My Life Part 3

Four weeks after I returned home to Glasgow an Indian friend asked me to come to Kerala South India to photograph the baptism of her baby boy Albin. I jumped at the chance. The house I was staying in had across the road a disused quarry filled with water. This was heaven as the weather was very hot 33ºc it is approximately half a mile long. I would swim the whole length and back, to the amazement of people living here. Kerala is a fantastic place with banana’s and all sorts of fruits growing. The people are exceptionally friendly I could hardly pass a house without being invited to come in and have a cool drink, fruit to eat.

One day I said to my friend I wish I could go home with a Kerala wife; it may be possible my friend said. The next day I was introduced a marriage broker and asked what my expectations were I said I would not want dowry, no smokers and no drinkers. Four ladies were found for me to interview. After seeing the first lady I liked her, this was Ruby, I did not want to see anyone else. I took Ruby to her parish priest to make sure she was not being forced in to marriage and understood living in the UK. Is very different from living in India, In front of the priest she said “she was not being forced into marriage and she understood her life would change living in the UK.  So 7th July 2007 Ruby and I got married in India. After our marriage we flew to London to a temperature of -3ºc This was Ruby first experience cold weather, and we had to wait half an hour for a taxi poor Ruby was shivering like a jelly and she was sick.
See my wedding Blog
www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Kerala/blog-148118.html

 

My Life Part 2

After my return home from my wanderings I worked in many jobs, went hill walking and camping at the weekends often in the company George Lawrence and Billy Boyd when eventually he returned to the UK. And many other friends I got friendly with Jimmy Wolf. Jimmy who was a welder had an ambition to build a steel hull yacht he got space in the defunct Atlas locomotive workshop in Springburn Glasgow and started to construct his 40 foot steel hull yacht. I started working with him in his father’s central heating business. Jimmy’s ambition was fulfilled when two years later when he launched his yacht. He berthed it in Bowling on the Forth & Clyde canal. Weekends were now spent sailing. Jimmy had a girl friend in South Africa she came over and Jimmy and Ana got married, Ana soon produced twin boys.
After some time Jimmy and Ana decided to sail to South Africa and I could go with them. So we set off with plans to sail round the world. We set off from West Loch Tarbet crossing the Irish Sea to Donaghadee in Ireland, crossed to Milford Haven, Plymouth crossing the English Channel to Brest in France. Where I decided to leave Jimmy and Ana I hitchhiked to Spain. After a time my funds were running low. I travelled back to find work in France.  I arrived in Bordeaux hoping to pick grapes for wine making. I went to the Labour Exchange but they would not entertain me as I did not have a work permit. (This was before European Common market) but French students came to my aid. They went on strike! Till I was allowed to work with them after two hours the exchange gave in and gave me a permit work.
After the grape picking finished I returned to Spain. While staying in a Youth Hostel Jimmy Hendrix died a Spanish boy staying there got very upset. I liked Hendrix but did not get unduly bothered. I lived for a while in Santiago de Compostela. This is a pilgrimage centre and has the most fantastic cathedral, and has a university. I met some students who found me very cheap accommodation by telling the landlord I was a student. One day medical students took me to a catacomb were they could buy human bones for study. After a time with my funds running low I headed for the port of Vega where a ferry service ran to Southampton. The sail across the notoriously stormy Bay of Biscay was interesting as it was living up to its reputation and a big swell was running. The ship was Rocking & Rolling. I went down for lunch the dining room was empty except for an American we got chatting. After a time we noticed lunch was not being served, we went to investigate as we approached the galley we seen the chef being carried out, he had been scalded with hot soup as the ship was rolling. Where is our lunch we asked someone? The galley floor was awash with soup with rolls of meat rolling about. We were given a roll of meat and bread each.
When we reached Southampton I had no money I tried hitch hiking to Glasgow only got as far as Winchester. In desperation I went to social security and stated my case I have no money and need to get to Glasgow. I was given a Travel Warrant for the train journey when I arrived home I very hungry.
I started working with GKN reinforcing bar division as assistant maintenance fitter. I was very lucky working as an assistant maintenance fitter as during this time Britain was working a 3 day week but because I was working with maintenance I was working a full week. I started getting letters from the social security who wanted me to pay back my travel warrant. I told them I was working longer hours than there office hours and can’t take time off my work to pay the warrant. One night a man and woman arrived at my house to investigate me. I welcomed them in. At this time I was interested in tropical fish, the investigators were more interested in my fish than me. I made them coffee, over coffee I regaled them with my travel experiences. The investigators told me I should have been given money to buy food for my journey. They decided the money owed for the travel warrant was unrecoverable.
Working for GKN was dirty and dangerous. I seen advert Glasgow City Council recruiting Park Rangers this sounded good to me. I sent for application form, and got a date and time for an interview. When out getting spare parts for a machine I took the opportunity to attend the interview. When the interviewer asked me why I wanted to be a park ranger I said “look at me dirty and oily from working with noisy machinery, I want to be able to go home clean and tidy” I got the job of park ranger where I worked for the last 30 years and retired age 60.
After 3 years of retirement, I got an invite to a wedding in North India the wedding was high up in the Himalayas this was in the month of March and it was cold, I was expecting India to be hot but this has to be the best wedding ever. It lasted 4 days. Day1 Preparing the groom’s house and with a band playing, the groom’s male friends dancing Day2 From the groom’s house there was a narrow footpath to the road the groom was carried seated on a throne on the shoulders of male relatives with the band playing, relatives fallowing until we arrived at the road a distance of 2 kilometres. On the road was a car waiting for the groom, priest, some relatives and me and a bus for everyone else in including the still paying band. I was very honoured to be in the overcrowded car with the groom for the ten hour drive to the bride’s house.
To say the drive through the Himalayas was spectacular would be an understatement as the road snakes its way up shear mountains sides, winding alongside rivers. At some point we stopped for a meal break. Then we passed through what looked like a military camp but more like a city. We continued snaking up mountain sides. We eventually arrived late at night in the bride’s village. I was given a house to live in. Day 3 The wedding with the groom and the bride face covered from each other until the marriage was complete. During the marriage service I was taking photographs of this event when a Indian man who was drunk kept getting in front of my camera I was getting frustrated as no man frustrated matter where I went this man would get in my way eventually I shouted at him “FUCK OFF” he looked at me astonished and went away. Another Indian man stood laughing he said to me “that man does not understand English but he understood you” I was a bit embarrassed swearing at a wedding. It was getting late I decided to go to my house and get some sleep. Out on the street two men said they would take me home. However, I did not like the look of them and they were taking me in the wrong direction to my house I decided to return to the wedding the two men insisting I go with them but I ignored their protests and returned to the wedding. The man who was laughing at me shouting at the drunk said “I saw you leaving with those bad men?” I said I did not like them and they were not taking me to my house that is why I came back. He said “they wanted to sleep with you” Come I will take you to your house and he did. Day 4 Well the groom is now married, and his wife has to go to her husband’s house another ten hour drive. She with a escort of many female relatives and many male relatives carrying all her worldly possessions leave the her house, mother, aunties all crying. When without warning the new bride started screaming and crying all the females start crying. The new bride faints. Male relatives and her husband pick her up and carry her and put in the car, where she recovers and regains her composure in our very over crowded car. While all this was going on two bands were playing one for the now married groom and one for his wife.
We snaked our way back over the Himalayas arriving exhausted back to the groom’s house. The footpath was dark. His house was a blaze of light as the band played the groom’s father and mother welcomed their son’s wife into the house. Next morning the husband and wife were taken to the water resource one kilometre downhill from the house, where a short ceremony was held and she had to carry a copper pot full of water uphill to the house. I tried to carry a pot of water but I could not get it onto my head much to the amusement all the females.
Too soon it was time for me to leave I went back o Delhi where I got sleeping class train where I lived for a day and a half travailing to Shillong on the eastern   corner bordering Bangladesh and not far from China. Shillong main language is English and the food is Chinese. Shillong has fantastic Mountain scenery. After some time I travelled back to Delhi and flew home.

The End

This passenger ship of the Blue Star Line had its moments, not long out of New Zealand the engine broke down and we drifted on the sea for a few hours. Then we were off again. Our cabin being the cheapest was way down deep below the water line. One of the propeller shafts driving a propeller ran under our cabin had a faulty bearing on every revolution there was a bang under our cabin floor. The ship after dropping us off at Southampton it was going for repairs in Rotterdam dry docks.


Every passenger got an invitation to dine with the captain at his table, except for George and I we did not have the required suit and collar and tie. George said “better people than the captain had refused to eat with him.” I thought back to head waiter in Rangoon. Still the food was good and we had scrumptious freshly baked bread every day.

One day we were sailing in a flat calm sea under clear blue sky, George and I went for our lunch just before lunch was served, ship began to slowly heel over. Our table had 16 settings eight on each side all the plates’ knives, forks, spoons cups and decorations started to slide down to the end of the table. Our gallant table steward tried to save them with his out stretched arms, he was like a dam all the place settings piling up on his chest and started spilling over his shoulders on to the floor, when sea water started coming through the open portholes. He took fright and ran off leaving everything to crash on the floor. Just then the ship slowly righted it’s self. Lunch was delayed until the devastation was cleared. Our table cheered the valiant attempt our stewed made to save the table settings. After this the table cloth was dampened with water in case the same thing happened again. The rest of the cruse was uneventful except I won 150$ USA playing bingo. It was getting cold up on the deck as we crossed the Atlantic and got nearer Southampton.

The off loading of the passengers luggage was chaotic everyone’s luggage was in a pile. Luckily George and I only had our rucksacks as we headed for emigration when the emigration officer looked in our passports he said “you have been in a lot of places. We did not have washing machines or electric appliance or books customs just passed us through. We got the train to Glasgow. When George got home after an absence of two years his father said “George will you go and get a tin of paint and paint the doors” My mum said “you are back”

So our oddity has come to a close. I did not keep a diary so no dates I have many photos when I have time I will include some of them in this blog. George met a lovely Glasgow lady when in Australia called Ina and they got married in Glasgow after a few happy years together, Ina died from lung cancer shortly before George they both did like a fag. Billy when we left him going into Israel is still here in Glasgow, we exchange Christmas cards and he came to my wedding reception held in Glasgow. When the war started he wanted to fight with the Israeli army. However he was sent to a kibosh far away from the frontline. After working with Glasgow City Council for 30 years I retired and married at the grand age of 65 to a wonderful Indian lady called Ruby

I dedicate this blog to the memory of George Lawrence.

New Zealand

We landed in Auckland and went looking for Tom Jenkins (we met him in Spain) went to is address only to be told he was working, we went to his place of work he was a boiler man in the local hospital. Well Tom could not believe we had arrived he was so overjoyed! He phoned is boss to tell him he was taking a holiday, his boss said no you are not! Tom resigned and walked out of the boiler room. We pleaded with him not to quit his job he would not listen, he said “I will go back to working on the railway I am a train driver. So we three had a great time touring in Kiwi land. New Zealand is wonderful country fantastic scenery, geysers, boiling mud and the people are great. It is the only country I would emigrate to.


All good things come to an end. George and I had to start working. George as an experienced dish washer got work in a RAF base washing dishes. I found work in a local hospital as mortician. This is the only work where I received tips, the undertakes were so generous and the work was interesting.

Every Saturday and Sunday we went down to the docks and tried to find a ship where we could get a working passage back to the UK. This was never successful as we were required to have seamen’s papers but were always welcomed on board usually to a party and after returned to land a bit unsteady. Our boarding house was a typical wooden house. There was only one other border I can’t remember his name but he seemed a lonely person he could not talk properly and he was paralysed down his right-hand side, walking was a problem for him. His life was just spent sitting in a boarding house I felt so sorry for him.

After about nine months George and I decided it was time to return home. When I told my working friends I was going back to the UK. They were sad and gave me a souvenir book of New Zealand and everyone signed it and wished me well I still have this book and treasure it. We had booked a passage with the Blue Star Line sailing to Southampton and sadly set sail for home. From New Zealand we sailed to Acapulco Fiji and watched young boys dive from a high cliff into the sea they had to time the dive as a big wave came in so as not to hit the seabed and injure/kill themselves. After our overnight stop we set sail for the Panama cannel. The ship tied up in Panama and we had a day in Panama. We were only allowed on the main street, at every side street stood a policeman who would prevent us from leaving the main street.

Early next morning the ship headed for the entrance to the canal, it was carrying very little fuel and the bilges were empty so was sitting very high out the sea as the canal is sallow and it was narrow just a foot or two clearance to port and starboard, however, two small trains on each side attached to the ship by cables kept the ship off the side of the canal and pulled the ship through a series of locks. It is very impressive. All to soon we left the canal after the ship refuelled and set sail for Florida US of A.

Australia

Soon we arrived in Townsville in the northern territory of Australia. Where we were to be processed by customs and emigration, we were asked to read a wad of A4 documents I started to read PROHIBITED GOODS Electrical goods Washing machines, I did not read any more I was carrying all my worldly positions on my back and did not have washing machine or any electrical goods. I signed I had read and understood the document. Unknown to me I was trying to smuggle a band book! The Ginger man I also was trying smuggle in a double edged knife namely a Kukri it was double edged about a foot long made from a truck spring and was a souvenir from Nepal. George was also in trouble with his Kukri, our knives and my book were confiscated. Welcome to Australia. We boarded back onto our ship and sailed alongside the Great Barrier Reef but saw nothing but sea as we sailed to Sydney and the end of our voyage.


We booked in to The Peoples Palace Hotel Sydney. It was cold, we were broke with only a few Australian dollars we found a cheap restaurant the food was good but the front doors were open and a cold wind was blowing through the restaurant we asked if the doors could be closed? “No” was the reply “people will think we are closed!” My mother had posted to me a copy of The Sunday Post inside was a full page advertisement, Come To Sunny Australia.

We had to find work as we were rapidly running out of cash.

We got told to go to Wollongong as there was plenty of work and was not far from Sydney. We went to Wollongong and found a newly built Salvation Army Hostel for homeless men, fortunately for us as we had very little money. We booked in it was bright and spacious and as we sat in the sitting room George started to open a 200 pack of duty free cigarettes. One of the Salvations came over to George and told him. “If you can afford to smoke you don’t need to stay here” We got putout. It was cold and dark and had no cash where do we go? George started to speak to a man, he told him of problem, and the man said he ran a boarding house we could stay there. We explained we had no cash to pay rent. He said we could stay till we found work then pay him. He went on to say “sign on the employment exchange after 13 days they will find you work” Why do me have to wait 13 days? We asked he told us “from 14 days they have to pay you unemployment benefit” So we moved in and after 13 days work was found for us laying sewer pipes. When we started working we found out we would only get paid every two weeks.

We told our Good Samaritan the bad news it would be a month before we could pay our rent. He was not bothered and he told us we could get fed for free at a Methodist hall after a bible reading at least we would get good wholesome food at night. After a few months we paid the rent we owed. We moved to Canberra the capital of Australia. I got work as an experienced building labour. Having never worked on a building site this was a big mistake on my part. The work was heavy I was working with a squad brick layers I had to keep them supplied with bricks and mortar and I could not keep up with them after a week I was sacked. George had got himself a job washing dishes. We moved on to Melbourne, both of us got a job cleaning tramcars this was more in my line. Melbourne was experiencing a drought we were only allowed one bucket of water for each tramcar. Ships coming to Melbourne had their bilges filled with fresh water this was used to water the numerous trees lining the roads to keep them from dying. We spent Christmas on the beach the temperature was 30o c Santa arrived sweating under his heavy red coat and beard. We had roast turkey with all the trimmings including Christmas pudding.

After this we moved onto Perth. We got a lift across the Nalabor desert it was to be a long drive of about 1000 miles. It was hot and dusty in the car, the driver only stopping for fuel. At one fuel stop at we were getting fuel cartons of food and beer was loaded into the car. This was for a truck driver whose truck had broken down in the desert. When we arrived at the stranded driver he had a hammock fixed under the trailer for shade. When he needed supplies he just stopped any vehicle gave them a note of his requirements this was given to the fuel stop. This drive across the desert was alarming as the driver did not stop for breaks he just drank beer and took pills to keep him awake. Thankfully we arrived at Perth safe and sound.

Here in Perth we got work loading wheat onto railway wagons 200 miles from anywhere, in the middle of nowhere just fields out to the horizon. We got dropped off at a wee caravan next to the biggest pile of wheat we ever seen, alongside a railway siding with empty wagons. We were to operate an elevator loading the wheat into the wagons. The elevator had a large scoop attached to a rope, the other end of the rope was attached to a rotating drum that pulled the scoop into the elevator where small buckets took the wheat up to the end of the pipe then ran down into the wagon. To operate the elevator you took hold of the handles on the scoop and walked to the bottom of the pile of wheat without stopping or relaxing the rope, as soon as you stop the winch pulls in the rope in towards the elevator. This required some skill as you were walking on wheat.

The next problem was the railway wagons that we had to shunt only using a crowbar. You placed the crowbar under a wheel and pulled hard on the end and the wagon would start to move when the wagon got near where you wanted it to be, you had to jump on to the break to stop it, sometimes the break did not work and the wagon would bang into the next stationery wagon and as this could cause some wheat to spill onto the ground and would need cleaned up so it was best not to let this happen if possible.

Our supervisor came to our site every 14 days with our provisions and show our pay was in the bank and to check we had loaded the required tonnage.

When all the wheat was loaded and work was finished we headed back to Melbourne back across the Nalabor dessert this time by several lifts, one time the police stopped not to give us a lift but to see if we has sufficient money, that we thought was strange.

Once in Melbourne we flew to New Zealand.

New Guinea

The ship was a cargo and passenger vessel and was on its way to Australia via Port Mosby the capital of New Guinea, we were to spend a few days while the ship discharged some cargo.

The ship anchored off shore, small motor boats and some paddle boats with the outrigger on one side like you see in films came for the cargo. We went ashore and had a schooner of lager, it was strange standing in a pub and the fellow next to you had feathers in his hair and a bone through his nose. All to soon it was up anchor and we were on our way to Townsville Australia.

Malaya

After travelling through Asia we marvelled at how clean and tidy the towns were in Malaya. Everyone seemed to speak English and polite. Bangkok is very interesting The Emerald Temple, Golden Buda many places to visit. We travelled by steam train most of the way to Singapore. Then we got a lift in a British Army truck heading for Singapore. When we got to the border the truck did not stop we were now Illegal travellers. The streets in Singapore were pristine it was so clean. Time was running we had a ship to catch we made our way to the docks, we were late but we could see our ship and headed straight towards it. We were running outside a long building, we reached the ship as they were preparing to lift the gangway. Soon we were on our way to Australia with a stopover in New Ginniny. We found out the long building we ran by was the customs and emigration building. We entered and left Singapore illegally.

Thailand

The flight to Thailand was interesting as there is to be an overnight stop in Rangoon which is in Burma; we had been told Burma was closed to outsiders. The plain did stop in Rangoon; we were herded into a mini bus, driven at speed to our hotel. Which was a grand Victorian hotel, we were shown to our plush room. Soon the dinner gong sounded. So we headed for dinner. Outside the dining room entrance stood the head waiter dressed in tails he had an arm full of ties, you have to wear a tie in the dining room we were informed. So there we were all travellers wearing T shirts sporting ties the colonel influence was still showing. The next morning we were herded back into the mini buses back to the airport and out flight to Bangkok

India

We had to walk across no man land that seemed to me miles long as I sweltered under the sun with two rucksacks containing illegal Indian money. At last we reached India and entered the customs post, we were ushered into an office with custom officer with lots of gold, feet on his desk, he appeared half asleep but seemed happy to see us he ordered one of his men to fetch ice cold drinks for George and me. “Why do you come to India, it is too hot.” We told him we were on our way to Australia he was very interested and ordered hot tea for us. After awhile we were ready to leave. “Where are you going” he inquired? “Delhi” we said “how will you get to Delhi? He asked “We will get a train” said George. “That is good” said he “but you will need to take a taxi to the station, it is too far to walk, and how will you pay the taxi fare?” George said “We met an American and gave us some rupees we hope it is enough for the taxi.” The officer laughed out loud OK. OK I will not look in your baggage.


We took the train to Delhi, this was in the days before electrification, some Indians sat on the roof of the carriage they would travel for free, and inside the train it was solid with people. There were three classes of carriages first, second and third we were travelling third. The difference between second and third class was the second had bars on the window to stop people climbing through the open window when the train stopped at a station. Yet vendors with buckets of ice and cold drinks, others with urns with boiling tea or coffee carried on their head or shoulders would fight their way through the crowd. One boy was taking orders for varies curries, he would take your order and at the next station stop, the orders would telephoned ahead to the following station and your order wrapped in newspaper somehow got back to you. The only problem was trying to eat within the throng of people surrounding you.

Eventually we arrived in Delhi, and it was hot! The sweat was running down our bodies. We found the YHA it was a school. The schools close in the summer and become YHA’s. Inside the school was like being inside an oven. We needed a cold shower so we headed for the shower room. However, the water was warm, even the effort of drying ourselves with a towel caused us to sweat. We found out we could sleep on the school roof as it was flat, this was a bit of a relief. After a few days we took the train to Agra to see the Taj Mhal. This train was for tourists so it was clean and spacious inside, it had a restaurant car were I had the hottest curry ever. The Taj Mhal is truly outstanding and well worth a visit. After seeing the wonders of the Taj we returned to Delhi.

We have found out to get a visa into Malaya you have to possess a ticket out of Malaya. Now at this time in India there was a thriving black market for foreign currency that was double the bank rate. However, we had to exchange money legally to purchase our ticket out of Malaya. So we went into a bank to change money only to be told by the bank clerk “but sir this is a bank please wait” he said, he came round to the public side of the bank and asked us to step outside, when outside the bank he asked how much do you want to change? We told him we needed evidence that we changed money legally, O’ come inside and we got our legal money and got our tickets for a ship sailing from Singapore to Australia and a visa for Malaya.

We had hoped to cross north India then into Burma but Burma had closed its borders to foreigners so we flew from Delhi to Bangkok , Thailand’s Exciting capital city.

Iran

The bus was released and continued its journey through Iraq to Bagdad. After Bagdad we travelled by cars and bus across high plans (where it was cold at night,) eventually arriving Iran. When we got to Tehran booked into YHA to rest for two days.


After the first night George went to use the toilet, as he was sitting on the throne when he suffered great pain in his stomach, he was in agony. What do I do? The warden came and with his help got poor George out of the cubical, outside and into a taxi. This was very difficult as George was bent double. The warden gave the driver the address of a doctor and soon we arrived at the doctor’s house. The driver and I with difficulty got George into the doctors.

After the examination doctor said George had a strangled hernia and required an emergency operation. I told the doctor we had very little money, he said he would try to get George into the university hospital for free. After he made a phone call he said “hospital will admit George” So we had to get George who was still in agony and bent double back into the taxi and off to hospital. When we arrived there the surgeon was waiting for George I was told to come back later.

Later when I returned George was awake and feeling a bit better, with little pain. I returned in the afternoon he had improved and said he was hungry I told him he will get feed. The next morning he was much improved but very hungry. I said you have had a stomach operation that is why you are not getting food; this went on for a week. George was suffering from hunger. I could not find English speakers to explain why George was not getting feed. I found a French speaking nurse; George had some French I asked her to speak to George. George told me the treatment was free BUT NOT THE FOOD! George was a little angry with me because outside the hospital there were some kiosks where you buy food for the patients in the hospital. I had passed the kiosks every time visited George. When George was fit to be discharged we found an English speaking doctor who informed me George should not lift or carry any weights, “you will have to carry his rucksack.” “Deserves you right” said George for starving me. I donated a pint of blood as payment for George’s treatment. I had to put my arm through a hole in the wall so I hope they only took a pint.

At that time America donated ex school buses to Iran they were very cheap to travel on and as I had to carry George’s rucksack we decided to travel from Tehran using the old American school bus to travel to the ancient city of Mashhad from there we would travel to Afghanistan.
Afghanistan
We had no trouble travelling from Mashhad to Afghanistan. When got to Afghanistan we stayed in a hotel with interesting toilet facilities. The hotel was three storeys high the toilets were stagger under each floor as the toilets were a hole in the floor with a drop straight into the cellar, and each morning a man with a barrow and a shovel cleaned out the cellar.
We bought some Indian rupees at half price and a genuine forgery of an International student card for $1 USA all it required was the attachment of a passport photograph and rubberstamped by the forger and we would get half price travel on Indian railways after we pass through Pakistan.
The road to Pakistan called The Kibber Pass is spectacular; parts of the read are laid onto concrete supports embedded into the rock face and tunnels through outcrops. We travelled though Pakistan by bus with no problems, till we got to the Indian border. It was closed Pakistan and India were having a dispute. We were informed that another border crossing was open but it was 20 miles away and very little traffic and no bus used this road. It was too hot to walk and I was still carrying George’s rucksack. We hired a pony and cart. Halfway the driver asked us for half the fare as he wanted to buy grass to feed the pony. So we had a break, while the pony had a feed we made ourselves tea. Eventually we reached the crossing point with India and made the crossing with no problems.