Kolkata-London Bus service?

In 1971, we started out from Amsterdam (six of us) and took a train to Istanbul; about two weeks later, we found a fellow who was driving an old Leland bus to Pakistan and booked passage as far as Herat. Well, the bus broke down somewhere east of Ankara, and I can't remember how we got out of there, but we then took public buses through the rest of Turkey and Iran. Not all the roads were paved at that time; we ate a lot of dust!

We took public buses in Afghanistan, too, though we weren't in much of a hurry there -- until I got bacillic dysentery and headed for India with some Peace Corps guy I met. We took a mini bus from Peshawar to Lahore, at night, playing chicken with those big trucks that used to drive straight up the center of the road.

I was very happy to see that "psychic customs woman" at the Indian border; she kept me there a very long time but I got through all right. She was a really terrific challenge!

In all, I did the land journey 3 times (twice out, once back to the West) in just under two years. It was an awesome trip, like being in a time machine, and I'm so glad I was there at the time and able to do it! Like Camelgirl, I was a few years older than most of my fellow travellers, but I don't think anyone noticed.

Mahmud, you have to add two weeks in Istanbul, a few days at the campground outside Teheran (it had a swimming pool) and a month (or more) in Afghanistan to the timetable if you want to replicate this journey.

Umm yes it's interesting that no-one who'se spoken about doing the overland trips seems to have anything seriously negative to say. I guess there was the down times but of couse they get forgotten in the mysterious of time.
You just went with the flow, and like has been said, you slept were you could, had no communication with what you'd left behind & winged it all the way.

Could/would most people do it today without all the surities they seem to need,,,,,,,,,,,,,

I guess the words "off the beaten track" weren't bandied around so readily in those days, as you were already off the beaten track

Dear Gregory,

We also travelled on Budget Bus to India. We left in September 1978. The bus left from Totterige Tube Station in London (for those unfamiliar with London this is a most unlikely starting post being way into the suburbs!) The journey took 5 weeks and went through the established route. The bus driver was called John (great bloke) and his co driver was Steve (complete nutter, crashed the bus first night!. There were a memorable 3 days we spent broken down in the middle of Turkey where we boiled by day and froze by night. The trip was a joy throughout and remains one of our fondest travel memories. The hairiest bit was in Iran when we found ourselves peering down the barrel of a tank during a riot in (I think) Mashed. In fact, the Shah was deposed a couple of months after we passed through and the Afghanistan war started shortly after, causing the overland buses to cease trading. I will try to scan a few photos and post them. I loved your pictures, they brought back memories of such great times. Our bus was very similar to yours except bluer. They were Bedford buses and ours was so decrepit that we had to board it the other side of customs at Dover as it had no MOT and was not allowed on English roads! Our trip cost £109 !!!!

Scroll down to the bottom of the India page on Seat 61 http://www.seat61.com/India.htm
for a description of how this journey can, in theory, still be accomplished. It isn't clear that anyone is doing it, but in theory...

Sounds good - except for the twice-monthly train into Pakistan.

canadagood (welcome to IndiaMike ) Thanks, enjoyed the pics enormously.

Thanks for pictures,,,,,,,, Good Memories
The town in the valley is Tabriz (The valley of Love)

Remember the caves up in the cliff face where people lived,,,,,,,,

I looked into this as a possible gap year route, and from everything I've heard it isn't really do-able at the moment. The connection between Iran and Pakistan is almost definitely closed due to bombings. I have heard some people say that it's actually safe enough to go via Afghanistan instead of Iran as the insurgency isn't affecting the whole country, but I'm not entirely convinced!

I suppose you could still do it with a little "cheating"-overland to Istanbul, then fly to Pakistan.

In the early 70's my parents, who are now 91 and 93 years old, traveled with Penn World from London to Katmandu, getting to visit Iraq and Iran and go over the Khyber Pass (by daylight because of the bandits). They still speak fondly of the trip and wish I could visit the same places safely (if the damage done by my government eventually gets undone).

quote: "wish I could visit the same places safely (if the damage done by my government eventually gets undone)."

From my log-in name and from previous posts many know that I made the trip from east to west -- just as the Iranian Revolution was breaking out. I'd love to return to Afghanistan & Pakistan -- especially Afghanistan where, despite the dust, I felt most "at home".

Regarding the quotation above, at least she can say "my government." I don't quite grasp, however, why anyone would think the Taliban were good for Afghanistan [they were just beginning to get their act together when I was there in 1978]. Whatever "damage" occurs via Coalition Forces is toward preventing further damage by al Qaeda -- and the Indian branch, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), which just announced it's intention, following orders from Osama Bin Laden, to assassinate the Dalai Lama. If she wishes to go live with either the Taliban or the Lashkar-e-Taiba -- be my guest. Coalition Forces, including assistance by Israel and India, have no need to apologize for trying to prevent the further enslavement of peoples. If we are lucky, the entire path from India to the West -- via Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Turkey, etc, will become safe again for overlanders -- but this isn't going to happen in a year or via wishful thinking.

IndiaMike hasn't quite institutionalized the warnings yet, but we may soon see a continuing thread on how to stay clear of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) bombings -- and within the week we probably will see a thread on the new difficulties in getting to study with the Dalai Lama and other prominent Buddhists based in India.

where and how did you hear about this intention to kill the Dalai Lama?

I first read about it early this morning. The mods may want to condense this and move it to a new thread.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...6-2703,00.html
Terror group's threat raises Dalai Lama alert
Bruce Loudon, South Asia correspondent
April 03, 2007

SECURITY surrounding the Dalai Lama has been tightened after reports of an attempt by the al-Qa'ida-linked terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Toiba to assassinate the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader. A three-tier security ring has been thrown around the 72-year-old Buddhist head, who lives at Dharamsala, in the Himalayan foothills, Indian police spokesman Prem Lal said.

All those approaching the exiled Tibetan chief will be closely watched by highly trained Tibetan security guards as well as heavily armed deployments of Indian police.

Visitors are being body-searched before being allowed to approach him.

The Dalai Lama is scheduled to make a widely anticipated 11-day visit to cities and regional centres across Australia in early June, making both free and ticketed appearances at public lectures, blessings and teaching sessions. Before that, he will visit the US.

Superintendent Lal said police had been alerted by central intelligence agencies to the reported plot by Lashkar-e-Toiba to kill the Dalai Lama "on the directions of a foreign organisation", which he declined to name, but is assumed to be al-Qa'ida.

In a recent document, Osama bin Laden denounced "pagan Buddhism" as part of his general attack on anything not Islamic.

The assassination threat picked up by Indian authorities is thought to be based on bin Laden's denunciation and the extremist jihadi movement's hatred for anything and anyone that is not Muslim.

Lashkar-e-Toiba is believed to be al-Qa'ida's agent in South Asia and has been involved in virtually every major terrorist attack in India.

Indian authorities recently heightened the security surrounding India's political leader, Sonia Gandhi, and members of her high-profile family following intelligence reports that they were on the extremist movement's hit list. Mrs Gandhi now travels the country in armed motorcades similar to those that carry the country's head of state, President Abdul Kalam.

The heavy security cordon thrown around the Dalai Lama at the Dharamsala exile where he has lived since fleeing Tibet is in sharp contrast to the normally relaxed atmosphere that pervades the town and is testimony of the extent to which Islamic terrorism is affecting even remote parts of the world.

As police disclosed the threat to the Dalai Lama, Indian officials drafted a strong declaration on terrorism in South Asia for leaders attending the South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation summit beginning in New Delhi today.

Indian foreign secretary Shivshankar Menon said the draft declaration would discuss "not only about implementing what we have already agreed to, but to see what further action we, in the sub-region, can take against terrorism".

There are suggestions that leaders at the eight-nation summit will consider extending throughout Asia the joint mechanism to deal with terrorism recently established between India and Pakistan.

The mechanism involves close co-operation on all matters relating to terrorism and a regular exchange of intelligence.

Sri Lanka is particularly keen to see an integrated strategy that would assist it in its war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, or Tamil Tigers. Colombo wants SAARC members to work with it to defeat the Tigers.

Similarly, India wants all eight SAARC nations to help it defeat the Lashkar-e-Toiba group and to pursue a campaign against the terrorist movement. But many Pakistanis see LeT fighters as heroes.

*****
http://www.dailyindia.com/show/13063...-to-Dalai-Lama
Pro-Tibet activists protest against assassination threat to Dalai Lama
From our ANI Correspondent

Bhopal, Apr 3: Pro-Tibet activists took out a protest march here on Tuesday against the reported threat to the life of Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama.

Reports galore in the media about a possible assassination attempt on the Dalai Lama by Pakistan based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

'Mahatma Gandhi Tibet Freedom Movement' activists accused China of being behind the threats. They shouted slogans against and burnt posters of Chinese President Hu Jintao.

"The Dalai Lama receiving a threat from the LeT is a solid proof that the threat has been issued at the behest of China because China feels directly threatened by the ever increasing popularity of the Dalai Lama across the globe. China is also scared of the popular opinion tilting in favour of Tibet. We condemn this act and appeal to the Indian government and the rest of the world to ensure the safety and security of his holiness the Dalai Lama," said Mahesh Yadav, an activist.

The Dalai Lama has a three-ring security cover with the innermost guarded by special security persons of the Tibetan security department and the outermost by the Himachal Pradesh police.

Copyright Dailyindia.com/ANI

Even a company for bus travels (Rotel Tours) have an overland tour in their program. They are going from Munich via Istanbul, Ankara, Tabriz, Teheran, Isfahan, Shiraz, Quetta, Multan, Lahore, Amritsar to Delhi, then Agra, Jaipur and back to Delhi. The whole trip takes 40 days and you sleep in small cabins in the backpart of the bus.

70s-80s overlander

Would you mind if I used your last post to start a new thread?

(and delete your earlier post, and the "my government" remark from the other post that prompted your reply?)