BT Newsletter 1 - Blazing Trails Tours

BLAZING TRAILS!
ISSUE ONE, SUMMER 2010
NEWSLETTER
Dear People
WELCOME to the first
Blazing Trails newsletter,
which is coming to you
very hot off a sweaty
keyboard from a none-toocool Goa. The idea of these
electronic letters, which we
hope will be ongoing, is to
keep past, present and
future friends up to date
with what is going on at
Blazing Towers and on our
tours. We are also of
course hoping they will
provoke folk into booking
with us and parting with
their hard-earned cash.
Over the past year, Suzie
and I have introduced a
couple of new tour routes,
while reviewing, updating
and refining the tours
already on offer. Details of
these additions and
changes can be found in
the following pages.
If the prospect of
receiving these mails two
or three times a year is
irksome to you, then
please hit the ‘unsubscribe’
link at the end of this
newsletter.
Thanks,
Damon & Suzie I’Anson
PARADISE LOST – HELLO HONEY!
FOLLOWING a pre-Goa-tour recce' this year, we decided to change a
couple of Goa Tour elements. The most noticeable of these is a
switch away from Paradise Beach to an alternative sandy place:
Honey Beach. After ten years of kipping on the beach at Paradise,
we have decided that the sand is no longer clean enough and the
sanitation is at breaking point. Recent infestations of quarrelsome
quasi-hippies – and the building of the myriad restaurant shacks
needed to feed them the rubbish they so deserve – are also
seriously spoiling the ambience.
The good news is that we have found more peaceful Honey Beach,
a beautiful bay just up the coast. The one available resort there is of
a high standard, the swimming sublime and the sand near-deserted.
We are also going a little more upmarket in Mysore, Belur and Goa
itself. Since parting with package operator Jewel in the Crown last
autumn we have taken a good look at the hotels available in the
North Goa area and switched to a smarter, quieter establishment.
Overall the Goa Tour is a little ‘posher’ in terms of where we stay,
but it loses nothing in terms of magical locations, or the South
Indian cultural experience.
Frolicking in the Honey Beach surf
REVITALISED RAJASTHAN
AFTER THIS year's Rajasthan Tour,
we decided changes were needed
to the tour's itinerary, as we felt
some of the riding days and
venues were too 'samey' and that
the tour was too formulaic,
following some over-beaten parts
of the tourist track, which is not
what we aspire to do.
We also felt that we/you were
missing out on a couple of India's
'must-sees'. After much brainwracking and research, we think
!
Ranthambore
we've come up with a better tour,
which now includes Ranthambore
Tiger Reserve and the Taj Mahal. In
order to include these elements,
we've had to drop Mt Abu and
Udaipur from the trip. However, the
essential elements of a Rajasthan
tour remain and we think that what
we now have is an improvement on
the old. The standard/ambience of
accommodation is improved and
we believe the tour is now both
better and better value.
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BLAZING TRAILS!
ISSUE ONE, SUMMER 2010
LARGE CHANGES IN THE PLANET'S BIGGEST PLACE
DUE TO A number of factors, we have changed the
itineraries of our Spiti Valley and Ladakh tours. The start/
finish point of Spiti tours will now be Manali and the trip will
no longer include Shimla. The same goes for the Ladakh
tours, which will now begin or end in Manali. The
advantages of these changes are as follows:
Fewer transfers.
Rather than transferring from airport-to-station, and train-totrain, then to jeep, you will now board one vehicle and be
delivered door-to-door. No Delhi Railway Station.
Customers have had some harrowing experiences on the
platform, including a theft. Trains are often delayed and it is
extremely hot in the summer.
No Light Railway.
A double-edged sword this, as for many people this is seen
as a highlight. Unfortunately, though, this journey suffers
from many cancellations and delays which are very
unappealing after a long journey. At the Shimla end, the
jeep-ride through heavy traffic was a pain and if the train
was cancelled the four-hour jeep ride to Shimla was no fun
whatsoever for most people.
No Shimla Inner-line permit queues.
It has been taking the best part of a full day to get our Innerline permits for the Spiti tours. Hopefully it will be quicker at
Reckong Peo, which is also more beautiful than Shimla.
More time in Manali.
Our hotel in Manali has proved very popular, so spending
more time there makes sense. The town is much smaller
and more 'Himalayan', which is what these tours are all
about. Arranging a riding practice day in Shimla had
become impossible, due to the time wasted in the permit
process and the heavy traffic, but from Manali there are
quiet roads we can use.
More time on high.
The change of 'base' will allow us to add an extra mountain
destination to these tours.
We think we have designed what are, overall, better tours.
For those people to whom a visit to Shimla and a trip on the
light railway is of great importance, the journey up by train
can still be arranged as an ʻadd-onʼ. You will have to arrive
a couple of days early if you wish to ride the train.
RIDING FOR GOOD CAUSES
VAST THANKS and congratulations
to Alan Mackie, a participant in last
summer ’s Spiti
Valley Tour, who
raised £300,
through sales of a
tour DVD to
friends and other
participants. The
money raised was
donated to the
H i m a l a y a n
Buddhist Cultural
School in Manali,
where some of
our friends already sponsor the
education of children who have lost
one or more parent.
!
!
!
A hearty ‘well done lass’ is also due
to Catherine ‘Kat’ Went, who gave
£50 to the Umang School (for
rehabilitation of kids with
disabilities) in Jaipur, at the end of
the Rajasthan Tour. A student who
came on tour with her father, she is
hardly swimming in cash, so extra
generous of her. Ta Kat.
Anybody wishing to raise money
for good causes while on tour, or
afterwards, will be put directly in
touch with Indian charities we
know. We will not however handle
any donated monies ourselves.
A n o t h e r g r e a t w a y t o ra i s e
sponsorship, should you wish, is
through sites like Just Giving (we
!
had a sponsored wedding!) This
way you can designate whichsoever
charity you wish, whatever
objective you like (riding the world’s
highest pass being an obvious one)
and collect
donations
w i t h o u t
c h a s i n g
p e o p l e
around the
pub. Any
f u r t h e r
help
or
information
required on the subject can
be had by mailing us.
KERALA TWEAK
FOR THIS year we had already moved the Kerala Tour’s base from Trivandrum to
Cochin, which is a much more interesting town, and dropped Trivandrum from the
itinerary. Another tweak to the Kerala Tour is the introduction of Mararl Beach, a
fabulously quiet stretch of golden sand with great swimming.
!
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BLAZING TRAILS!
ISSUE ONE, SUMMER 2010
ALRIGHT JAHAN, GOT A NEW MOTAH?
INDEED WE have! Joining our
fleet of Enfields and the ageing,
b u t s t u r d y, M e r c e d e s - c o p y
minibus, there is now a Mitsubishi
Pajero four-wheel-drive, potholeeliminating pimp-mobile.
Replete with fully-functional
suspension, leather seats, air-con
and the ability to out-climb a
mountain sheep, we will be using
it as a back-up/medic’s vehicle on
Himalayan tours. It will also be
available to transport non-riding
passengers on all trips, so if your
granny, wife, or bank manager
wants to join you on tour…
WE WENT, we saw, we put up a
tour and we’ve had very little
response. OK, the new Leh/
Kashmir tour is some way off
(summer 2011) and, with logistics
that would make Hannibal weep,
is not cheap. But is anyone out
there interested? With Ladakh,
Zanskar, Kashmir and Srinagar all
in one tour it’s our most stunning
and ambitious route to date.
Is it too ambitious? Too tough?
Too scary with the Home Office
advisories? Too good to be true?
Let us know, please, if you have
the time...
WE HAVE recently dropped the
discussion board from our
website, in favour of using a
Blazing Trails Group on Facebook
to do the same job. I would highly
commend it to all to sign up and
join in as it’s a great way of
staying in contact with those you
have been on tour with and
showing off/sharing pictures of
your adventure.
It is also a rapid way for Blazing
Trails to get in touch with you and
give answers to questions that
may be of interest to others.
You'll find our group here.
IF YOU NEED to sharpen up your
skills in a pre-tour hurry, then the
boys at Rapid Training are a good
place to start. I (DI) used to work
alongside Gary Baldwin and the
crew, providing on-track training,
so know the professional
standards to which they work.
Rapid provides on-road training
and track days with a high
instructor/customer ratio and the
emphasis very much on safety
and
real-world
riderimprovement. The Rapid chaps
may all be ex-fuzz, but they have
an ingrained love of biking to the
fore. For more information mail
Gary Baldwin.
BT IS CURRENTLY working on a
number of ‘add-on’ tours that can
be bolted to the front or back of
existing itineraries. The idea is
that as you’ve already paid for the
flight, you may as well see more
of India, if you have the time.
We will offer a range of options,
from beach-lazing, to visiting the
Taj Mahal, or trekking in the
Himalayan mountains, which will
also be suitable as ‘stand alone’
holidays for riders’ partners
wishing to take a break, but not
to join the riding. We will update
you when they are ready to go.
In the meantime, we will be
happy to offer advice and put you
in touch with trusted agents. So
please contact us for information
on extending your stay or adding
elements to your holiday.
KASHMIR CALLING
FARCE BOOK
ADVANCE TO GO
BEAUTIFUL BOLT-ONS
!
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BLAZING TRAILS!
ISSUE ONE, SUMMER 2010
WHISKEY OR GIN?
BT Staff News
WHICH SHOULD you bring to curry favour on a visit to India?
Advice from Suzie: "When choosing a beverage for a Subcontinental
sup, it's essential to consider both climate and the availability of
mixers. While gin and vodka are both very well received in the
south, a chronic dearth of tonic, or even unsweetened orange juice,
affect its usefulness up north.
"Whiskey works well everywhere," she says.
MEDICS SOUGHT
BIKASH CHHETRI
A big
welcome
aboard to
new fella,
Bikash,
who we hired during our last
Nepal recce. A chef and allround hardworking good egg,
Bikash will be joining the
Nepal tours, where he can
help with translation, logistics
and local information.
JARAS STANKEVICIUS
An enormous 'well
done' and 'thank you'
to Jaras, the
Lithuanian master
mind who has again
updated and uprated our
website, including designing
the 'real-time' booking
system. A genius effort.
DAMON I'ANSON
Is still writing
nonsense for
MSL magazine.
Take a look...
or don't...
SIRAJ AHMED
Our super
van driver
Siraj
Ahmed, has
sired a son
after barely a year married. So
a huge 'congratulations' to
him for some very speedy
work. Young Shyan was born
on a date and weighed as
much as a baby.
!
WE ARE ALWAYS looking for qualified
medics and paramedics to join us, so if
you are one, or know one, then please
get/put us in touch. We are looking for
those qualified (to British standards or
equivalent) as specialist casualty
nurses, paramedics and doctors.
Perks of the job include being awoken
at all hours for minor tummy troubles
and visiting amazing places. An
interest in motorcycles is always
appreciated, but not necessary as you
will be travelling in our support
vehicle. A sense of adventure and
reasonable degree of physical fitness
are obvious prerequisites.
Although we are happy to consider
medics on a one-tour basis, we will
give preference to those wishing to
work over multiple tours, or 'seasons.' Pay and conditions will vary
according to too many factors to list.
ALL-ROUNDER REQUIRED
HOW WOULD YOU like to work long hours for little pay, existing on
a diet of little more than rice, dhal and stones? Does helping to
wash and fuel 20-plus bikes light up your lungi? Perhaps hauling a
group of Enfields through the aftermath of a landslide in soaking
wet kit with a smile on your face is what you were born to do? Do
you yearn to be the first up in the morning and the last to bed?
If none of the rather overdone above phases, then we may have a
job to offer. We are looking for a presentable, hard-working
individual to perform a number of roles within the company, from
riding on tour, to helping with general administration.
A successful candidate will be a team-player/leader, with a
motorcycle licence, sense of humour and basic computing skills. In
return for hard
work there is
all bikes and
India have to
offer, plus
some pay. If
you think
you're the
person (or
perhaps
couple) we're
looking for,
then please
contact us.
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BLAZING TRAILS!
ISSUE ONE, SUMMER 2010
WHO THE DEVIL ARE LES AND GILL RICHARDSON?
Les
Gill
CALL THE Blazing Trails UK
number and you will be met
w i t h t h e ' g e n t l e ' We s t
Midlands tones of either Les
or Gill Richardson, fonts of
huge Indian touring
knowledge and great friends
of all at Blazing Trails.
Both Les and Gill have
been on most of the BT tours
and have enjoyed India to
the extent they now have an
Enfield Bullet of their own
out here.
Gill is a complete Indophile, a
yoga teacher and is keen on
Indian cuisine. Ex-brick baron
Les, even at his advanced age,
plays rugby and drinks beer...
when not riding his collection of
old bikes.
So, for any advice on yoga
lessons, real ales of the Midlands,
rugby playing in one's dotage or
Blazing Trails tours and bookings,
please call: 01902 894009.
CLUBBING TOGETHER
IN AN OFFER so generous you
could stick a beard on it and call it
Santa Claus, Blazing Trails is
offering a bulk booking deal. If you
are a club member, or have a lot of
mates, and can get together tenplus people for any tour, then the
eleventh comes free. Alternatively,
if numbers booked together exceed
ten, all members can be subject to
a ten per cent discount.
Furthermore, if there are 12 or
more of you, then we can (except
the high Himalayan routes, but
including Nepal) lay on a tour for
just you and your friends. If you
are interested in arranging
something special for yourself and
a group, then please drop us an
email for more information.
SIGNS OF THE CLIMBS
SAGE WORDS (right) from
the Border Roads Org' (BRO)
in Nubra Valley. Of course it
is the democratic right of us
all to 'enjoy it', but 'on
wheel'? Heaven forbid! Those
even attempting to enjoy it
on wheel should be made
fully aware of the general
safety implications, let alone
the specific dangers posed by
gear sticks.
In a similarly steamy vein,
we are asked to be slow so as
to enjoy this curvaceous minx
of a road (left). While daft
roadsigns abound throughout
the country, the best of the
Indian innuendos are to be
found in this awesome and
far-flung place...
!
PAGE 5
BLAZING TRAILS!
ISSUE ONE, SUMMER 2010
SMALL STUFF
SMALL STUFF
Double Trouble Visas
Bird Flew
FOR THOSE people joining us on
this year's Nepal Tours it is
necessary to procure a special
double-entry Indian visa, as the
tour begins and ends in India. The
regulations pertaining to visas
have recently changed, with those
holding a regular tourist visa
being unable to re-enter India
within a two-month period.
This has caused much confusion,
not least at the offices of VFS
Global, the agent responsible for
handling visa applications in the
UK. Advice seems to vary from
person to person... and daily.
May 7, 2010
Nepal Trip – full
July 31, 2010
Manali-Leh – one place left
August 14, 2010
Leh-Manali – places available
August 28, 2010
NOW THAT the bird flu scare
appears to be over, the Indian
authorities have produced an
online 'flu form'. Previously forms
have been filled in on arrival.
Should you wish to download this
form in advance...
Details, Details
All those joining us in May now
have double-entry visas and
several have said good things
about a couple of visa agencies:
Travcour and CIBT. Those seeking
the re-entry visa will need to
produce a detailed itinerary, which
we will supply.
Coming Soon...
IF YOU HAVE booked a tour with
us, then please don't forget to fill
in your flight details online, so we
can arrange your collection from
the airport. If you are unable to
do this, then you can always mail
us the information instead.
Also, please check the meeting
point details at the bottom of your
personal web page in order to
book an appropriate flight.
When form-filling you will need
two addresses in India, which can
be found here. Please carry these
with you, as they will be required
when filling in your landing card.
Spiti Valley – lots of places
September 11, 2010
Spiti Valley – four places left
Ocotber 30, 2010
Rajasthan Trip – oodles of space
November 26, 2010
Nepal Trip – available
Thank You
For getting this far and we
hope the experience wasn't
too tedious. As is the way of
things in these days of
emails and databases, we
have sent this newsletter out
to all the email addresses we
have stored on our system.
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a little weird – so sorry for
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Conversely, should you have
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It's not only the West that suffers from banking crises
!
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