India, Nepal, Sikkim
Crossing the Indian Ocean
Travelling fourth class on a tramp steamer to Bombay, they hoped to sleep inside the Grizzly Torque. Surrounded by people in the airless hold, they gave up on the idea and found a quiet spot on deck.
[Please see map below. There are more carousels below the map.]
First Night in Bombay [Mumbai]
Bristol photographs Bob sampling local street food while chatting with an expat on the edge og the famous Mahim Bay.
India as it was
Temple
As the Rover Boys did not get close to the Eastern Ghats, I presume this is a Dravidia-style Hindu temple with the Western Ghats in the background.
Accident
India's highways at the time were marginally two lanes and filled with carts and bicycles. Sttempting to pass a cyclist they found themselves in the ditch.
Help is on the Way
Normally, the driver is murdered for hitting a cyclist. A busload of men stopped and righted the GT, putting it back on the road.
Delhi
The rover boys were fascinated by the city apes seemingly accepted by the locals.
Taj Mahal
visitors today are unlikely to ever see the Taj so clearly due to air pollution.
Washing Clothes
Complete innocents, the Rover Boys got up early to wash their clothes in the sacred pools.
The Pools
All Alone
Camped in the parking lot, they were alone with the Taj Mahal except for the men mowing the lawn with cattle.
Street Food
The Rover Boys loved exotic food - especially local street food.
Market Day
They passed through many small towns. Here they perch on the roof of the GT filming the scene.
Local Colour
Bob, in particular, liked capturing images reflective of local culture by drawing. Bristol used the camera.
Stopped for the Night
They frequently camped 'on the premises'. It has been suggested this image is their camp on the land of the Anglican Church in Calcutta. I suspect it is more likely the university campus at Allahabad (now Prayagraj).
Ganges River
Possibly the highlight of India was the Ganges River in the vicinity of Patna.
[Please see map below. There are more carousels below the map.]
Ritual Bathing
They hired a boat to carry them past the ghats (stepped shores for ritual bathing).
Ritual Washing
Ganges pligrims of lower castes who could not afford the fees associated with ghat washing resorted to washing on the northeast side of the Ganges.
Markets
In all the great communities on the Ganges, open markets were common. If you look closely, you can see Bob haggling.
Characters
We suspect this was a Sikk man by the cleanliness of his turban
Crossing
with Nepal in their sights, soon or later, the Rover Boys had to cross the Ganges at a time when there were no bridges.
To Nepal
Heading north from Patna, they discovered there were no obvious orads into Kathmandu.
Curiousity
The Gt attracted attention in the reomote Nepalese communities.
Rice Terraces
In the lower reaches of the Himalayas, terraced rice or tea fields were common.
Fascinating People
Pilgrims
Approaching Kathmandu, they were stopped by a long procession of religious pligrims.
Temples
Both men were fascinated by the erotic sculptures on the temples in Kathmandu. Most are now destroyed due to earthquakes.
Artist at Work
Bob allways attracted a crowd when he started drawing.
Artist at work Two
so did Bristol.
Prayer Flags
No visit to the Himalayas would be complete without...
Darjeeling, Sikkim
bob admires the magnificent landscape.
Darjeeling tea
Sikkim was more richly cultivated and renown for its tea plantations.
Tea Harvesting
The 'Toy Train'
Now a UNESCO world heritage site, this narrow gauge railway travlled between Jalpaiguir and Darljeeling.
Sooo. close
The Rover Boys wanted to get to Tibet. however, the border was closed. The closest they got was to camp with a mule team of Tibetan traders near the border.
The Maharajah
The Rover Boys invited themselves in to the palace hoping to meet the man himself. Instead they spent time with the heir to be who would take over only a few years later.
Traditional Ornament
This image appears to be a woman wearing a Bulaki nose ring - symbol of identity, marriage and womanhood.
