to Gadag: Dry Corn fields

January 26, 2016

Since leaving Hampi, we've been slowly climbing, though the road seems mostly flat. This morning there was an endless procession of people walking toward Koppal. Mostly women dressed in bright fancy sarees, and looked like mothers and daughters.

The rice fields have vanished as we move into a drier climate and now mostly corn fields. For a major road, the traffic wasn't too bad, mostly trucks, with a few poor villages along the way. We met an Italian who has been cycling for three years as he was repairing a flat tire, the first fellow cycle tourer we've met in India.

Almost to Gadag, in an area filled with windmills (wind turbines), we reached a milestone of 12,000 kms. Arriving in Gadag at noon, we settle into Hotel Durga Vihar, recommended by other cyclists. There is hot water, but it doesn't come out of the shower head, so we have a bucket bath. The restaurant is in the courtyard, doesn't look like much, but we have a good thali for lunch and a masala dosa for dinner.

For the first 15 km out of Kopal we see many people walking along the roadside all dressed up in their best clothes headed for a religious gathering in Kopal

We finally meet a fellow cyclist. Ernesto is an Italian who has been cycling for three years. He spent last night in a cornfield and picked up a flat tire on his way out.

Wind turbines just before we get to Gadag.

Today's ride: 64 km (40 miles)
Total: 12,007 km (7,456 miles)

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