Kevin Tiller

I set the alarm for 4am and sprang out of bed, got ready and packed the last of my bag, checked out of the hotel & caught a taxi thru the dark streets and was ready to start at Howrah station dead on 5am.

I remembered to get someone to take a photo of me. I have never ending problems showing people how to take a photo with my phone (a Samsung galaxy s3 – it’s bloody great!). Maybe the volume is off so I can sneaky ones confuses them (will try to make a sound tomorrow).

I started at a comfy pace although titally scared of what would happen and found my way well as I had walked part of it and basically memorised the rest. As it got lighter the traffic grew. The early stages went past so fast and I was almost past the airport. I lucked out on some of the roads as they were direct and easy. I finished my water & perpetuem drink and then probably made an error in drinking a cold soft drink, then a chai at various intervals then a water then a coconut juice, repeat a few times in random orders. I was drinking a heap but wasn’t hungry and made good progress almost 30km in 4hrs. I had rivers of sweat coming off me from the very start. The scenery became more rural villages. Quite scenic. The people were nice and obviously thought I was a crackpot.  The same questions – name, country from, where are you going to/from got very tired very quickly. A thumbs up or wave is fine. Some people even wanted me to double back and chat to them in their shop ! Even the plentiful police gave me a wave! Phew!

Around noon my pace slowed as it git hotter and I realisef I had a few blisters which were getting worse rapidly. I suspect my feet were swollen due to 8hrs+ on hot roads – I hardly run on roads my beautiful Royal National Park home provides everything a runner could want!  I had a larger pair of shoes my only luxury – I could have swapped them or fixed up my blisters but I was filthy dust & grime stuck on wet & dry sweat.

I toughed it out to Habra at 47km whuch leaves just 35km tomorrow – I can’t do more as I am meeting my crew at the border. Unfortunately by the time I got there I was desperate for a shower and a lie down but there are NO hotels. Of course this took 90mins to work out and 1000 conversations with everyone.  I was literally dying on my feet by now.i had to sit down and get a cold drink. In the end it was decided I’d catch s tuc-tuc to the next  town whete there was a hotel. Barely.  The town was like all the ones I’d passed thru that day – small, dusty & scraggy.

Anyway I got a room and a shower although I did lock myself IN and had to climb through the window to unlock from the outside. Phew !  I had a sports bar and sports drink for dinner as after I’d showered and popped my blisters I wasn’t game for going out for anything.

After I finished typing this I went to bed lights out, the guy came back to ask some more questions about my hotel registration – there were more questions for foreigners and as he’d never had any he didn’t know the drill. I then got somw extra water and made some hydrolite electrolyte drink from tablets from the chemist. Bed for proper approx 10pm.

I managed to record a video (background vocals from the muezzin at the local mosque):

Anyway here are some photos – comments on my instagram page

Sorry I could have taken more photos but it’s hard to keep stopping for even more reasons …