Richard and I were pretty exhausted after no sleep last night, and catching a 0500 flight from Bombay back to Bhopal, I spent the morning catching up with my website entries, downsizing and sending photos and answering e mails, determined to catch up, despite my nodding head and drooping eyelids, and my bed tantalisingly close!
I have been on the go for twenty-two days now non-stop with no rest, but this is the nature of such a project, and it is bad policy to fall behind my daily updates, even for a day!
I use my great Milestone MP3 digital recorder to keep notes of all we do each day, which is essential with events and places roaring past us unceasingly, and I often find myself asking for confirmation of the day, and sometimes even the place!
Richard had gone straight back to the airport this morning, to do an oil and filter change on our aircraft, and also to adjust our fixed-pitch 3-bladed propeller, making the pitch about two degrees finer.
Our 912S 100 horse-power engine only puts out it's maximum horse-power towards the upper end of it's maximum RPM of 5,800, and, loaded as we are, we are only currently getting around 4,900 RPM
The pitch of the blades was set for economic flight for an average user of the GT450 machine.However, as we have loaded her to the limit, and are carrying an additional 40 litre second fuel tank, we felt she was probably using more fuel under our heavy load, that of course includes all our essential survival kit that includes life jackets, life raft, emergency beacon, shark repellent, camera and computer gear, my secondary flight guidance system, etc, and our minimal personal clothing.It has been a bit like loading a family car to the hilt, and then driving in top gear at too slow a speed, thereby having to have your foot planted on the accelerator, using more fuel as a result.By making the pitch of each propeller about two degrees finer, we increased the current maximum RPM of the engine from about 4,900 to about 5,200.Still well below the 5,800 maximum, and Richard is hoping to further fine the blades when time permits. The engine will be running with less strain on it, like going to a lower gear on your car, hopefully thereby giving us better fuel economy.
We also have news that our additional two long-range fuel tanks are now ready, that will fit inside our pannier saddle-bags that fit on the outside of the aircraft, currently holding our personal kit, computers, camera chargers etc for the long flight from West Timor to Darwin, some 460 miles of open sea that will take us some 7-8 hours, depending on winds.
At 3pm we were picked up by the Standard Chartered Bank's leadership and staff, to start a one-hour procession through the city of Bhopal- an amazing experience!
We were each given Maharaja's turbans to wear, and stood on the front seat of an open Land-Rover, resplendent in bank colours and Seeing Is Believing logos over it's air-force colours, topped by a huge umbrella high above us to shield us from some of the sun's fierce heat.
We were accompanied by about 15 motorbike outriders that included TV cameramen sitting backwards on the pillion, who continually rode up and down the procession, whilst police out-riders moved ahead, stopping traffic at all intersections.
Richard and I had a whale of a time, waving enthusiastically to the crowds of shoppers and road traffic as we processed through the city, me with my white stick also waving until Richard pointed out all the bare-wired power cables snaking from all the houses and buildings to power poles along the
road- I continued waving with it closed tight!
We passed a huge park-like area, with perhaps twenty or thirty cricket matches going on simultaneously, with the stumps set in long lines near the tree-lined borders, literally about five metres apart, with fielders standing next to each other, yet facing different directions to focus on their own game, all somehow orderly played within yards from each other- how on earth they kept track of the ball hit across half a dozen games also in progress was a fleeting mystery to us!
Another extraordinary sight was an old Lister diesel pump engine, now bolted onto a chassis, pulling a trailer behind it, with a huge cow standing there, resplendent in floral garlands, contentedly chewing her cud as it weaved through the ever-honking traffic.
It was one of those surreal, magic moments that pop up in one's life, , with not just the happily-waving motorists and pedestrians wondering exactly what it was all about, but Richard and I also very bemused at the shouting, hooting throngs around us, trying not to let our turbans blow away in the wind, and holding onto the roll-bar from our precarious standing position on the front seat as we swept around corners in regal procession, motorbikes weaving ahead and behind, and traffic hooting greetings incessantly around
us- a wonderful memory to take home from the great city of Bhopal.
Whilst probably the only link most people have of Bhopal is the chemical gas disaster some 15 years ago, she is actually a very beautiful city, surrounded by beautiful lakes, and well worth a visit!
The procession finally stopped outside the bank's main office, with TV cameramen standing precariously in the street amongst the lanes of heavy traffic filming us, disrupting the traffic even further!
We received a wonderful welcome as honoured guests by Rajeev Uberoi Regional Head for Operations in SCB for South Asia with beautiful garlands of flowers placed around our necks, and the traditional mark of Henna on our forehead as we were led through the offices to meet all the staff, before being ushered into a reception room for TV and newspaper interviews.
We also met Anthony NJ, Area Representative for Sight Savers International, who oversee the sight-restoration programme through Seeing Is Believing.This year alone they are undertaking some 150,000 sight restorations, mainly through cataract operations- simply astounding to hear of the scale of their work!
We then headed off for a very rare privilege indeed, a 45-minute audience with the State Governor.
Our departure was delayed by Richard realising he had no boots, earlier sent off for a much-needed polishing after scuffing around in the airport hangar a few hours earlier.
it was quite comical to hear the frantic search for his boots by all, as the clock ticked and we started wondering if the Governor may notice Richard's lack of footwear!
Our stately drive up the long avenue through the residences cannon-guarded gates and beautiful gardens sobered us for the honour of the occasion, meeting this august and highly honoured and respected statesman, accompanied by a small group of men and women in high positions of state, who had been invited to the meeting.
Before processing into the residence, we took off our beautiful garlands in deference and respect for this great man, now 84 years old, who has previously held the position of the Minister of Agriculture (his passion and love), as well as being a keen sportsman.
He was also the Speaker of the House in the Indian Parliament for 10 years- elected unanimously during the first term as a parliamentarian- a unique honour in India's history.
We were ushered into a reception room and introduced to the gracious six foot six tall Governor of Madhya Pradesh, Dr Balram Jakhar, who I took to be at least twenty years younger than his eighty-four years.
After an introduction from Rajeev Uberoi, talking about the Seeing Is Believing programme I had the privilige of speaking to the assembled group, seeking to highlight the need for government support to accelerate the sight restoration programme in the State, and trust a seed may have been sown in the Governors heart for Rajeev Uberoi to follow up after our departure.
The governor then bestowed his gracious felicitations on both Richard and myself, placing a beautiful long shawl over each of our shoulders in traditional Indian cloth- a great honour for us both.
We enjoyed about 15 minutes of informal discussions with the governor over a cup of piping-hot Chi, the traditional Indian tea made from boiling tealeaves in milk, adding select aromatic spices and finally sweetening the very refreshing beverage.
I left the gathering feeling that I had been in the presence of a great, humble man with both great vision and compassion for his land- the mark of a true and rare statesman, who left all of us feeling somehow quietened and reflective through the experience.
We then headed off to the Palace of the Nawab of Bhopal, now converted into a heritage venue, still resplendant in all it's original glory beside a blue lake, and the venue for the Standard Chartered Bank dinner that night.
I had an hour to speak to the assembled staff amidst magnificent paintings, sculptured columns and chandeliers before we enjoyed a great meal together, finally heading back for our hotel feeling very tired, but with our minds and hearts full of unforgettable memories of the hospitality that had been afforded to us that day, and all that is great and good in India today.