Mangalore: From Ireland to India, on Bicycles

Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (RS/SP)
 
Mangalore, Feb 10: “We are from Ireland,” said Bryce Odgers, who was riding a fully loaded bicycle on a busy road in the city, being closely followed by his wife on another bicycle.
 
Bryce and his wife Deirdre Dunne were seen cycling around on the city roads with on Monday February 9. The couple has made it a practice to tour foreign countries on bicycles, since the last ten years. India is the 43rd country they have been visiting, traveling through bicycles.
 
“We had been to Mongolia, Tibet, China, USA…. But we like Tibet, Nepal and India the most,’ said Bryce. “And also south Indian food, especially fish curries,” added his wife Deirdre.

“Bicycles make the tours highly affordable. Good for environment and our health too,” the couple admitted, with smiles on their faces. They have a map that charts out routes in India, in front of their bicycle. Pointing out at the map, Bryce said that he bought it in Ireland and that it serves them as guide. 

Bicycle is the best vehicle to travel and our tour can also be dubbed as an exercise, said Deirdre.

They spend only about 20 percent of their tour time, resting. They have loaded a tent on their bicycle, which is used whenever they are exhausted or do not find a better place to stay.

“I have a mobile canteen in Ireland, in a double decker bus; she is an artist,” said Bryce.

“I liked the paintings in St Aloysius chapel, it was a great feeling to look at them. I also got very excited to know about the artist concerned,” said Deidre.
 
“The tours in  bus  or other vehicles enable the tourists to visit only major  cities other tourism destinations,  but  we want to visit small  villages as well  as get acquainted with the rural  lifestyle  of  India,” describes the  couple  about their tour.

They came to Mumbai from Ireland and purchased a bicycle there, before getting on with their tour. They plan to sell the bicycles after concluding their tour.
 
Both 35-years-old Bryce and 37- year- old Deirdre plan to tour Turkey next year.   
 
“The cost of living is very low in India. We have spent only maximum Rs 300 per day, but in Ireland we spend four times that amount even for minimum necessities,” confesses Bryce.

Bryce, who is basically from Australia, has now settled in Ireland with his wife. Deirdre is a native of Ireland. They met in Australia.

Bryce studied nursing, worked as a nurse for some years and later switched over to another job. His wife is a degree holder in fine arts. They took six weeks from Mumbai to reach the city, through Goa, Madikeri and Kerala.

When they were asked to narrate their bad experiences here, they said none of the experiences were worth being branded as bad. “There were a couple of minor incidents that could be solved easily. But the problem we encounter has been the frequent tyre punctures,” Deirdre explained. “During this tour, my bicycle tyres suffered punctures thrice and his bicycle only once,” she said. They have tools and hence attend to repairs on their own.

They have planned to return to Goa, in about seven weeks time from the city, which means that they would have completed a 15-week tour of India by then.