News from Jupiter
From My Notebooks In 1977: Brahmaputra by Elephant
April 6, 2025
Still stuck in Gauhati doing battle with the police and the bureaucracy. January 18th On Tuesday morning we sought out the District Commissioner. who expressed impatience with red tape and authorised us to make an application which I wrote out in his office, very comprehensively. So far so good. All he needed he said was a note from the police that they had no […]
From My Notebooks In 1977: Gauhati, Assam
March 30, 2025
The morning after a night of frenzied dancing outside the Barpeta Road police station. Friday January 14th Morning, uneasiness persisted. It seemed even less likely that we would get our passports back so easily – although there was no real fear of anything unpleasant happening. Deb Roy came in and heard our account. We went to market, bought eggs, tomatoes. I ate two eggs. […]
Travel Far and Learn About Living (from The Sunday Times in 1978)
March 23, 2025
I just came across an article I wrote for The Sunday Times after I had returned from my first long journey, in 1978. I think it makes for an interesting read today. They gave it a rather corny title, but I can’t think of a better one. TRAVEL FAR AND LEARN ABOUT LIVING The twin track of molten tyre rubber began halfway round the […]
From My Notebooks In 1977: In Assam At The Manas Tiger Project
March 16, 2025
Thursday January 13th After morning ride with Debroy, back to tent, a meagre breakfast (one egg and a chapati between us) and packing. To see the Beat Officer, a curiously evanescent character whose ornate English phrases are unequal to the thoughts he tries to capture. “I will be performing my utmost to render your visit…” and so on. But his answer to all questions […]
From My Notebooks In 1977: Nepal to India
March 10, 2025
Still in Nepal, we’re moving across the lower reaches of the Himalaya to the Indian border. First, I wanted to visit Darjeeling, famous as an outpost of Empire and for the tea that bears its name. After that we intended to enter the state of Assam, and visit two tiger sanctuaries, Manas and Kazirenga. Assam was politically sensitive, and tightly controlled. It has a tribal […]
From My Notebooks In 1976 and 1977: Nepal
March 2, 2025
I feel the need to emphasise that these notes, taken directly from my notebooks, were intended simply to remind me of thoughts, events, impressions which I might otherwise have forgotten. They were never intended to be seen by anyone, and much of what I wrote would make little sense to a third party. Nor was I particularly concerned with my choice of words. This is […]
From My Notebooks In 1976: India to Nepal
February 22, 2025
This might be a good time to imagine yourself in Kathmandu, with no TV. Friday, 31st, to Pokhara Into Nepal towards Pokhara. First flat road then mountains rise up steeply before me, a rich red-brown village, houses of adobe, top half white, lower half terra cotta. Frames painted in almost black brown, and intricately fretted wooden shutters. Echoes of Ecuador, Colombia. Poor Nepalis wear […]
From My Notebooks In 1976: New Delhi to Kanpur and Gorakhpur
February 16, 2025
I’ve come up the West coast to the capital where, as usual, I look to Lucas for help and shelter. Here, word for word, is what I put in my notes. New Delhi, Monday 27th November Swiss couple very flattering outside American Express. Give me address in Geneva and invite me there. Lucas friendly (after funny business with wrong number} and I’m installed in […]
From My Notebooks In 1976: From Baroda to Ahmedabad to Udaipur
February 9, 2025
Friday More lorries, front wheels collapsed, nose-dived into ditches and culverts. Tribals with three camels, each with upturned bed on top of their belongings. Women leading them had each breast separately wrapped in pink muslin slung over top of sari at midriff. Cows with horns [pointing] in every direction, like the printed characters in Hindi writing. In Ahmedabad a sudden outbreak of handcarts – everything […]
From My Notebooks In 1976: To Poona
February 2, 2025
In case you haven’t been following me during the last year or two, I am reproducing, word for word, what I wrote in my notebooks on the journey that led to my books, Jupiter’s Travels and Riding High. I arrived in India at Madras (now called Chennai) earlier in 1976 and have been travelling round the south of India and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). It’s […]