay Talks!

http://talks.JamminGlobal.com

Invite me to come and present about my trip at your company, organization or educational institution for a reasonable fee. The presentation features stories, photos and videos from my journey through Latin America, Europe, Africa and India.

Share and pass the word to friends and HR departments in need of an inspirational talk :)

Press: Featured on Endeavour360.com, A Curation of Adventure Travellers

Tue, 10 Sep 2013 04:00:00 GMT

10 Sep 2013

Big thanks to Iain Harper from The Ted Simon Foundation for featuring my trip on http://Endeavour360.com! This is a new site curated by Iain that "celebrates thought-provoking journeys, challenging expeditions and the explorers who venture into their personal terra incognita to make them."

This shot was taken in northern Sudan, just past Wadi Halfa, about a thousand clicks from Khartoum across the Sahara...

http://endeavour360.com/2013/08/jay-kannaiyan/

Video: Jay Kannaiyan Interview at Motorcycle Travellers Meet, Part 1

Sat, 31 Aug 2013 04:00:00 GMT

31 August 2013

Here's the first of a three part interview shot at Motorcycle Travellers Meet - India, which was held near Bangalore at the end of July. I cover the inspiration for the trip, the first day, the benefits of having a flexible plan and why I encourage solo travel :)

Click here for Part 2 and here's Part 3.

Click here for more Videos.

Press: Feature in The Asian Age - Delhi Edition

Thu, 29 Aug 2013 04:00:00 GMT

29 Aug 2013

Here's a feature on my trip that came out in the Delhi edition of The Asian Age.

It was a phone interview and a few things were lost in translation, like how I meant 'hospitable people' instead of 'hostile people' and my first proper bike was a Suzuki GS500 instead of the stated 'Yamaha Suzuki ZF500' and yeah, excuse the lack of a spell check for Maxico and Sodan :p

http://www.asianage.com/life-and-style/motorcycle-diaries-241

Mozambique, Part 4: Coastal Off-roading through Moma

Tue, 13 Aug 2013 04:00:00 GMT

13 - 14 December 2012

On my long journey, there were various small adventures and the ones I cherish the most are the ones that take me off-road for it is there that we pass through remote, rural lands and see the people who live far away from the civilization we know. After a day-off at the enigmatic Ilha da Mozambique, I teamed up with Rob, a South African rider heading from Barcelona to Durban on a Honda Africa Twin, and we journeyed through the coastal roads of Northern Mozambique.

The rainy season was in full swing but it didn't make the off-roading a chore and actually helped us out by firming up the sand and cooling down the temps. After our first night of camping by the shore in Moma, we had an epic estuary crossing, only realizing we were drenching the bikes in salt water at the end. But all good in the spirit of adventure and some serious technical riding and non-stop corrugations followed us into Pebane.

Rob and I heading out from Causarina Camping across the waters from Ilha da Mozambique. We slept on the sand in our tents and would be hugging the coast from here down to Beira.

Here's the route we took for some coastal riding down Northern Mozambique. From Ilha, we camped at Moma, Pebane, Quelimane and then into Beira for a total distance of 1,384 kms (860 mi). Click on it to go to the interactive version in Google Maps.

Old School Adventure Motorcycles: Honda Africa Twin and Suzuki DR650 riding Mozambique.

The roads started off with some heavy corrugations and one of my auxiliary Vision-X LED lights worked itself lose but nothing some thread locker couldn't fix.

At the turn off to Angoche we refreshed with some coconut water, nature's own sports drink with electrolytes, potassium and other good stuff, along with a light snack of fresh coconut meat.

Big motorcycles don't usually pass through these parts and a crowd quickly formed. Just curious faces checking us and our bikes out.

Soon after, it started to rain and Rob and I had to make a call at a turn off. We could've ditched the wet off-roading for a boring tarmac ride through Nampula but stuck to our guns and figured the rain would pass. The mud roads didn't get bad with the rain and it was actually nice to ride in some cooler temps.

Rob on The Mule, his 1989 650cc Honda Africa Twin making splashes on the Northern Mozambican coast.

This is just a picture of a pretty road with some big trees and yes, an adventure motorcyclist riding through.

"Eh, WTF! Stop braking in the sand." Haha, poor Rob. I apologized for my inferior sand riding skills. I was leading because I had the GPS tracks but Rob was much more comfortable riding sand than I and a while back, when I came across a huge sandy section, I braked to pick the best line through and Rob couldn't stop and took a fall. Ooops, all good.

A little roadside Discovery Channel moment, brought to you by Old School Adventure Bikers.

As is inevitable, whenever we stop, it's only a matter of a few minutes before passing locals stop to take in the sight of strange looking men on strange looking motorcycles. This guy was carrying quite a load himself.

He came over and then these ladies decided to stop and greet us and it was turning out to be quite a moment for them.

Our young man here took it upon himself to explain to these ladies what all the gadgets were on my bike. I can understand basic Portuguese and he was really confident in saying that my GPS was a cell phone and that box of switches was a radio. They were enjoying themselves. See, when people ask me what's the purpose of my traveling through all these places, maybe one reason can be to bring some entertainment to the locals. You bet they'll be talking about these two strange men on motorcycles for a few days to come.

We reached Moma, having covered 330 kms (205 mi), and after going around in circles for a bit, Rob came upon the still-being-constructed but also rundown Nautica Club da Moma and we could camp under this hut for 250 Meticais (\$8.43). Mozambique is not a cheap country to travel through unlike its neighbors in East Africa but the journey is still worth it. For that price, we could take hot showers, charge our electronics and they even set us up with a grill and charcoal for the night.

My Oxtar TCX boots taking in the sunset from our private bay and airing themselves out after a day of riding in the rain. We sourced us a kilogram (2.21 lbs) of prawns from a Chinese prawn factory and Rob, being a professional chef at fine-dining restaurants back in Spain, set about grilling them and served them with garlic butter and my contribution of a chili coconut rice and miso soup.

The ladies ready for another day of off-roading down the Mozambican coast.

sanDRina, just the way I like her - covered in mud.

Rob's Africa Twin looking well-traveled. This bike was the preferred steed for world travelers in the years past but has now been pushed aside for all the new fancy adventure bikes coming out. Unlike the DR with its single-cylinder engine, this one has a V-twin, which changes the character of the riding machine. The Africa Twin was never sold in North America, so it wasn't even an option when I was choosing a motorcycle for my trip. But they say Honda's working on a new Africa Twin for all markets.

My one-man Catoma Twist tent, which is basically just a self-supporting mosquito net that comes with a rain cover. The winds were very strong at night and I had to tie the tent to the poles. It's small but comfortable enough and being compact when packed, it's not a bother in my luggage.

Fueling up in Moma before heading out for the day. Petrol being filtered by a coffee strainer. The good thing about traveling with these old school motorcycles is that they're not fussy about the quality of fuel.

Rob gave me a few tips and I was now really enjoying to ride in the sand. All it takes is more throttle to let the motorcycle do what it's designed to do - keep itself upright. It's only when the user forces unnatural inputs through a jittery hand that the front wheel wobbles and topples the rider.

We heard from the petrol guys in Moma that a bridge was out and we would have to take a detour and my Tracks4Africa GPS Maps also confirmed that. So, here we are getting down into...

...a super wide estuary. It was sandy near the banks but...

...there was lots of water to cross to get to the other side. Rob is scouting the best path across.

These locals jumped into the chance of guiding us across so we made them walk a path to judge the depth of the water.

We rode through with no issues and crossed maybe 200 m (650 ft) of shallow water. We're taking a break here at the middle of the entire crossing. It was only at the last water crossing, which was very deep resulting in a big splash, that we finally tasted the water and realized it was salty! Oh no, this was not a freshwater river but actually a salt water estuary. Great, we just basically bathed our bikes and our gear in salt water. Salt - the nemesis of steel and the harbinger of rust. But meh, what's done is done, we'll wash them later. Click here to see the high resolution version.

We followed our local guides and took these footpaths to get back to the main road. And just when we got there, we saw that a truck had crossed the supposed missing bridge. Rob and I looked at each other and laughed in realizing that we had just had a crazy adventure through salt water for fun. Makes for a good story and we shot some great video.

After some technical riding in and around huge, muddy potholes, the road got better but the riding was challenging with the constant traffic. Not on-coming traffic, but cross traffic. Chickens were the worst because they're so scatter-brained. I much prefer duck crossings because once they commit to crossing, they will follow through with their waddle. Humans on bicycles were just like the chickens - freaking out upon hearing us thundering down upon them.

Seeking shelter from the strong sun under the shade of the vast cashew tree plantations. Cashew nuts are a premium product with a large profit margin but all the plantations are under the control of the local mafia with none of the benefits going to the locals who live in and around them.

Enjoying the off-roading down Mozambique's coast.

But it was tiring riding as when the road was not technical, it was covered in corrugations, which take a beating on the human body. Come on, Rob, just a few more clicks until the day is done...

Next: Mozambique, Part 5: Coastal Riding and Wild Camping at Pebane

Previous: Mozambique, Part 3: A Visit to Ilha de Moçambique, An Enigmatic Island

Press: Article in The Hindu, Metro Plus

Wed, 07 Aug 2013 04:00:00 GMT

7 Aug 2013

Here's an article on my trip in The Hindu, Bangalore edition:

http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/a-ride-of-faith/article4970584.ece

Presenting at Motorcycle Travellers Meet India

Mon, 29 Jul 2013 04:00:00 GMT

29 July 2013

I had a fantastic time at the Motorcycle Travellers Meet - India! It was held over the weekend at a campsite outside Bangalore. The MTM Team put on a great show and brought together like-minded travellers from around the country who choose to explore on two wheels. I enjoyed presenting about my trip and hearing the stories of other Indian moto travellers such as Bharadwaj Dayala and Avinash Thadani.

Thanks to Santosh Kumar, Vijay Nambiar, Anuradha Rao, Nidhi Suresh and the rest of the MTM team. Plus big thanks to indiMotard adventures for providing me with a KTM Duke 200 to ride to the event.

The success of this event has spurred us on to start thinking of next year's event. I've joined the organizing committee and want to help raise the international profile of motorcycle travel in India!

Snapshot: Riding up to Khardung La in Ladakh

Sun, 14 Jul 2013 04:00:00 GMT

14 July 2013

Dreaming of Ladakh... Crisp mountain airs, Snow peaks all around... Throttles twisting, Motorcycles leaning... Zen and the Art of not being distracted!

Pictures from Delhi Bikers Celebratory Ride for JamminGlobal

Thu, 11 Jul 2013 04:00:00 GMT

6 July 2013

On July 6th, 300 bikers from Delhi came out for a celebratory ride in my honor. Wow, I feel the love and felt so honored and welcomed! Thank you, guys!

Ride announcement by Joshua John, the organizer of Delhi Bikers Breakfast Run. He works hard at bringing all the different clubs together.

A similar picture was taken at the start of the trip and now this completes it. :norton_

sanDRina and I riding... what we do best._

Riding with Delhi Bikers. 300 of them to the horizon and beyond!

New stickers

Being presented with a ride t-shirt.

Answering lots of questions about the trip and all the features on sanDRina.

With the ride marshals of DBBR. They would ride ahead and stop traffic at intersections so that the long line of riders could continue without breaking up. Nicely done.

Crazy energy from all the bikers there!

Another group shot.

Thanks to everyone that came out!

Delhi Bikers Celebratory Ride for sanDRina and me

Mon, 08 Jul 2013 04:00:00 GMT

8 July 2013

Wow, I feel the love! 300 Enfields, Bajajs and everything in between to the horizon and beyond. Thank you Delhi Bikers for riding out in my honor! What a grand way to celebrate the end of my journey. I feel so welcomed by my new family of riders in Delhi :D

Thanks to Joshua John for setting this up and all he does to unite the riders in Delhi!

More pictures here: http://bit.ly/dbbrjay

Published: Article on Do-Good-As-You-Go in ADV Moto Mag

Tue, 25 Jun 2013 04:00:00 GMT

25 June 2013

Got an article published in the current Adventure Motorcycle Magazine! If you're in the US, pick up a copy. If not, get a digital subscription.

I wrote about my experiences with Do-Good-As-You-Go (The Muskoka Foundation) a movement I'm part of that encourages overland travelers to volunteer their skills at remote communities. In Africa, I visited an after-school organization on Ilha da Mozambique and ran a small photography workshop at an orphanage in South Africa. And now, I've got an interesting organization lined up here in Delhi...

Visual Poetry: The Sutlej River Raging in the Fragile Himalayas

Fri, 21 Jun 2013 04:00:00 GMT

21 June 2013

the sutlej rages in the valley of kinnaur the river is as rough as the landscape the river is as fragile as the landscape powerlines bisect in the name of progress concrete dams attempt to harness nature but blocking rivers have consequences flash floods tear down the himalayas the rivers are aggravated by treeless slopes precious lives are taken time to rethink our pact with nature

[photo taken on May 26, 2013 in Himachal Pradesh]

Press: Feature in Motor Vikatan, a Tamil Monthly Automotive Magazine

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:00:00 GMT

18 June 2013

Here's a feature on my trip that was published in Motor Vikatan, a Tamil monthly automotive magazine. I can't read Tamil but proud to represent the home state!

Thanks to Madras Bulls for the hook up :)

http://issuu.com/knyn/docs/motor_vikatan_-_jay_kannaiyan

Join me for a Live Chat on Yahoo! India Monday 2:30 pm IST

Sat, 15 Jun 2013 04:00:00 GMT

15 June 2013

The trip has finished and a lot of you have questions on how I did it, how can you do something like this and what's the story behind sanDRina's name?

Join me for a post-trip Live Chat on Yahoo! India this Monday at 2:30 pm IST (9:00 am GMT) and ask away :) tweet your queries with the #JamminIndia hashtag.

Follow it on facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/yahooindia/app_310432762368131

The End of the Trip at India Gate, New Delhi!!

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 04:00:00 GMT

11 June 2013

That's India Gate and this is the end of the trip!! Jammin thru the Global South was a motorcycle journey that began in Chicago on March 5, 2010 and ended in New Delhi on June 11, 2013. Wow... hasn't sunk in yet :)

I had an easy ride from Chandigarh into New Delhi and was thinking back of all the good rides on this trip and the tough times that tested me. So many wonderful sights seen, beautiful people met and tasty food savoured.

Thanks to everyone who followed along and shared in this journey!

And thanks to Joshua John and the other Bullet riders who welcomed me into Delhi and celebrated over champagne and beers :D

Last Night of the Trip! with Bullet Riders from Chandigarh

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 04:00:00 GMT

10 June 2013

The last night of the trip and what better way to spend it than being with new biker friends. Thanks to JoJo Khurana and the Road Survivors Bullet Club of Chandigarh for hosting me tonight :)

I exited the Himalayan foothills today and felt the heat and humidity of the plains. Only 250 kms to go!

Hosted by the Madras Regiment of the Indian Army in Udhampur

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 04:00:00 GMT

9 June 2013

At the gates of the 4th Battalion of the Madras Regiment in Udhampur, the Northern Command of the Indian Army.

From Srinagar, I had a busy ride south, working sanDRina through lots of traffic on mountainous roads. The presence of the Indian Army was felt all through Jammu & Kashmir and more so on the route between Srinagar and Jammu with convoys moving up and down. Thanks to Paul from the Madras Bulls, I was received as a VIP by the Madras Regiment, the oldest regiment in the Indian Army, in existence since the 1750s! The whole base was intrigued by sanDRina, especially the officers and majors; all of whom had bikes. sanDRina was feeling at home with her olive green livery ;) I was hosted as a guest of honour and over scotch and dinner, I soaked in the history of this proud regiment and regaled them with tales from my journey.

One of the majors gave me a back route to take to avoid the traffic and I had a smooth ride out of J&K, back into Himachal Pradesh and up to Dharamsala. Can't believe it, only two more nights left in this journey! :D

sanDRina in the Snow at Baralacha La, My Vehicle for this Journey

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 04:00:00 GMT

7 June 2013

sanDRina playing in the snow at Baralach Pass. She's done me good these last three years and more; my vehicle for this journey and my home on the road. As we crossed the last pass today, Zoji La, which connects Ladakh to Kashmir, I thanked her for carrying me from the US to India thru Latin America, Europe and Africa. One last thousand kilometers to go...

Crossing into the Kashmir Valley was just as they say it is, beautiful! Green trees, snow peaks and gushing rivers. But the altitude has also dropped and it's hot once again. Srinagar is busy with summer tourists and I'm already missing the quietness of Ladakh.

Riding the Grand Himalayan Mountains

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 04:00:00 GMT

6 June 2013

Riding the Grand Himalayan Mountains. That little black dot is me riding sanDRina in the dry, colorful, high-altitude deserts of Ladakh, on the way to Pang, the first little dhaba junction in Jammu & Kashmir. Wah, what a ride! So much to appreciate about the greater forces in motion around us. Those slopes look unstable and they are as rock slides are frequent. Photo was taken by some biker friends I made on the way.

I've left Leh and reached Kargil today, the northern most point on my route. So, Kanyakumari to Kargil, done. From here I'm turning south for the last few days of my journey into Delhi. Mixed emotions; sad that it's coming to an end but thrilled that it actually happened!

Riding the Manali-Leh Highway, Tangala Pass at 5,350 m (17,548 ft)!

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 04:00:00 GMT

5 June 2013

sanDRina and I near the Tangala Pass at 5,350 m (17,548 ft). We did it! We rode the Manali-Leh Highway and journeyed through the high Himalayas. It was an epic four days of climbing up and down high passes, brushing up against endless snow banks, chugging through mud and marveling at the beauty of grand nature. The change from the wet side of the Himalayas into the drier side was quite dramatic, especially as the sky was a surreal deep blue, all the way to the horizon. It was very distracting to be looking from one amazing view to another while paying attention to the changing road conditions. sanDRina performed like a champ and she's actually running better at these high altitudes than down on the plains. I think she wants to stay here...

Crossing Rohtang Pass with Snow Banks! On The Way to Leh

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 04:00:00 GMT

1 June 2013

Did I mention I love snow? :D
Crossing Rohtang Pass at 3,990 m (13,090 ft), the first high pass on the road to Leh. On the other side the views were epic as sanDRina chugged her way through cold, wet mud. Made it to the dhabas at Darcha at 3,350 m (10,990 ft) and slept at the beds in the back. No toilets, so did my morning rituals by the river with amazing views of snow peaks! What a way to start the day ;)

Impressed that BSNL (national carrier) has 2G data coverage out here.

Snapshot: Farm House in Old Manali

Fri, 31 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

31 May 2013

A house in Old Manali, looking grand with its colored walls and wooden balconies.

I've stocked up on supplies for the highlight route of my trip, the Manali-Leh Highway. From here, I'll be climbing into the upper reaches of the Himalayas and riding on some of the highest roads in the world. GoPro and SLR batteries charged, walnuts and dried apricots in stock, woolen socks on and here we go!

Snapshot: Sangla Woman in Felt Cap, Mountain People Portraits

Thu, 30 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

30 May 2013

A woman in Sangla who wanted her photo taken when she saw me walking around with my SLR. She must have a lot of interesting stories to tell...
I love the confidence and ease that mountain people exude. It probably comes from living in a challenging environment, surrounded by natural beauty and learning to appreciate the goodness in the small moments :)

From Sangla, I rode to the end of the track at Chitkul with more stunning views of snow-capped Himalayas with Tibet just a few peaks over. Then it was back to the Sutlej River and up to Kalpa, another small mountain town perched on the other side of Kinner Kailash from Sangla. sanDRina's bosch horn needed a good cleaning as it's ingested a lot of dust and water; a loud horn is essential equipment in the blind corners of mountain roads.

At Kalpa, I decided to turn around and not go through Spiti Valley as sanDRina's chain is stretching and nearing the end of its life and I better save it for the high passes to Leh. I'll come back and ride Spiti another time. So, from Kalpa I rode back down the Sutlej River along the Hindustan-Tibet Highway and wound through small tracks, sometimes dirt, sometimes tar, sometimes covered in pine needles and am just a short day's ride away from Manali.

Snapshot: Snow-Peaked Himalayas, Kinner Kailash from Sangla

Tue, 28 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

28 May 2013

Snow peaks! Clear view of Kinner Kailash at 6,500 m (21,320 ft) from Sangla. The mountain is sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists from the Kinnaur Valley. It's not Mount Kailash, across the border in Tibet, where Lord Shiva is said to reside but the Kinner is still special as it's considered the winter abode of Shiva. The story goes that Shiva granted a wish to a demon who then tried to kill Shiva but he hid from him in these mountains and with the help of Vishnu, they killed the demon.

I love how grand the Himalayas look, especially all lit up in the late afternoon sun after an overcast day of cold rain. It looks rock-solid like granite but the Himalayas are made of sedimentary rock that easily crumbles and leads to landslides. Let's hope my route out of the beautiful Baspa Valley is open...

While snow means the air is cold, I've missed being cheered up by it. My last snow sighting was two years ago when sanDRina and I crossed the Alps. Beyond just looking, I want to ski down those slopes (across the valley has much more snow cover) like in this ski trip video from 2009 in Colorado.

Snapshot: Graduated From The Foothills To The Himalayas Proper

Tue, 28 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

27 May 2013

I've graduated from the foothills and am riding in the Himalayas proper :) From Rohru, I found a small route over a ridge down to Rampur on the Hindustan Tibet Highway and rode into Kinnaur Valley. I saw my first snow peaks! Along the Sutlej River, I met some bikers who were coming back from Kaza in Spiti Valley and they said the Kunzum Pass, the first really high pass on my route, is not yet open due to snow, so I might have to backtrack and head to Manali. I left the Sutlej and followed the Baspa River to Sangla, a small town surrounded by snowy mountains and am enjoying the chill air at 2,750 m (9,020 ft). Need to get slowly acclimatized for the high altitude riding ahead.

Snapshot: Panorama of Alaknanda and Mandakini Rivers at Rudraprayag

Sat, 25 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

24 May 2013

Sunrise at Rudraprayag where the Mandakini River joins up with the Alaknanda and together they flow down to form the Ganga after merging with the other three headstreams of this most sacred river in India. The rivers originate from glaciers further upstream and are still thick with their sediments.

It's good to be riding in the mountains, climbing up and down on small, narrow roads. Almost feels like I'm back in South America, particularly Bolivia and northern Peru, but of course, the towns are more frequent and busier ;)

Milestone! 100,000 kms covered since Chicago!

Sat, 25 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

25 May 2013

Milestone! sanDRina and I have covered a 100,000 kms since this journey began in Chicago 3 years and almost 3 months ago. For my Indian friends, that's 1 lakh kms and for my American and Brit friends, that's 62,150 miles. sanDRina doesn't have an odometer, so you're just going to have to trust my daily tallies from the trip meter in my GPS ;)

I'm right back in my element as I meander the backroads of the Himalayan foothills, winding through river valleys and meeting the people that make their home here. A few more thousand kilometers left before the end in Delhi with some crazy high mountain passes coming up...

Snapshot: Naini Lake at Sunset, Finally Into The Himalayas!

Thu, 23 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

23 May 2013

Escaped the heat of the plains and rode up the foothills of the Himalayas to the beautifully-set Naini Lake. It's good to be at altitude once again and 2,000 m (6,560 ft) and above is where I feel most at home ;)

I was riding around town, which is busy with summer tourists, and a biker came up to me and introduced himself as Akshay, a member of a superbike club in Delhi and promptly invited me to stay with him in his cozy flat. A fun evening walking through the markets and then having some beer and chicken tikka by the lake.

Deeper into the mountains we go...

Snapshot: Finally Seeing the Taj Mahal! What a Grand Monument

Tue, 21 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

21 May 2013

Woke up this morning in Agra and went for a walk along the Yamuna and there just happened to be this glowing white marble mausoleum... it's the Taj Mahal!! Yay, finally seeing this magnificent monument. After seeing so many grand monuments around the world, I saved the best for last :D So proud as an Indian that the Taj is such an impressive structure. It's been drawing the crowds for centuries to come and stand in awe of this expression of love from a king for his fallen wife.

Snapshot: The Stone Carvings at Khajuraho

Sun, 19 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

19 May 2013

The beautiful stone carvings at the Mahadev Temple at Khajuraho. The temples are famous for their erotic depictions but more than that, the stone craftsmanship is amazing. I spent some time just staring at the details that have been carved to capture mood and smiles and pleasure. The security guard became my guide and told me that the sexual imagery has many reasons. One is that the kings who commissioned these temples, a 1000 years ago, wanted to please Indra, the god of lightning. Another reason is that kama (pleasure) is one of the purusharthas, or goals of life in Hinduism, that include dharma (righteousness), artha (duty) and moksha (liberation). A more practical reason might be that fertility rates were decreasing across the region and the king wanted to encourage his populace to get the hint and procreate ;)

Snapshot: Surviving the Heat with a Cooling Vest

Sat, 18 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

18 May 2013

My gear for really hot riding: boonie hat and TechNiche Cooling Vest ;) It's a nylon quilted vest that holds half a liter of water and when I'm moving, air flows through my Kevlar mesh jacket and evaporates the water on my core and cools it down. At 47 C (117 F) and low humidity, it lasts for about an hour or so and then I re-wet it. It provides chilling relief while riding through the oven that is India's peak summer in the center. Dreaming of shivering in the Himalayas soon...

Snapshot: A Farmboy In Rural Maharashtra Strikes Up A Stylish Pose

Fri, 17 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

17 May 2013

It was a hot day's ride from Nashik to Indore with my on-board thermometer registering 47 C (117 F)! I sought some shelter from the sweltering sun under these shady trees and Shashank Parwar, here, emerged from his fields to take a look at this strange bike and its rider. When I saw the sickle in his hand, I asked if I could take his photo and he struck up this stylish pose. He was so well-mannered and polite, which I can't really say about those who are curious about sanDRina and me in urban areas. There's a lot to cherish about rural life...

Snapshot: My Route Across Central India, Heading to Agra

Thu, 16 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

16 May 2013

My route across Central India. From Bombay I had an easy ride to Nashik on the 4-lane expressway that was 6 and 8 lanes at times. The climb up and over the ghats made for good riding and with sanDRina's carburetor tuned perfectly now, it was a joy to twist the throttle. Next stop, Indore and a few days later, Agra...

Press: Feature in the Bangalore Mirror with my Chicken Curry Recipe in Print

Wed, 15 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

15 May 2013

A feature on my trip got published in the Bangalore Mirror with my chicken curry recipe now in print ;)

Web link: http://bit.ly/10sJPIg

Snapshot: Tuning up sanDRina's Carburetor with Bombay Mechanic Anthony

Mon, 13 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

13 May 2013

I got to Bombay last night and nursed sanDRina with a leaking carburetor to Arunoday Singh's place in Juhu. He's an old Kodai School friend and after studying acting in the US and the UK, he's started his career as a Bollywood actor.

sanDRina's carburetor started acting up in the last few days. Her float bowl was over-flowing and she was running very rich (too much fuel in the fuel-air mixture). I couldn't get her to idle at the stop lights through Bombay's traffic. Bharat from the Madras Bulls put me in touch with a local Bullet rider and he told me that Anthony (pictured) was the best bike mechanic in Bombay.

Anthony stripped the carb down and found that the o-ring in the float needle valve was past its due date and was letting fuel flow past into the bowl. That little o-ring served me well over these past few years and it was sent to o-ring heaven ;) A new o-ring was installed and voila, no more over-flowing float bowl but now sanDRina was running too lean at idle, since she was used to all that extra fuel coming in past the old o-ring, so Anthony put in a bigger pilot jet and now sanDRina's growling like a tiger :D

Anthony also adjusted my loose shift lever with an interesting technique of widening the upper end of the bolt hole so that it would pinch tighter. I can see why he's revered by the bikers in Bombay. He comes from the Trichur district in Kerala and has been a mechanic here for 35 years, initially working on old British bikes and then due to a lack of parts, switched to working on Royal Enfield Bullets.

Good to get greasy and meet the local mechanic :)

Live Chat on Yahoo! India Travel Monday 2:30 pm IST

Sun, 12 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

13 May 2013

Got questions on traveling, motorcycling, photography, being a digital nomad, what it takes to get up and leave, how to sustain a long duration journey and more?

Then join me for a Live Chat on Yahoo! India Travel on Monday, May 13th at 2:30 pm IST (9:00 am GMT). Ask or tweet your queries using the #JamminIndia hashtag.

http://in.lifestyle.yahoo.com/chat-with-global-biker-jay---monday--may-13--2013---2-30-pm-095309157.html

Click here for the facebook event.

Snapshot: Agro Tourism on an Alphonso Mango Farm near Ratnagiri

Sat, 11 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

11 May 2013

Sublime ride out of Goa into southern Maharashtra. Good roads, lite traffic and nice curves on the hilly NH-17. All the signs are in Hindi now; a sign that I'm in North India. Left the highway and got back to the coast near Ratnagiri and staying with the family that runs GaneshAgroTourism.com. It's a farm-house on a 40 acre Alphonso Mango farm with a hill-view of the ocean. I got in contact with them as my father supplies them with organic fertilizer. Enjoying the clear night sky here. I'm 16 degrees north and can see the Southern Cross and Polaris, the North Star.

From here to the largest city in India tomorrow...

Join me for a Live Chat on Yahoo! India at 2:30 pm IST, Monday, May 13th

Sat, 11 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

11 May 2013

Join me for a Live Chat on Yahoo! India at 2:30 pm on Monday IST. Ask or tweet your questions with the hashtag #JamminIndia

http://in.lifestyle.yahoo.com/chat-with-global-biker-jay---monday--may-13--2013---2-30-pm-095309157.html

Snapshot: Sleepy Cat in Fruit Market at Chapora, Goa

Fri, 10 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

10 May 2013

A sleepy cat amongst the fruits in Chapora, probably eying some breakfast from the fish market across the road...

I went for a nice walk in the morning with Sagar, an old teacher from Kodai School who's also staying with my classmate, Arjun's parents in nearby Vagator. We walked to the fishing pier and took a morning dip where the waters of the Chapora River flow into the Indian Ocean. After some fresh chikoo (zapota) juice, I enjoyed another day off in the company of sadhus. Baba Ramji has been educating me on the foundations of Hinduism with sidetracks to cover Siddhartha and Mahavira.

Snapshot: Riding thru Goa's Coconut Tree-Line Roads to the Beach at Anjuna

Fri, 10 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

9 May 2013

Oh, yeah! I've arrived in Goa :) Beautiful ride on small roads through old villages shrouded by coconut trees with the breeze from the ocean. Rode to Anjuna and found a small guest house right on the beach. The caretaker, Agnes, was telling me stories from before Goa got independence from the Portuguese. Anjuna is known for its trance parties and I enjoyed some chill ambient trance at a cliffside restaurant over fish curry and rice. A day off now...

Press: Interview on WheelsUnplugged.com

Fri, 10 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

10 May 2013

Here's an interview I did for http://WheelsUnplugged.com by Navroze Contractor, who's an award-winning cinematographer and photographer and now writes for automotive magazines. The interview details how I got into motorcycles, how I got fleeced by Egyptian customs and why travel on two wheels ;)

http://www.wheelsunplugged.com/features/jay-kannaiyan-epic-ride-home/1548

Snapshot: Masala Dosa in Udipi, The Town Where It was Created

Wed, 08 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

8 May 2013

I had a masala dosa in Udipi for breakfast this morning and it was super delicious with the potato filling, sambar and coconut chutney. They say the masala dosa originates from Udipi and this dosa did its ancestors proud
;)

Snapshot: Friendly Karnataka Police Force Stop near Mangalore

Wed, 08 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

8 May 2013

A friendly stop by the Karnataka Police Force just outside Mangalore. I overtook their police van and a few minutes later, they were flashing their lights and waving me over. I thought, 'OK, here we go, first police stop in India...' but no worries, they were just curious and friendly and wanted to take some photos and then started telling about me to a passing journalist ;)

I had a good ride through northern Kerala and when not stuck behind trucks, the twisties were a thrill to ride.

I reached Udipi and met up with the United Riders Udipi Bullet motorcycle club, having been connected by the Madras Bulls. The brotherhood here took fantastic care of me and it was good to share stories from the road :)

Video: Ride in Kerala like the Keralites Do

Tue, 07 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

7 May 2013

Here's a helmet camera video from my ride into Calicut (Kozhikode) yesterday. The driving is crazy on Kerala's busy roads but makes for fun riding if you can match the local pace ;)

Not for the faint of heart!

Click here for more Videos

Snapshot: Riding Up The Ghat Road To Kodai, A Childhood Home

Thu, 02 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

1 May 2013

Today was a special day for me. I rode up the Ghat Road to Kodai, a place up on a mountain where I spent 10 years growing up in boarding school. I've traveled up and down this ghat road numerous times but this was the first time I had ridden it for myself and wow, what a fun road! So many twists and turns and narrow places with blind corners. Kodai sits at an elevation of around 2,135 m (7,000 ft) and the cool temps are a big relief from the hot plains. I'm staying with an old school friend, Hari Shankar Mani, who's friends with the new school principal and we just had a small dinner party. The principal's arranged for me to come speak at school :)

Back On The Road, First Day Of Jammin thru India

Wed, 01 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

First day of the journey and the ride was smooth. I met up with a few riders from the Madras Bulls Motorcycle Club and we rode down the East Coast Road to Mahabalipuram. After being sent off by the Bulls, I enjoyed the twisting road along the coast till Pondicherry. The Indian Summer is in full swing with temps around 42 C (108 F) and the Tamil Nadu coast is very humid. I stayed hydrated by drinking 5 L of water and having some coconuts and date palm fruit. I reached Trichy and met up with Simrit, a biker who's been following my trip for a while. He put me up for the night and we got some dinner from his favorite push cart vendor who was making fresh barrotas that came with a spicy kurma and fried goat brain and livers; a hearty meal after a good first day back in the saddle.

Video: About sanDRina, a 1998 Suzuki DR650 in Adventure Spec

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 04:00:00 GMT

28 April 2013

Here's a video detailing why I chose the Suzuki DR650 as my bike of choice for my three-year motorcycle journey from Chicago to Delhi and then specifically, what are all the features on sanDRina that bring her up to Adventure Spec.

Details on Aqualine Safari Tank, Pivot Pegz, WER Steering Stabilizer, Fork Brace, Happy Trails Panniers, Vapor Dash Computer, Galfer Rotors, Answer Handlebar, Ricoh Intiminator, Touratech GPS Mount, Vision X LED Lights, Suzuki GSX-R1000 Titanium Exhaust, Scotts Stainless Steel Oil Filter and more...

Click here for more Videos.

Snapshot: Blessings Before the Journey Around India

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 04:00:00 GMT

29 April 2013

Swamiji blessing sanDRina and our journey around India that begins tomorrow :)

We had a Satyanarayan Puja at my parents' home in Chennai and I got the Pujari to invoke the gods' blessings for sanDRina. After the aarti, this burning coconut was smashed on the ground and I rolled sanDRina over some lemons for good luck, as is traditional in Hinduism. Not sure how long those flower garlands will last but should help in case I get pulled over by the cops ;)

And no, that's not a Ganesha sticker on the windshield but a fractal from the Mandelbrot set. I pray to the motorcycle gods :p

Jammin thru India on Yahoo! India Travel

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 04:00:00 GMT

29 April 2013

Woohoo! Jay and Yahoo! Jammin thru India

I'm excited to announce that I've teamed up with Yahoo! India Travel for the last leg of my journey around India. I'll be posting daily text, photo and video updates from the road on the below site, along with my usual updates here and on facebook and ADVrider.

https://in.news.yahoo.com/video/jammin-india-jay-introduces-sandrina-071241125.html

Follow on twitter with this hashtag #JamminIndia

Route Plan: Jammin thru India, 8000 kms (5000 miles) in 40 days

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 04:00:00 GMT

23 April 2013

Here's the route plan for the last leg of my journey. It'll be a 40 day 8,000 km (5,000 mile) road trip around India.

From Chennai, I'll be heading to my old school at Kodai and then the southernmost point of India at Kanyakumari. From there, it's north thru Kerala, Goa and Mumbai and then inland to Khajuraho and Agra. I'm planning about three weeks to get to Agra and then three weeks for a loop through the mountains.

After showing sanDRina the Rockies, the Andes, the Alps and the Simiens, I'd like to thank her for taking me on this journey by showing her the mighty Himalayas. We'll be ending the journey after traversing some of the highest mountain passes in the world.

From Kashmir, a quick stop in Amritsar and then the journey ends when we arrive in Delhi.

See the full journey route map here: http://bit.ly/rtw_map

Interview on Motorcycle Radio Show SideStandUp.com Tonight

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Going to be interviewed on online motorcycle radio show SideStandUp.com tonight (Apr 16) around 9:15 pm EDT (6:45 am IST). Listen live from their website or from talkshoe.com. The show starts at 8 pm and other motorcycle guests will be on the show. After me will be my fellow DR traveller-friend, Danielle Murdoch

Press: Article on GOOD.is about my Chicken Curry and Its Effects

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 04:00:00 GMT

10 April 2013

Here's a tasty article written by Alice Gugelev on Good.is about the chicken curry that I've been cooking on my journey.

http://www.good.is/posts/why-i-take-over-people-s-kitchens-all-over-the-world

Excerpt: 'The site of Jay bursting into someone’s kitchen to start preparing his famous chicken curry sounds strange to many of us, even more so for a woman to let a strange biker into her house because her husband just met him on the road.' ;)

Here's the recipe if you want to try my Jammin Chicken Curry: http://bit.ly/jaycurry

Snapshot: Riding with the Madras Bulls Royal Enfied Bullet Club on the Beach

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 04:00:00 GMT

8 April 2013

I hooked up with the Madras Bulls Motorcycling Club and Bharath, here, let me ride his beautiful army green Royal Enfield Bullet 500. More than two dozen Bullets showed up for the Sunday morning ride from Besant Nagar to the Royapuram Fishing Harbour. After a hearty breakfast of appams and mutton curry, the group split and a few of us went exploring on the beach. I was thrilled that we managed to find a way to ride from Marina Beach to Elliot's Beach in Besant Nagar all along the beachfront! What a cool bunch of bikers; not afraid to splash some salt water all over their bikes and get sand everywhere for the thrill of exploring some new routes. I'm highly impressed with the Bullet; feels solid, love the thumping and stable in the sand :)

In other news: I got my Indian Driving License today! Ha, now I'm legal ;)

Mozambique, Part 3: A Visit to Ilha de Moçambique, An Enigmatic Island

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 04:00:00 GMT

11 - 13 December 2012

From Pemba, I headed south to Ilha de Moçambique (Mozambique Island), the small island that was the epicenter of Portuguese East Africa. It lies just off the coast, near Nampula, and at 3 kms long by 500 m wide, it's densely packed with old Portuguese colonial buildings and infused with Arabic and Swahili culture. Vasco da Gama landed on the island in 1498 and subsequently, the Portuguese established a naval base to resupply and protect their trade routes to India. Before the Portuguese arrived, an Arab merchant with the name of Musa-Al-Big was living there and his name was given to the island and later to the mainland.

Besides soaking in the colonial architecture and the relaxed vibe of Ilha de Moçambique, I was there to visit a charity organization called Projecto Oceano who run afterschool programs for the kids on the island. As per my duties to The Muskoka Foundation, who connect overland travelers with volunteer opportunities, I was there to see if Projecto Oceano would be a good partner for Muskoka.

I left sunny Pemba and realized that I was riding straight into a thunderstorm. Battling the crosswinds made for a good workout.

Enjoying the sight of pointed inselbergs that dot the northern Mozambican landscape.

I caught up with the thunderstorm and just as before, I sought shelter with the locals as the heaviest of the rain and lightning passed.

Friendly guys and curious about this stranger on his grande moto.

The rain eased and after 409 kms (254 mi) from Pemba, I arrived at Causarina Camping, just across from Ilha de Moçambique. The place was empty and I setup camp under one of those thatched huts.

A beautiful view from my beach campsite. That's Ilha de Moçambique on the horizon, connected to the mainland by a single lane causeway. Click here to see the high resolution version.

The next morning, I boarded a pickup just like everyone else going to Ilha for the day. The driver waits till the truck is packed and that means patrons grab on to anywhere they can. (I'm telling you, I blend in so well with my one brown hand and one black hand :p )

Riding to Ilha de Moçambique on the single-lane causeway, which was built in the 1960s.

Fishermen walking on water. The bay is very shallow and the tides create dramatic changes.

Entering Ilha de Moçambique and passing through Makuti Town, where the majority of the island's inhabitants live. Renamo is the opposing political party in Mozambique and they fought a brutal civil war from 1977 to 1992 with Frelimo, who are currently in charge. Renamo generally control the north, which is less developed, while Frelimo controls the south, the more prosperous half of Mozambique.

I hopped off the pickup truck and strolled around empty Stone Town, noting this old madrasa (Islamic school).

The buildings on Ilha de Moçambique are pretty rundown but as captured here, there's quite an effort to spruce things up with some new paint and attract the tourists. I've been told that Ilha is like what Zanzibar was before it became popular.

Islamic tile art.

A friendly fruit vendor who encouraged me to try this...

...super sour fruit. He sprinkled some sea salt on it but it was still pretty sour. Hey, I'll try anything at least once.

Fishermen repairing their boat. Ilha de Moçambique was a big port in its hey days but things have slumped as business has moved to other ports, such as the new one at Nacala.

Time for a mid-morning snack and I found this hole-in-the-wall eatery. It was a family's house and I was sitting at their dining table with a bed to my right and a washing area in front. Click here to see the high resolution version.

They were serving up fried camarões (shrimp) for 5 Meticais (USD 0.17) for a bunch and 5 Mets for the boiled cassava. Served with a tangy hot sauce.

The man of the fried camarões house and...

...his daughter who was tasked with cleaning and washing.

Back on the streets and walking past the old armory.

A grounded dhow, which once transported people and now transports nutrients.

Cross and canon, the two arms of Portuguese colonization, at Fortaleza de São Sebastião.

The statue of Luis de Camões, a poet who fell in love with a local slave girl.

The old and the new. The entire island is a UNESCO World Heritage site and money is pouring in to renovate the dilapidated buildings and turn them into boutique hotels.

A star-shaped cake that a boy was selling down one of the numerous alleys in Stone Town.

Ganesha on Ilha. I stopped by the Hindu temple that's been here for a few centuries. Such a mix of cultures on such a small island.

The Hindu priest, stationed all by his lonesome self on Ilha. He was so excited to meet another Indian as his family is back in Diu, an ex-Portuguese colony in western India.

I met up with Rob, who rode down a day later than me from Pemba and we both met up with Jessica who runs Projecto Oceano.

Jessica having a weekly meeting with some of her students. Her organization provides afterschool activities for the kids as the educational system on the island is very basic. I was here to see whether Projecto Oceano would like to partner with The Muskoka Foundation, who connect overland travelers with volunteer opportunities in distant lands. I got the ball rolling and now, the next Muskoka traveler coming down Africa can choose to spend a few days on Ilha and run some workshops with Jessica for the kids.

The old port on Ilha, which traded heavily in spices, gold and slaves.

A guard and his friend playing their version of mancala next to a huge canon.

A papaya tree taking root in this poor old building. Given enough time, Nature will reconquer our bricks and mortar.

A beautiful coconut tree seen through a space among the crowd of old buildings.

Ilha de Moçambique and its beautiful beaches.

The day ending over the Church of Santo António.

Heading home down the colorful alleys of Ilha de Moçambique.

And it was time for Rob and I to head back to our campsite, across the bridge.

A beautiful day on Ilha de Moçambique and I'm happy I could visit her before commercialization takes over. There's tasty food, quiet and historical streets to meander through and beautiful, warm people to meet.

Next: Mozambique, Part 4: Coastal Off-roading through Moma

Previous: Mozambique, Part 2: Heading across Niassa Province to Pemba

Press: Feature on my Trip in Times of India

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 04:00:00 GMT

2 April 2013

Here's a feature on my trip that got published today in the Times of India, Hyderabad Edition :)

Click here for the online version: http://toi.in/3snqKa

Click here to see the page scan in higher resolution.

Mozambique, Part 2: Heading across Niassa Province to Pemba

Sat, 23 Mar 2013 04:00:00 GMT

7 - 11 December 2012

After my little break on the shores of Lake Malawi, I headed east, across the remote region of Niassa Province towards Pemba, on the coast. Mozambique is developing quickly with the Chinese laying new roads everywhere and the route that heads east from Lichinga to Pemba was in varied states of construction. The middle portion, the farthest from civilization on both sides, is still a little track through the forest that I highly enjoyed. The rainy season was fully underway now and I sought shelter from a fast-moving thunderstorm with some villagers in their hut. The track was either hard-packed mud, that turned slippery when wet, or sand, which was surprisingly easier to ride when wet. I emerged back into civilization on the other end and headed for Pemba, where I enjoyed fresh squid and octopus.

Heading east out of Lichinga and enjoying the twists and curves in the mountainous north of Mozambique.

Panorama of the distractions that a rider through Niassa Province experiences. Click here to see the high resolution version.

I was in the thick of the rainy season. It comes in quick and then moves on. I just missed the rain here and got my tires wet to increase their mileage ever so slightly.

The grand inselbergs that dot northern Mozambique. These are remnants of old volcanoes where the outer rock has eroded to the form the surrounding plains and the inner, harder rock, usually granite is left behind to stand proud.

A woman ploughing her farm under the shadow of an inselberg.

Quite a dramatic setting to have in your backyard. Can you see the creature in the inselberg? There are two eyes on the small head and a slanted mouth.

That same inselberg from another view, showing that seeing faces in inanimate objects is just a trait of the human mind, as we're hard-wired to pick out faces.

Crossing a little bridge in Niassa Province. Click here to see the high resolution version.

A view into the distance with a jagged horizon of inselbergs in various poses.

Ooh, an elephant crossing sign, telling me that mama and baby elephant only cross in curves, ok, so on the straights I'm good.

Mango season is in full bloom and I passed numerous trees with brightly-ripened, juicy mangoes, just waiting to be picked or thrown at by kids.

The only hotel in Marrupa, a small town about a third of the way to Pemba. This basic residencial went for 400 Meticais (USD 13.50) and came with a hot water bucket bath.

I was walking around town and came across these guys playing a Mozambican version of the age-old game known as Bao or Mancala. The rules are quite complicated but the general idea is to sow and capture seeds. The earliest evidence for this game comes from northern Ethiopia and then it got picked up by the Arabs who introduced it into East Africa and other parts of the world.

The vegetable market in Marrupa with only the basics of onions, tomatoes and beans.

I was buying some bread and noticed these guys playing a game of checkers. Nice use of bottle caps.

On the road after a good breakfast of oatmeal. The section of the route from Marrupa to Montepuez is currently under construction, meaning, get out and ride the world before it all gets paved over! Click here to see the high resolution version.

Road construction through forests and rainy seasons don't go together. Riding the detour from the newly laid roadbed on the right.

African Mud. It's good for the boots.

A wide puddle but it looked shallow, so I just went for it.

The construction petered out and I was smiling end to end as the road became a small forest trail. It was getting close to mid-day and these cumulonimbus clouds were heading for my path.

sanDRina in the forests of Northern Mozambique. There was hardly any traffic on this route, evident by the grassy, center berm. I loved being amongst such tall trees but it saddened me that they would be chopped down soon to make way for progress.

Having a lunch of soft-boiled eggs and buns. I made these eggs in the morning and like to boil them for 5 to 6 minutes to get the yolk into a semi-solid state.

Just as I was finishing up lunch in the middle of the forest, rain drops started falling. I packed up and got moving and rode through a fair amount of rain. The route was sandy but when it got wet, it actually became easier to ride.

Riding through rain is not a problem but I'm a bit wary of lightning and this one thunderstorm was throwing down the electrical shards ahead of me and I thought best to wait it out instead of riding through it. I pulled up in this little village and asked in my basic Portuguese if I could just take a break here. A few minutes after getting inside this hut, the storm hit and the rain came down heavy.

The villagers who let me stay in their hut during the storm.

The kids were thrilled to see this strange man and his strange motorcycle make a stop in their village.

I presumed this man was the village head and this boy, who was the best-dressed there, was his eldest son.

The kids were all shy of my camera at first, but once I took one picture and showed it to them, they all loved it and wanted to get in every shot. Here, they're eating some left over nshima and beans after an adult was through with his lunch.

Look into his eyes as he reaches for his next hand-full of nshima. This kid looked to be the smartest one and I thought about how geography (where you are born on this planet) plays such a critical role in determining who gets what kind of chance in this world.

Twenty minutes later and the thunderstorm had passed with sunshine in its wake. Click here to see the high resolution version.

Saying goodbye to the mamas of the village.

And one last shot of all the kids.

Back on the trail with the sun beating down and you can't even tell that it just rained so hard.

Oops. I was riding through this sandy riverbed and didn't see that wooden spike sticking out of the ground. It caught my tool tube and down we went. A few guys came running out of the woods and helped me lift sanDRina back up with the rubber side down.

Evidence of the recent rains. Where the puddles were huge, a side track was cut into the brush.

Riding lots of corrugations and I noticed a bolt for my pannier frame had rattled out.

I found a replacement M6 bolt from my bag-o-bolts, put a dab of Loctite thread-locker and off we go.

A long and messy mud puddle with an even messier detour. I went a bit back and made my own entry into the detour.

Camping in a cheap residencial in Montepuez, a large town on the other end of the forest track. The beds were creaky and the mattress didn't look inviting and there was no mosquito net, so best to setup my tent, which is a home I know.

At least sanDRina had a nice place to spend the night in Montepuez. The next day's ride was short and easy, heading down to the coast.

A big baobab tree just across Russel's Place in Pemba with the clear waters of the Indian Ocean.

Russel's is a backpackers and is the cheapest place to stay near the ocean. I took a bed in this elevated hut for 500 Meticais (USD 16.85). I was slowly adjusting to the higher prices in Mozambique compared to neighboring East Africa.

I met another biker who was also staying at the same place and we both headed out for some fresh seafood. We bought this squid, which was caught just a few hours ago, for 250 Meticais (USD 8.43) and...

...this lady here cut and grilled it up for us for another 30 Meticais (USD 1). She also had a supply of beers and chapatis to go with it. The breeze was blowing strong and the atmosphere was fantastic.

The receding tide at Pemba's beautiful coast. Click here to see the high resolution version.

Enjoying a walk through the water and making my connection with the Indian Ocean. This was the first time sanDRina's been at sea-level since entering Africa at Alexandria.

Shopping for seafood for dinner the next night.

We picked up this pile of octupii for only 25 Meticais (USD 0.84).

He had this yellow-fin tuna going for around USD 30 and I thought about how much 'value' and price is added to food as it moves from where it is caught or harvested to where it is consumed. Here, we were consuming it where it was caught. Nothing fresher than that.

This is Rob, the biker I met at the backpackers. He's from South Africa but was living in Spain and was riding his Honda Africa Twin from Barcelona to Durban. Rob's a professional chef and was working at some of the top-rated restaurants in the world, such as El Bulli, where plates go for around 250 Euros. So, we put our cooking gear together and made an...

...Octopus Curry!

Next: Mozambique, Part 3: A Visit to Ilha de Moçambique, An Enigmatic Island

Previous: Mozambique, Part 1: The Remote North and Lake Malawi

Snapshot: On the Scooter That Started It All

Sun, 17 Mar 2013 04:00:00 GMT

17 March 2013

I had a lovely visit to my parents' villages outside Chennai and I'm sitting on the scooter that started my life on two wheels. My chinna-pedda-naina (mom's first elder sister's husband), here, has meticulously maintained this handsome Bajaj Chetak since 1985. I remember going for rides to the nearby town of Perambakkam with me standing up front and pretending I was riding with hands on the handlebar. Wind in the face, sensation of speed, ahhh, I was hooked from an early age! Chinna-pedda-naina encouraged me, as a kid, to take apart everything, understand how it works and then put it back together. He's proud that I went and had a career in Mechanical Engineering in the US and I thanked him for the inspiration. He's looking forward to meeting sanDRina :D

Heading to Bangalore for the week...