19-Sep-2004 -- This is the 17th out of 29 confluences on our tour from Germany to China, the story continues from 26N 78E.

On the twenty-eighth day of our tour we started in Shivpuri, 150 km north-east of the confluence. We got up at 5:15 a.m. for an early start, but due to the battery being too low on power we couldn't get going until 8:30 a.m. In Guna we changed our car battery, which solved all our power problems.

The minimum distance from Highway #3 to the confluence point was 5.5 km, however there wasn't a good road towards the point, just some sandy tracks. We decided to leave our Toyota Corolla behind and all three of us got into the Jeep. Joko's Jeep is a great help for getting to confluences. Without his Jeep, we would have had an 11 km hike ahead. But using his Jeep we could almost make a beeline directly to the CP.

The area consists of veld with some scattered crops. We crossed two streams and a village at the distance of 1 km. We stood at the CP not even 15 minutes after having left the highway. Right next to the CP is a stone wall with cornfields behind it. On the other side are some farm-houses. The local people approached soon after we arrived and they were happy about being asked for a picture, and posed for the Degree Confluence Project.

On our way we met women coming back from the river having washed her colourful clothing. Since Guang, as a woman asked for a photo, they wouldn't refuse to pose. Later, we continued our trip on the main road to Indore. The road conditions were very bad and we reached the city after sunset.

CP visit details:

• Time at the CP: 13:20 a.m.
• Duration: 1h 30min (until we were back on our route)
• Distance of car parking: 5.5 km (passenger car) / 0 m (Jeep)
• GPS height: 414 m
• Description: Flat area with some slight rolling hills. Corn fields nearby (15 m) and some farm-houses made of clay 50 m away. Populated area with wide views. Some scattered trees.
• Given Name: The Colourful Women Confluence

Story continues at 20N 74E.