Posts in Nepal

Back to Kathmandu, Nepal -Part 2- [dec 28-Jan 28 2020]

challenge

+2300m/-2850m

ROUTE

263KM

TIME

6 days

off road

74KM

Sylvia

Family, work and life, in general, can be overwhelming. We forget to take care of ourselves and to live in the moment. The last three weeks travelling with my brother Michel and his wife Vera remind me how important it is to disconnect from the stressful routines of our lives.

When we came back from our last year’s trip to Central Asia, we invited them to join us on our next trip. To our surprise, they accepted our invitation. They are spending three weeks with us in Nepal, Vera’s dream destination since she was a youth. I am very excited to have special time with both. My brother and I were a bit estranged over time. Me, living in Vancouver, doesn’t help to maintain a close relationship. We try to stay connected by spending time together whenever we can, nevertheless, something is missing in our relationship. Physically distance creates gaps.

Both of them are avid hikers and love the mountains. Their trip preparation has been done diligently. Frank, the guru, recommended the basics and additionally they did their homework. Eventually, the big day is there. Frank and I are waiting outside of the Kathmandu airport with a welcome sign saying ‘Sylvia’s brother’. Both look happy and a bit tired when emerging from the airport building looking for us.

It feels strange to meet them on the other side of the planet.

We spend a few, by Frank so called ‘rest’ days in Kathmandu. This means...walking, walking, walking. At this point, Michel is absorbed by the environment, trying to capture the moment with his camera. The stress of his working life is lifted off his shoulders. He looks relaxed and happy, wandering the streets as he has always lived here, chatting with people, laughing with kids and looking like the happiest person in Kathmandu. Vera, just like Michel, is taking in every moment, just not with a camera, but with her eyes and heart. Even the first evening that we spend with friends, doesn’t take the wind out of their sails. You could think drinking a 1L bottle of whiskey and traditional Nepali dance would make them want to sleep in, but no. The next day, they are ready for action. The following two days, we visit the classic tourist sites in the capital, Buddhanath stupa, the Pashupatinath temple and ghats, Durbar square, Swayambhu temple and Thamel. And we do some shopping of course. It is difficult to resist, the fabrics, jewelry and colours of Nepali craftsmanship.

Weaving scarves provides revenue to women in small villages

We then take off to Pokhara, in a bus, called ‘Deluxe Tourist Only’, in which we are shaken from left to right on our beloved Nepali roads. Unfortunately, the weather forecast shows rain and snow, which is not good for the trek Frank has prepared. He is trying to adjust the trekking routes, but it looks like we won’t be able to avoid the cold weather front so we decide to go with the flow (weather). The next day, we take off for Jomsom by plane. There, we stay two nights and Vera and Michel experience for the first time the beauty and harshness of the Himalayan mountains. Guesthouses are not heated, and in the evening, we try to stay warm by drinking apple brandy with glowing charcoal at our feet. The sleeping bags are our best friends when it is cold like this. We try not to drink too much in the evening to avoid doing a washroom run. However, the views on the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri make it all acceptable. And the best part of the three weeks is the time we all spend together. I love how relaxed my brother is, how he can get lost in mountain villages taking photos, how he can giggle about Frank’s stupid jokes and the discussions we have. And I love how Vera’s eyes become the mirror of what she is discovering, the long conversations on the trail and that nothing is complicated with her even when the conditions are not perfect...like dirty bed sheets, conditions of the washrooms, etc.

And here is the snow ( photo credit: Michel M.)

By the time we start our trek to Tatopani, Frank is coughing more and more. And even Vera can’t make him laugh anymore...The altitude and cold air of Jomsom don’t help. Additionally, his broken rib is hurting again from all the coughing (see the previous story for more info). And all of you know, he will not complain and not rest either. So we keep moving from village to village, in the cold and snow, with dramatic views on the mountains. Eventually, the weather is getting sunny and cold, with no more snow. But Frank is getting worse, but stubborn as he is, he doesn’t want any help. He wants Vera and Michel to have the best experiences possible. Eventually, the weather forces us to change our route, and we decide to drive back to Pokhara. Here, Frank recovers quickly and is ready for action again. He prepares a wonderful route from the Australian Camp to Pokhara, and Vera and Michel get what they were looking for, Himalayan mountain views (on the Toblerone, Machupachar Mountain, like Vera calls it) and rural life in Nepal.

On the trail, we meet, Luka and Ivana from Croatia, who hiked the Annapurna circuit. Both are avid world travellers and great people. We share travel stories and talk politics in a mountain guest house while we try to dry wet pants and washed underwear over a stove. Later on, we meet again in Pokhara where they introduce us to some very good restaurants. The other ‘people’ highlight is when we run into Luisa, a young German woman, who circumvents on foot the Annapurna from Pokhara to Pokhara. To celebrate her accomplishment with all four of us, she increases her daily mileage and can make it just in time to Pokhara to say goodbye to Michel and Vera. We celebrate the event together with white Sangria, pizza and tiramisu for dessert. Don’t be surprised by the food choice! After weeks of Dal Bhat and Chowmein, a different food choice is welcomed by all of us.

The next day we send them off by plane to Kathmandu. There is no time for a few last hugs and goodbyes but the good feelings about the shared experiences remain.

After a couple of additional rest days in Pokhara to escape the rain...again, we head off to Chitwan to meet our friend Madhav. We met him on our trip last year when we stayed at KGH Maruni Resort. He wants to cycle with us to the Indian border. On the road, he finds us a GEM of a guesthouse in Kawasoti named Tharu Breizh Lodge close to a Vulture reserve. The number of vultures has decreased dramatically due to the pesticides used in Nepal. In this park, they are fed with organic meat instead of the dead animals they would eat outside the sanctuary. Only a small amount of contaminated meat can kill the vultures. Eventually, after 300km of cycling, he has to take a bus back to Chitwan to get back to work. Thanks again Madhav for all your trip recommendations. Without you, our time would have been very different and less comfortable for me.

Guesthouse built in mud in the Chitwan jungle. The mix of mud and cow manure keep the house cool in the summer and warm in the winter

To finish this story, I want to remind everyone to always slow down a bit, enjoy the time with the people we love and be open to new experiences. Always schedule some ‘Nepali’ time in your calendar, and you will never feel overwhelmed.

Below a few thoughts Vera shared with me after their splendid trip to Nepal:

The flexibility of the Nepalese, both physical and mental, and at the same time their strength. Let’s not talk about the flexibility of traffic....

The ubiquitous and living presence of religion and spirituality, even in tourist places.

And, don’t forget the greatness and immense majesty of the Himalayan range. It demonstrates the power of nature and the inferiority of human beings in front of these mountains.

And here my Likes:

A deaf couple who let us camp on their property. When asked if we could have a photo with them, they asked for a hug. It was so emotional that the wife had tears in her eyes, and so did Frank and I. Their soul touched ours!

Dogs on the trail becoming fellow travelers for a day or two

My dislikes

And to wrap up the story….

A barber shop turning into a beauty parlour… by surprise !

Nepal beauty caught by the camera of Michel M.

Frank

Siyam is walking to the gate for his flight back to Bangladesh and we are already waiting for the arrival of Sylvia’s brother Michel and his wife Vera.

First timer in Nepal for them as well, although they have a pretty good idea of what mountains, cold, snow mean. Our bikes will remain at the Hotel Guru, our official and great headquarter in Pokhara, while we will be guiding them on some of the Annapurna trails. Hiking is more a classic approach of the Nepal Himalayas. However, it looks like biking, for the last few years is now the must for those looking for another style of “adventure”.

Celebrating family reunion and New Year at Kathmandu big Stupa

A couple of days to acclimatize to Asia, have a glance at Kathmandu, recover from the jet lag and without waiting for much longer, we hit the road for an 8 hours bus journey to get back to Pokhara.

It was when we came back from our bike trip last year that the subject was thrown on the table. In Vera’s bucket list for long, Nepal, and meeting us for a first exploration became their project. Skeptical at first by the choice of the winter season, we insisted it is the best time to enjoy the blue sky, mild temperatures in the mid-hills.... Well, snow can happen but chances are really low.... trust us! The only mandatory gear is a warm sleeping bags as the nights in the tea houses can be cold in higher elevations.

For a first visit to the Indian Subcontinent, a journey in a bus through the mountain roads is probably a good way to, quickly, disconnect from the Belgian routines.

A light briefing to expose the plans masks the concerns regarding the weather forecast. A few days of rain in Pokhara, heavy snow in high elevation we need to plan accordingly. Celebrate New Year and move on.

Our earlier “trust us” statement and talks are already challenged.

No time to waste and we book tickets for a mountain flight to Jomsom. It allows us to skip another painful “road trip” of 10 hours on really bad mountain dirt roads subject to many landslides and delays. The hope is to be high before the bad weather shows up banning all flights. At least a few hours of the open sky will allow them to enjoy the Annapurna peaks before...whatever may happen later.

We turn the knob/switch on the ZEN mode and privilege the “all is fine” smile

The flights to Jomsom are usually in early mornings.... offering the possibilities to delay the 45’-60’ flight in case of bad weather. The Pokhara local airport looks more like a temporary warehouse hall with a couple of booths topped with the airline companies name. Easy to find the Yeti Airline booth where we must do our check-in. No reason to rush, we are the only 4 passengers in the hall. When we finally realized that the guy in charge of the check-in was asleep behind the counter, we are told that the flight may be cancelled or delay. Clouds are blocking the 150m airstrip of Jomsom. They are waiting for an OK from Jomsom to call the pilot.

The representative encourages us to go for a coffee at the upper floor cafeteria and promises he will look for us with updates.

Convinced that we have plenty of time, we order coffees and very tempting HUGE croissant covered with a thick chocolate stripe. Not even 5’ later, as we patiently wait for the coffees to show up, the Yeti Airline representative rushes from the staircase to let us know there is an open weather window and the pilot has been called.

What about our coffees? No problem, replies the guy, we can ask the pilot to wait.....

I do not remember such a smooth flight to Jomsom. We fly in a straight line and in no time we land in Jomsom, 2750m.

Up to the end of December, there is still a kind of life atmosphere in Jomsom.

Typical Nepali/Tibetan village in the high mountains

Hike above Jomsom to acclimatize to the altitude

The Annapurna Circuit is never officially closed but winter conditions at the Thorang La pass (5400m) do not encourage a lot of hikers. This is OFF season. January sees the last couple of guesthouses remaining open, close for good until March. Yet, Windy Valley hotel is open.

A first cold night in the sleeping bags.

The morning is cloudy but the day turns nice for a 5h hike around Jomsom and acclimatizes to the elevation.

The weatherman was right, the following days are white and cloudy. The scenery is changing, the guesthouses, never heated, become dampened and even colder despite the burning charcoals buckets kindly placed under the dinner table. They keep your lower body super warm while the upper body is only warm-up, temporarily, with the local rum or apple brandy.

The burning charcoal keeps our legs warm, but has no pity for our lungs

The sunset is around 5:15 pm, dinner and alcohol keep us busy for another 1 hour, play cards for another 45’, so it is early that everyone retreat to appreciate the -15c sleeping bags.

As we hike down to Tatopani on day 4, the snow falls stop offering us some really dramatic views to the 7000+ peaks around. The Ganesh, Nilgiri, Dhaulagiri, the Annapurnas are seen from the little village of Lete. I do not remember any past year in that area with such bad weather. Locals confirm that this is the third storm in less than one month.

The hiking trails are packed with fresh snow forcing us to walk on the dirt road empty from traffic because of the conditions but also because of the numerous landslides. The same conditions would have made the bike trip with Siyam only a few days ago, almost impossible. Icy surface, snow turns the dirt road in a muddy place to walk but better than the hiking trail on the other side of the river that even locals are avoiding.

All the villages we hike through give us a feeling of a dead zone. No many souls around. It does not give us a chance to be picky about accommodation. If there is one guesthouse open it will be for us regardless of the quality of it. Camping, as we do usually, offers us more flexibility but here the choice has been made to keep the backpack at a reasonable weight. We are lucky sometimes to find a few of my favourite Guesthouses open at a discount rate for the offseason.

Preparing dinner before sunset. Temperatures drop down far below zero within few minutes

Tatopani, is a village that built up its reputation on the natural hot springs, still wild a few years ago but now totally managed. It is also the place where the original Annapurna Circuit leaves the valley and the Kali Gandaki river to steeply climb 2000m+ of elevation to a pass and the famous Poon Hill sunrise point. The weather window closes up and a new front of 3 unfriendly days of rain and snow is expected. It is a bummer but a wise decision to skip that part for safety reason, get back to Pokhara by Jeep, regroup and replan for the after.

As expected, a lot of snow fell in the mountains and all the high elevations are in alert for avalanche risks. We will hear a few days later that few South Korean hikers, their guides and porters we met are among the victims of the avalanches.

Rested, we get back on the road for a ride to the trailhead to the Australian Camp. It is an amazing lookout on a big chunk of Himalayan peaks. I do not want Vera and Michel to be frustrated by a lack of stupendous Mountain Views. It is a 3 days hike in the mid-hills and through very nice villages to get back to Pokhara and so, to wrap up their Nepali journey.

Blue sky, an unexpected dinner around a big fire under the stars in the last hotel we stayed and we have the last stretch in the Pokhara Valley. Hungry for more, and one last day to fill up, they rent 2 mountain bikes and, happy to get back on ours, I took the now cyclist team to more climbing effort and a nice very typical Nepali village. Making sure that no doubt comes to their mind, I omitted to mention the 400m of elevation gain at the end of the valley. It was many years I have not been there but I remember the dirt road ending up as a hiking trail with a lot of stairs. So I plan to go as far as possible, leave the bikes at a farm at the trailhead and do the hike. I can admit, now, that it was a big surprise and relief when I discover that a new dirt road replaces the old trail. Without waiting for the rest of the troop, I keep climbing.

So no question about why it is suddenly going up while I claimed earlier this morning that we would stay at the bottom of the valley. Hoping that the beauty of our destination would dilute if not erase any embarrassing questions. It works, and after a well-deserved lunch we head back .... down..... and through the valley to celebrate our last day and enjoyable journey with them.

Guru family. A peaceful family business hotel to stay in Pokhara

Time for Sylvia and I to re-focus on our trip, reload the bikes, promise to Guru and his family to come back soon - we will - and hit the road towards the Indian border with a stopover at Maruni Resort in the Chitwan area to visit our friend Madhav who is managing the jungle KGH resort. Since we have ridden that road last year with our Vancouver friends, I look at the topo maps to find another way. Bingo, there is a valley totally off the usual route that needs to be explored. The last days of rain remain a concern about landslides and mud, a concern loudly expresses by Sylvia.

Of course, soon we engage in the narrow valley we hit huge sections of very deep mud. No word needs to be said, I can now read perfectly her body language: “ You see I told you”.

Lucky me it won’t last too long and after a few more km the dirt road becomes more rideable. A superb camp spot nearby a creek offers us a dust cleaning bath in the late afternoon followed by a peaceful night in our cozy tent. Life is good.

Everywhere in the country side, the warm welcomes are always overwhelming

However, a last blank spot on the map concerning the existence or not of a bridge over a river remains. Our good star is still up there and an old wood bridge followed by a long suspension bridge at the very end of the valley allows us to get back on the main Hwy. Luckily we were cycling as a car would have been forced to turn back on the 70km dirt road.

Another 25km on a busy Indian traffic jam and the resort is reached. Always a nice place to be. We have our private jungle cabin and the entire resort for ourselves, spoiled by the staff.

Jungle cabin at Maruni KGH jungle resort - Chitwan

Madhav, always concerned for our safety and willing to give us the best experience possible, guides us for a ride in some of his secret routes in the jungle. Probably testing his fitness level at the same time since his idea is to cycle with us for a couple of days to the Indian border.

Of course, it is happening, Madhav is fun to have around and sometimes we feel he knows everyone in Nepal.

On the way, we stop in a fairly small and remote village surrounded by green fields and tons of birds. A very nice guesthouse is expecting us. Another gemstone Madhav has under his sleeve, another good location to keep in mind for our next time in Nepal. Close to the border, we say goodbye to Madhav who will find a bus to get back to the resort with his bike.

We cross the Indian border the next day for a new chapter.....

NepalFrank JanssensFebruary 21, 2020Eastcapades Frank & Sylvia

Back to Kathmandu, Nepal -Part 1- [nov 28-Dec 28 2019]

challenge

+9345m/-11478m

ROUTE

407KM

TIME

17 days

off road

210KM

Sylvia

We're back in Nepal after seven months in Canada. Before our trip, we spend three weeks in Belgium and enjoy catch-up time with our family. Four grandsons and Frank's niece's daughter keep us busy, playing, running around, reading good night stories, cuddling the babies and laughing out loud at the jokes of the two older ones. Moments I cherish until our next visit.

Before I start the story, I want to share some good news. You might remember that I suffered digestive issues for almost the entire trip last year. But guess what... no running to the loo, no problems since our arrival! Only Frank has been affected by it for one night. My immune system must be healthy after a seven-month acclimatization in Asia last year. But let's not get ahead of ourselves, there are still many weeks to go.

First breakfast in Nepal - KGH Kathmandu

Nepal doesn't feel like home, but it feels good to be back again. There is something about the people and the mountains that draw us back. The roads are still Nepali, and the counting in German - read story about Kyrgyzstan - starts quite quickly. My spirit, on the other hand, is much better than when we started last year, no tears and no swearing...yet. I have learned that cycling and pushing up is always worth the effort. The reward is either a beautiful view on the Himalayas or a perfect campground, even better, a room with a hot shower.

In the first three weeks, we cycle from Kathmandu to Pokhara on small mountain roads, visiting Ghorka and Bandipur, two beautiful little towns. Ghorka was the epicentre of the 2015 earthquake, almost destroyed and rebuilt, except for the palace that is still under re-construction. Both places are not on the classical tourist road and up in the mountains but worth a detour. Bandipur, a small old Newari town, preserved the existing architecture of the previous century. It is just sad that artisans and rural life have been replaced by restaurants, shops, loud music, and very high hotel prices.

View from Gorkha Palace - Manaslu - Dhaulagiri and Ganesh peaks

Along the road, unexpected friendships start or grow stronger. We meet Nienke, a Dutch woman living in Scotland, who biked the Annapurna and Manaslu trail circuit. In the past, she was a professional Mountain Biker, but a severe back injury prevented her from pursuing her career. Bikepacking both circuits in winter conditions is very impressive. She is so happy to be back on her bike, that even the harshest conditions can't erase the big smile on her face.

There are also daily calls from Madhav, our friend from Chitwan, who makes sure we are safe and books hotel rooms at the best rate for us. One of them is the Hotel Guru in Pokhara. It is a family run business, where owners and staff always meet you with a smile.

Or Katalin and Matthias, a German-Swiss couple. Katalin is originally from Germany and works together with her Swiss husband for a Canadian NGO based in Vancouver, called Himalayan Life (himalayanlife.com). Katalin met a Belgian cyclist last year, Trien from Gent, who spent two weeks with them. We 'virtually' know her. Trien and Frank chatted a lot on Instagram. The world is tiny! As we get to know Katalin and Matthias a bit, we, I, am impressed by their life choices. Two passionate people with incredible energy and the will to improve the lives of Nepali street kids and Nepal in general. Calling them inspiring is not giving them enough credit. They are so much more. I let you read their blog and discover how they try to educate and help street kids, how Matthias helped to build a recycling plant that recycles 20% of all plastic bottles of Nepal employing more than 60 people.

Katalin and Matthias show us the mountains around Pokhara

Or just the people we meet and connect with, like when we help in the field harvesting the rice and sharing lunch.

The farmer - the real farmer vanished and let Frank do the job for 2h

Going home after a day of work on the fields and a shower in the river

And of course our friendship with Siyam, our Bangladesh friend. He will cycle with us for two weeks from Jomsom to Pokhara. Everything we do is a premiere for Siyam. First passport, first flight, first time abroad, first snow, first time camping with minus temperatures, first time in high altitudes, first Christmas, and so on. There is a whole new world waiting for him, and he is ready to enjoy every moment. The big smile on his face doesn't seem to go away, even when we traverse landslides, climb steep hills or cycle down bumpy roads. Before he leaves, we ask him what he liked and what he disliked about his trip. He loved the freedom, the first experiences and the possibilities for the future, and he disliked the fact “that society in Asia or elsewhere is still not ready to see coloured and white people as equals ” On the road, people thought he was our guide or working for us. None of the people we met thought he could just be our friend.

Siyam on his way back to Pokhara from Jomsom

Enjoying the view by sub zero temperatures

The time we spent together enriched all three of us, and hopefully, Siyam will keep exploring the world and dream big.

Below some likes and dislikes of our trip so far:

Likes:

no diarrhea ...
my new camera Sony 6000 with 4/18-105 lens - it allows me to capture people's face without getting to close
my new Salsa Fargo bike with internal speedhub Rohloff
our new thermos
my snacks

Our first batch of treats. Thank you sister and Team Nepal 😉

Dislikes:

Nescafe - I know I sound like a spoiled brat
Chowmein - if I can avoid to eat it, I do
Nepal road conditions

************

Some quick facts about Nepal if you are interested: The Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal,[12] is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is located mainly in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. With an estimated population of 26.4 million, it is 48th largest country. It borders China in the north and India in the south, east and west while Bangladesh is located within only 27 km (17 mi) of its southeastern tip and Bhutan is separated from it by the Indian state of Sikkim. Nepal has a diverse geography, including fertile plains,[14] subalpine forested hills, and eight of the world's ten tallest mountains, including Mount Everest, the highest point on Earth. Kathmandu is the capital and the largest city. Nepal is a multiethnic country with more than 20 different ethnic groups with Nepali as the official language. Furthermore, Nepal is the birth place of Budha (Lumbini), has never been colonized but served as a buffer state between Imperial China and British India. It has been a Hindu Monarchy until 2008 and is now a secular republic. Nepal also has one of the largest biodiversities of the world. (Wikipedia)

Frank

After a summer in our Vancouver nest, catching up with friends, it is time to get back on the road to wrap up our Himalayan circumnavigation started in June 2018. New Start...new bikes. We gave a well-deserved break to our Salsa Mukluk and customized 2 new Salsa Fargo equipped with Rolhoff to challenge them on the original but anticipated project.

Chatting with locals along the road. Always a good excuse for a break

At some well known and loved Nepali sceneries will succeed long while cycled Indian provinces that I am very excited to rediscover. As usual, no predetermined routes, more some bearing to follow with the flow, juggling with the weather, road conditions and the source of inspiration coming from the people we will meet. Feeling free to decide what the next hour-day will be. Willing to be surprised and travel such that surprises will happen. We will be 2 sponges sucking in cultures, emotions, landscapes. Feeling the time passing wrapping us slowly...because travel by bike is about that.

The main “Hwy” between Kathmandu and Pokhara is a nightmare for cyclists. A narrow paved - well, Nepali style pavement - saturated with noisy, smelly traffic. Buses, trucks and numerous tourist forms of transportations.

We plan to stay alive and have some fun, so, away from hell.

We are heading to the Mid Hills and their constant ups and downs. At least we know it will be sand, mud, rocks and gravels. We also know about Nepali road grades... always between 8-15%, a heritage from the British time.

Kathmandu is at 1200m, after 3 days catching up with local friends, we hit our first 10km climb to leave the Kathmandu valley, its pollution, behind us.

It is beautiful and sunny. Not totally acclimatized to the altitude and the heat, the wake-up call is quickly knocking us down. Not totaly down but enough to put our pride on the side and eventually start to hike the loaded bikes. I am always looking over my shoulder for Sylvia. She caught a cold during our family stopover in Belgium. I can hear her coughing. But damned, she is pushing hard and manages to stay on the saddle. I wish she gives up pedalling and instead pushes so I could finally go for one more curve of the road proudly and soon off sight start to push pretending I could have done more. It feels like we are both willing to challenge the other. Like a dog marking its territory, we want to mark our determination and fitness level.

…awe cycling! Off road is highly rewarded in many ways

The Mid Hills can peak at 2500m. In many countries, they would be seen and expressed as mountains. Mountains in Nepal are more after the next rows of Mid Hills when suddenly the massive wall of the Himalayas blocked the horizon impressively with peaks topping 5km+ higher than the last row of Mid Hills. This is something unique to Nepal. The Mid Hills are roughly 40km wide, sharply cut by deep valleys. Their slopes have been fashioned for centuries by human beings. Farmers carving steep slopes in terraces to grow rice, wheat, canola, mustard, digging more large spaces to grass Ox, goats, cows, farms forming small settlements, villages hooked to some impossible terrains. Villages connected only by a network of trails, endless stairs, everything creating an unbelievable harmony not even disturbed by the human presence. Nepali people are among the nicest people you can meet in Asia and South Asia. Always smiling, great sense of humour, still showing how happy and proud they are that you spend your time in their country. The deeper you explore Nepal, the deeper you reach their heart and their beauty.

Nepali Momo’s….12 pieces for 1$…perfect snack on the road

While parents are working hard shoveling sand, rocks and gravels along the rivers for road constructions, children stay around making fun with everything.

Monkeys are common up to 1500m of elevations. They are living in community so when you see one, … you will be quickly surrounded by dozens

WE LOVE NEPAL

Seven days of dust, sweat, superb campsites with views on the white Himalayas and we arrived in Pokhara. Each visit of Pokhara unveils a more touristic but still a great place to be. Yet, we can question the future. The Chinese, like in the rest of the world, are investing, speculating and make things happening.

A brand new Pokhara international airport, to be inaugurated in few months, will drain - at least this is the idea - rich Chineses and East Indians and so transform what used to be in the 70’s a hippie place where only mushrooms and hashish were driving backpackers to nirvana in a cheap trip to a full resort where Tourism is now associated with $$$$. Local businesses already suffered by outside competition. Boutique hotels squeeze guesthouses and small family hotels with spa and swimming pool. Victims will be the local family business, but not sure anyone at the end will be real winners. Only time will tell.

We met Siyam last year in Bangladesh. We met through local cycling community forums. Bangladesh is not what we can call a tourist destination. In a quest for info about cycling through the country, he found our post and offered to cycle with us for about 10 days. In his 20’s, cycling with a couple who is fighting the ageing process could have been challenging and “awkward.” It turned out to be a great experience. He was our guide, interpreter, our negotiator (read the story about Bangladesh) while dealing with an annoying and mandatory police escort for seven days.

We talked cycle touring, mountains, snow, cold, high altitudes, wild camping, loneliness.... all weird and strange feelings for a Bangladeshi. We promised 2019 would be the year where words will mean something to him. Two days after we settled in Pokhara, Siyam showed up in the lobby of Hotel Guru, our favourite family hotel business.

Preparing dinner after sunset….bloody cold

Fire keeps us out of our cozy tents for a couple of hours. Running out of wood and we find shelter in our warm sleeping bags for the next 12hours. Sunset is around 5:30PM

Pokhara is at 800m. Siyam flew for the first time and owned his first passport. Soon he took off from Dhaka; everything became new for him. Everything. And he was ready to explore the new world at 200%.

Siyam brought his bike, his tent and a box of matches to experience camping in sub-zero temperature with an 8000m peak and a campfire. Never been higher than 300m, or so, never step in snow, never known temperature under 7c never biked downhills or uphills longer than a couple of 100 meters.

Altitude sickness began at Kathmandu, frost on the tent is when the night was at negative temperatures, cold is ...cold. Hard to define cold if you never been in ...cold, snow is white and can be slippery, and yes, when you start to cycle at Jomsom ( 2800m) it is a lot of downhills to get back to Pokhara. Not mentioning, and I should maybe, the 25km long steep uphill that took us over the last pass from 650m to 1300m before going freewheel to Pokhara.

Classic photo with the Dhaulagiri in the background

The road from Jomsom is known for constant landslides. That road is never boring

Our last camp was on the ridge above Pokhara and Fewa lake. In the morning, Siyam discovered that you could be above the clouds and not necessarily be in a plane.

The Pokhara Peace Pagode seen in early morning from Saranghkot ridge

It was 2 weeks of friendship and amusement. Siyam spent moments with himself sometimes. Probably trying to digest all these new feelings, Youtube videos can not replace reality and reality can be huge sometimes. As massive as the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri that we were able to contemplate with a non-stop blue sky. Everything has to stay in perspective, challenging to realize and accept that that ridge reaching the summit of the Manaslu at 8163m is not runnable, Siyam!

I know it looks like doable from where you stand at 3000m Siyam, but if you want to try....be our guest

Siyam left loaded with images and new thoughts till next time.

One of our last lunch on the road before Siyam will fly back to Bangladesh

NepalFrank JanssensDecember 27, 2019Eastcapades Frank & Sylvia

Kathmandu, Nepal - New Delhi, India Dec 31 - Feb 16

challenge

+7775m/-10195m

ROUTE

1414km

TIME

48 days

off road

176km

A journey into our journey

The route we’ve biked from Kathmandu to New Delhi has been full of wonderful encounters and breathtaking views. This time, our story will be told by our friends, Mary, Lang and Alexa, who joined us for the last 6 weeks of our trip. You will discover their experiences and how it felt to travel as a team. We will write a final story about our entire trip very soon. But first enjoy this update...

LANG

You can change a bicycle tire but can a bicycle change you?

The start in Kathmandu

Uncertain and anxious
Can I keep up?
Am I too fat and too tired ?
Those questions are answered now and my old confidence renewed

Along the way

People

We are 'Selfie celebrities'; Parking lots, curb side, even drive-by highway selfies!
Choruses of school kids waving in response to our ride by waves (Neither of these ever happens at home)
Humbled by how often we are met with friendship hospitality and generosity.
Our new found friends: Candace, Madhev and Tikendre watch over us
Frank Sylvia and Alexa; Fast friends become faster friends, gaps close. So does our riding peloton
Mary, my best friend is better still.

Eyes are opened

I looked upon natural wonders I'll never forget
I witnessed man made horrors I want to forget
Social media posts are happy and true but filtered. upsetting and ugly things are left out. those things are very real and still here.

Riding

Thick brown dust, gravel, rocks, splattering wet clay and blissful asphalt
My bike falls here are definitely preferred to last fall at home.
At first it's about the daily destination: When? Where? How far? How much climbing?
Gradually it's about the journey; 'don't worry we will figure it out'.
Don't think ahead'. However it's good to look back and reflect on the day, (sometimes around an evening campfire)

Food as fuel

When you burn more than you eat all food, any food is good.
Coke, cookies, candy bars; At home, rarely. Here, daily.
Yet with all the junk eating, my pants are still a little looser.

Traveler’s Dilemma:
The draw of home vs the call of the road.

Passing by a parent with their child reminds me of home
Family videos make me want to fly right back.
When I'm here I sometimes want to be there.
These feelings make difficult things harder and the journey seem too long
Still, I don't want this trip to end. Back at home I will want to be here.
Riding with friends, seeing new things. Life washing over you like wind on a bike.
These feelings ease the difficulties and make me fear the journey ends too soon.
I'm so lucky to have both a home that I love combined with the chance to travel.
I can't be in two places at once. So I must learn to fully enjoy where I am.

Closing thoughts

Can a bicycle change me? Yes I think so. I return home
Different than I arrived. Less fat, less tired. Definitely more fat-tired.
Frank and Sylvia this made this trip possible. I needed this more than I realized. I'm deeply grateful to my friends for this wonderful gift.

ALEXA

Decisions made and tickets booked. Mary, Lang and I will meet Sylvia and Frank in Kathmandu, Nepal on December 30th, 2018!

Excitement to be doing this after a false start earlier in April
Packing, repacking and rethinking what gears to take over and over for weeks
Some nervous questions going through my mind: will joining Frank and Sylvia upset their rhythm after their already being on the road for 6 months? Will it be too physically challenging? Will being the 5th wheel be awkward?

1400 kms and a multitude of incredible experiences later, the nervous questions were more than calmed. The trip was to take us generally westward from Kathmandu to Delhi though we made a number of excursions in different directions.

Eastern circuit into the Kathmandu Valley to test gears and acclimatize in the altitude
Northern spur into the Annapurna Conservation Area to get up close and personal with the Himalayas
South to Chitwan in search of rhinos, tigers and elephants
Then, continuing West to experience the Terai with its untouristed villages before finally crossing the border into India.

We made new friends and experienced extraordinary hospitality every where along the way. With so much given to us in so many ways, I can only hope we gave something back as well. Whether it be the chance for a school child to practice English or for someone to take a selfie with us or to give a 15 year old girl exposure to possibilities that she could aspire to for her own life.

Amongst the beauty of the environments and people there were also challenges like dust, air pollution, tough pushes and climbs (Frank might argue this one) and crazy traffic - getting into and around Delhi by bike is an adrenaline rush!. Some of the conditions people live in are also difficult to comprehend coming from a world where the basics and more are (mostly) a given.

There is no question that both Nepal (35 million) and India (one of the largest and certainly the densest population in the world) have infrastructure issues and long held beliefs/practices that are proving difficult to change. From discussions with locals, one of the questions is whether governments are truly helping their people or are they simply helping themselves? While this is a typical political issue, the stakes somehow seem higher for these populations than ours. Also fascinating is that Nepal, always an independent nation, holds a strategic position between China and India putting the country in a place where the world is paying attention.

Through the trip and all of our adventures our friendships deepened and we became stronger as a unit and physically - at packing up camp, at riding in peloton formation and in figuring out our way.

We all brought different attitudes and temperaments to the team:

Frank: experienced bike world traveller, extraordinary planning, orienteering and map interpreting, knowledgeable and confident leader

Sylvia: taking care of us, checking in, noticing when someone is flagging, encouraging and drafting the weary, my soul-sister

Mary: available and encouraging, tuk-tuk controller and fabulous peloton signaller, life saver (particularly during the plastic bag incident) and now soul-sister as well

Lang: wit and wisdom, a wordsmith and deep thinker, able to articulate an experience with depth and vulnerability, incredibly inspiring after going through more than a year of his own hell, fellow hill climber

Thank you all so so so much!! These souvenirs will last a life time.

What are we doing next?!?

MARY

I have found it difficult to find words big enough to express the impact of our adventure. Let me try and paint a picture or two, maybe this will give a glimpse into the magic.

My favourite time of our cycle day was the morning. Not because my sit bones hadn’t yet started to yell at me but because our departures coincided with the village children’s walk to school. Blue, green, maroon uniforms, shirts with ties and tunics lined both sides of the road. Kids arm in arm. Hands held. Sisters helping younger brothers and friends laughing with friends.

When we rode by faces would stare in amazement. Was it the fat bike? The white skin? Middle-aged women in board shorts? Bald guys? All of the above. The stares dissolved as we called out ”hello”, “Namaste”. Hands waved and giggles followed us. Responses in all manner of English were offered. There did seem to be a universal understanding of two particular English words: Justin Bieber. Those giggles stay with me and I have downloaded some Bieber.

There was one boy, maybe 6 or 7 wearing a green toque, he stopped dead in his tracks leaving his siblings to continue walking. His jaw literally dropped and his head followed our progression. I wonder what story he told at home that night? I know I will always tell the story of seeing him.

The people we met along the way were special. They opened their hearts and literally, their homes to us. It was a gift to be hugged by the country of Nepal. We often would ask “would this happen at home”; “would people do this for strangers”? Our answer would be “not likely”. There is such importance to the kindness for strangers. We can’t forget that.

We constantly were amazed at how when we were mud splattered from head to toe, the brilliantly coloured sari’s of women riding side saddle on motor bikes were immaculate. What? How does that happen? Not a speck of mud. One school uniform included white pants; white pants are you kidding me? And they were white!

We experienced sights of squalor and misery but we also marvelled at homes that were immaculate and kept with bursting pride. Dirt floors swept until they glowed. In India, we saw so much trash. Vancouver is a paradise, pristine mountains, waters and clean air. We take these for granted. We need to stop and appreciate how fragile our environment is and do all we can to protect it.

I hope this paints a bit of a picture of our experience. It is indescribable on so many levels. I can’t thank you enough you Fabulous Five. You are in my heart forever.

India, NepalZenija EsmitsMarch 5, 2019

Darjeeling, India - Kathmandu, Nepal Dec 1st - Dec 26th

challenge

+22018m/-20768m

ROUTE

867km

TIME

24 days

off road

342km

SYLVIA

The wonderful things in life are the things you do, not the things you have.

Reinhold Messner

It’s with mixed feelings that I leave Bangladesh. After such an intense and crowded experience, I’m somewhat relieved to have some me/us time, but I fear the feeling of emptiness lingering around the corner. The first three days in India, tears come to my eyes on multiple occasions. I think of the wonderful people we met and of the hardship they live in. What will it take to change the life conditions for future generations? The next four weeks on my bike do not answer my question but they do help me to digest my emotions. Today, I feel privileged and wiser to have traveled in Bangladesh. Observing such a different society and having the privilege to be part of it for a few days makes me more complete.

It is good that India requires my instant and full attention because the traffic is insane. The new situation helps me to distance myself from my Bangladesh feelings.

Two truck and one bus accidents within the first three hours create a huge traffic jam. Fortunately, our fatbikes allow us to slip along all the cars and trucks, even though the side road is sandy and rocky. On our way to Siliguri, a bigger town at the foothills of Darjeerling, we meet the first cyclo tourists in a long time. Molly and Haydn are biking from England to New Zealand. In case you want to learn more about their travels: http://www.cycleforlove.com . They cycle the globe for refugees.

Our first stop in India is in Siliguri. It is a 1 million people city in West Bengal, and even though the city has nothing outstanding to offer other than its location at the foothills of the Himalayas, we enjoy staying here, resting, discovering new food and enjoying the colourful happiness of Indian people.

Frank in the traffic looking for the perfect picture

We book a jeep to travel to Darjeerling because neither Frank nor I are ready to climb to the tea plantations after more than 1,000 km of flatness cycling in Bangladesh.

When we discover the grades of the itinerary, both of us are relieved at the sight of not having to cycle these roads. Darjeerling is a town known for its tea industry and is located at 2,040 m altitude. From here, you can see the third highest mountain (8,580 m), Kangchenjunga. We visit the Happy Valley tea plantation and museum. One of the best teas in the world is coming from here. Almost 90% of their production is shipped to London (Harrods), Germany and France (Mariage Frère). We learned that tea from high altitude is better quality than from the plains as the leaves get less water and grow slowly. Furthermore, the tea plant for white, green and black tea is the same, the difference is in the processing.

Like Frank told you in an Instagram posting, we still don’t appreciate a good tea to its right value and prefer a good beer, but we are better educated now.

For the first time in a long time, we can also enjoy Western food like Shepherds pie, Mac & Cheese and lemon pie with a glass of wine that is far too sweet. These little tastes from home feel good.

Well maintained Indian Old Timer ‘Ambassador’

Famous DHR, Darjeerling Himalayan Railway, completed in 1881 to transport rice at a more competitive price to the, at this time, remote area

Before we leave India, Laxmi, a very smart local young woman we meet along the road invites us for a cup of tea and some noodles. She explains to us how her mother did everything to have her three daughters educated so they can be independent. The societal pressure and caste system still prevents millions of women and men to live the life of their choice, and it’s refreshing to see she’s doing everything she can to choose her own life path with the help of her mother.

Getting our Nepal visa and crossing the border is smooth and easy. We stay one night in Kakarbhitta and work on our itinerary to Kathmandu. Frank gives me three options: easy, not so easy and impossible according to Google. We choose the impossible option. After the easy riding in Bangladesh, we’re looking forward to the unexpected adventurous road. I still don’t know how Frank manipulates my reasonable thinking to say yes to this itinerary. The first 100 km are steep and paved. All good until we hit dirt road in Bedhetar. The downhill of 25 km takes us three hours to the valley and it is so dusty and rocky that we look grey when we arrive at the bottom of the hill. Even tractors and big trucks have difficulties to ride the road in either direction. I start to doubt my...Frank’s! decision and wonder what is ahead. Still 420 km to cycle. Local intel is conflicting. Going from “it is paved after the village” or “don’t cycle there” to “road work in progress”...but I really don’t want to push my bike back up the hill to Bedhetar. After a party with the road workers and a good night of sleep, I feel confident that it can’t be worse than the last stretch. Good surprise, after 10 km of more dust, mud and big rocks , the road is beautifully paved. My smile is back for the next 30 km with one or two tears of exhaustion at the top of the mountain. However, the view on the Himalayas chases them away in no time.

I will not explain the next 250+ km. The fact that I already cry of exhaustion and despair in the early morning instead of the late afternoon is self-explanatory.

Me pretty much exhausted and Frank not knowing how to comfort and get me up the hill.

We push our bikes, no cycling is possible, and it’s never ending. The breath-taking views and the kindness of the villagers make it a bit easier, but I can’t explain how relieved I am when we hit some pavement after Diktel where we spent the night in a ‘hotel’ a local recommended us. It was the worst place we ever stayed.

Nepali festivity we have the privilege to attend

Elderly couple who allows us to camp on their property and invites us for dinner

The 500 RS (CAN $5) we pay for the room are used to buy the flooring the son is placing just before we move in. The mattress is a wooden plank and the blankets so dirty that we take out our sleeping bags. The room has a hole where a window could be placed in the future, and Frank has a hard time to pee standing in what could be called a washroom as the toilet is under a staircase. He has to lean back, and I am not sure how it all landed in the right place. It would have been funny if I had not been so tired.

Starting now the road is still steep and tiring, but it’s almost a pleasure to be back on the bike even though my legs are protesting each time it’s climbing.

After three weeks of camping, we decide to take a hotel room in Halesi for three nights. It is a nice small town with holy caves shared by Hindus and Buddhists. We stay in a nice Tibetan hotel where Dawa and his wife take good care of their eclectic guests.

Buddhist monks, NY life style Buddhist coaches, Ian Daniel, producer of the US tv show ‘Gaycation’ and us, make it an interesting crowd with good debates. Frank and I will definitely not convert to Buddhism like many Chinese or Westerners do but we are open to listen to their stories and experiences. Around a good vegetarian meal and hot tea, the monks explain us how they became Buddhist monks, either by choice or because the parents want their child to become a monk or nun. The education they have to complete in the monastery is quite similar to University studies. Once adults, they do something similar to a Bachelor, Masters and eventually a PhD degree. Most of them have a good sense of humour and are just happy, and we have good laughs. Ian and his friends are different kind of animals. Ian, the critical out stander of the group of five, questions his friends about the path they choose, the meditation and life style, the money they make and want to make out of it in the future. But he is also open to new things and feels it could help him and others to live a happy live. We have a bit more critical view on the whole Buddhist thing, the money made by the monks and the life style coaches. Having said that, the money and power is part of each religion, so nothing new here.

Our Christmas treat is a real bean coffee, and eventually, the rest of the road becomes smooth and nice most of the way to Kathmandu.

While waiting for our Vancouver friends, Alexa, Mary and Lang to arrive, we stay at the Kathmandu Guest House. After a few weeks of hardship, we welcome our first heated room, warm shower and amazing breakfast buffet. The cherry on the cake is that Reinhold Messner, very famous Italian climber, is in the same hotel. Even Frank gets emotional when he shakes our hands with an iron grip. We feel the year ends really well and are happy to share the next six weeks with our friends.

Likes

stunning Himalaya views
generosity and kindness of Nepali
Dal Bhat and MoMos
KGH aka Kathmandu Guest House
real bean coffee
eclairs from ‘Flat Iron’ coffee shop Kathmandu - can you tell that we are hungry :)))
laundry service

Dislikes

mud, rocks and dust on the road from Dharan to Diktel
cold weather in the evening when we’re camping

Favourite gear

long johns
T2 and T3 from MEC
my Sony camera - RJ, thank you for recommending it

FRANK

Stuck!

We have just crossed the Indian border, with the benediction of our Bengali police escort, too happy to get rid of us safe and sound.

Not even 30 minutes on a dusty wide Indian paved road and we are already.... stuck!

Not even a bike can find a way to sneak out or through a huge traffic jam caused by, what we will discover much later, a couple of accidents.

Things get worse as the road giving access to a narrow bridge forms a real bottle neck. It is a long bridge crossing a very wide river. The river is totally dry creating in us some frustration to be stuck on a too narrow bridge that is actually at the moment not necessary. Of course a stupid frustration that was not shared by anyone around us maintaining classic British stoicism ... probably an English heritage from a time now gone.

Buses, trucks, cars, motorcyclists and the 2 of us trying to find a way to gain few meters. Any gap, any space is quickly filled up. Who cares about the lane reserved for the oncoming traffic, if there is an open space it needs to be filled up.

It feels like we are part of a giant Rubik’s Cube, someone needs to solve the problem by shifting the tiles in the right direction. If there is a God somewhere we will need his assistance. From above, he should have a clear vision of who should move to create some motion.

We zigzagged between and over what ever was in our way to slowly progress forward.

The sun was hot, the air dusty and yellow, but everyone was calm, no road rage, no stress. Some even joked with us saying we were the cause as everyone came to welcome us.

Lonely!

Actually, aside of a few jokes and a few smiles, compared with Bangladesh, we felt like we did not exist anymore. Bangladesh was constant and overwhelming but friendly attention. Only few meters across the border and we are not VIP anymore, just 2 cyclists added to an already packed road.

We can almost still see the last trees in Bangladesh and already are feeling so far away from it.

We are in India, hoping to reach Siliguri, only 70Km further, before the sunset.

We did it, right at sunset. 3 major accidents involving buses and trucks, ambulances unable to reach the accident scene, stuck like everyone, were good reminders of our vulnerability. Feeling too comfortable in the traffic, being involved in an accident and we should not count on much medical assistance. Honking is useless but people are honking. Not irritating anymore, it has been part of our sound environment for many weeks now.

Siliguri is a big city, busy with a certain charm. Charm supported by the presence of many women on scooters, bicycles and liberated from the Muslim doctrines and dress codes.

Cheap hotels but with hot water and plenty of choices of types of food and tasty meals.

I need a new saddle. Found the exact same saddle for the equivalent of US$7.

One day off to regroup, wash our clothes and work on the maps.

Drawing an itinerary, then have a look on the route profile. Smartphones now offer plenty of solutions through Applications to clearly and quickly plan the almost perfect itinerary. Accurate road maps, topo maps and live localization make things fun to organize. Though, there is a little bit of nostalgia for the time where in some Asian and Central Asian countries I had only an aviation map to figure out my position and a vague bearing to follow with my compass.

Old I may sound after that statement but it was not that long ago in reality.... what is 30 years when you are 60 :)

Darjeeling as the next destination was an evidence and a very nice discovery

Sikkim could be a bonus if we had the time and could have the access permit quickly enough. It is early December and friends from Vancouver are meeting us in Kathmandu for new year with their bikes to share the road for a few weeks. So we need to make a choice, give priorities to our bucket list according with the time needed to cycle to Kathmandu.

I have been in Nepal more than once but have never really explored the East Terai. A mountainous area with barely no, if any, road access. The topo maps show dirt roads along endless mountain ridges, offering in my imagination, grandiose view points to some of the most famous 8000m peaks. On my updated digital maps, there is now a yellow line going from East to West through that area. I am already excited by the idea of being able to pedal the area. Western Terai -West of Kathmandu- is hilly, Eastern Terai reaching Darjeeling on the West Bengal district of India is definitely more a mountainous landscape.

The bad news is, there is no border open for foreigners between Darjeeling and Nepal. So choosing Darjeeling and its tea plantations at 2100m as the next destination means we will have to get back down to almost sea level in order to cross the only international border to Nepal.

After 4 weeks of flat Bangladesh “we” (?) crave for some hills, cool air, cold nights and fun downhills. Not much searching for the best route to follow needed, there is only one from Siliguri to Darjeeling and another..... to go down ....to reach the Nepali border. The only headache comes from the vision of the road profile. ...

62km to cover with the last 35 at grades of 10+% to gain the 2000m.

Riding our bikes over bridges in Bangladesh were the toughest recent climbs .... and there were not that many bridges to go over.

Jeeps with the sign Darjeeling are parked right in front of the hotel, drivers yelling their destinations to catch the attention of the rare tourists around.

US2$ / person for the ride... watching one jeep taking off, I estimated 10 people were squeezed in the jeep for the journey.....

No need to negotiate much, a driver/jeep owner and I agreed to a US20 ride for both of us and the bikes. No need to wait for enough potential clients to pack his jeep. Not too proud of that solution but very tempting. For that price, we avoided a long and probably painful climb because of the recent lack of climbs in our legs and also because we were no longer acclimatized to altitude.

Bikes tightened on the roof and comfortably seated in a vehicle where usually 10 people find their place, we left around 8 am the next morning. 62km and 3hours later we discovered the town of Darjeeling. Pleased we picked that option as the road was very busy and very narrow. Grades up to 15% were confirmed, .... so everything considered, we took the right decision. If not, we would have found other good reasons. Those were easy to claim and very obvious.

Darjeeling is like a nest of people living on a very sharp, narrow, ridge.

Steep streets forming a maze between houses and buildings we are still wondering how they stand straight.

As usual in many Asian countries, houses and places in general are not heated. Shorts and T-shirt’s found their place back in our panniers, fleeces and down jackets after many weeks of warm conditions, lost at the bottom of our bags, can finally get some fresh air. Sleeping bags added to thin blankets provided by our host, helped us to stay warm during our nights in the guesthouse.

Darjeeling is a tourist mountain station destination. Mainly Indians from the lower valleys are looking, during the hot summers, to get some cool conditions, experience the historical 80Km journey up to the city with the famous Darjeeling Himalayan railway and its steam locomotives - still in duty despite almost 140 years of loyal services, an English heritage - and enjoying views of the white peaks of the Khangchendzonga (8598m, the third highest mountain).

We are in December, off season, there are not many West Bengal tourists and for sure not many Caucasians around. Sikkim was still tempting but applying for a permit and not much time to really explore it, the idea was quickly abandoned. Rather we spend 2 more nights in Darjeeling, an area offering some interesting hikes.

90km to reach the Nepali border check point from 2100m to 100m did not require a brainstorm meeting. Obviously it will be for sure a fun long downhill surrounded by big pine and eucalyptus forests and tea plantations. Confident, we straddled our bikes in an early morning and took off by a dirt road discovered while hiking. The road let us avoid the busy stretch going out of town.

Why are we going up while we should go down? After the few flat kilometers expected, the road showed some tendency to take us higher, re-assuring us briefly that it will eventually go down. The first 35Km turned out to be a roller coaster with sometimes short but such steep sections that we had to hike the bikes. We rode and pushed our bikes in a superb forest made of tall pine trees. The road winding further down between tea farms.

We followed the Nepali line of demarcation and passed the unique border check post open only to Indians or Nepali people. For us, foreigners, it will be another 40km, mainly downhill to the customs and the immigration check point.

We camped in a huge field hidden behind the tea bushes on the Indian side of the border, sharing a great evening and night chatting with a couple of German cyclists, who by pure chance, crossed the border from Nepal as we arrived. Nice to meet them after many months following them on Instagram.

Nepal.

Just pronouncing the word creates in me a warm feeling. I have been traveling the country many times, on foot, on bike and of course along many of the most famous or infamous hiking trails. Never get tired of it and will probably never be.

I spent a lot of time in the Himalayan mountains, my preferred environment, but also enjoyed the lower valleys. The Western side of Nepal is sometimes on my way from or to North India, Spiti, Manali, Ladhak or Zanskar. The Eastern side of Nepal remained unknown to me. So when I vaguely heard about a new road crossing the midlands hills, I jumped on the idea...and so did Sylvia. I should maybe say that her enthusiasm needed to be built up a little bit when I showed her the route on Google Earth. A good tool to visualize terrain but that can also reduce the effect of surprise. So we usually use that tool later to remember a journey done.

A chat with a “knowledgeable” person at the Nepali custom while waiting for our visas sounded like the road was “existing”. So we looked at the profile and distance of the route with a Black Top (paved) road in mind. Even more.... with a smooth, level, freshly done “Black Top”. He said NEW ROAD after all.

One thing we learn when cycletouring or bikepacking is never ask locals about what is waiting for us further ahead (distances, route profiles, conditions and... how difficult it will be). They just don’t know. They often know less than us. This is true in all continents, rich or poor countries.

Why we persist to ask and to refer to locals for intel stays a mystery to me. I think the feeling is shared by most cycle tourists.

The beginning of the climb was similar to what we have done in Darjeeling, on the Indian side of the Nepali border.

The south face of the Himalayas, more exposed to heavy rains, monsoon, is more eroded, torturous, aggravated by the hit and motion of the Indian plate raising against the Asian plate.

It is steep slopes, luxuriant vegetation, deep ravines and more of an agricultural landscape. As we gained in elevation, the slopes are literally carved in multiple terraces, sometimes so narrow that they would not be a camp spot option. Vegetables and cereal fields are vanishing while rice fields are remaining as high as 2500m.

Confident by the pavement we try to consider and embrace the steep climbs as a friendly difficulty as it could have been worse IF it was not paved....we thought....at the beginning. These self talks and personal motivation thoughts suddenly became a “once upon a time”.

Like Google Earth, Google Maps is sometimes a source of information to confirm either a route choice or a distance or .... a feasibility. We did check what Google map suggested from our point A to our point B. The result was perceived then as a glitch in the system as from A to B, Google map would have forced us to go to C, D, E, F, .... and Z. Meaning a detour of over 350km at least in their “faster choice”. How stupid, unreliable that tool can be. My digital map shows clearly that new road. Not even a dotted line or a thin white pale line, it was right there, shown as a dark thick yellow line.

We (I) felt so good to be smarter than Google maps and to work with the right tools that have helped us so much and without any flaws for the last few months.

The 300km route was SUPERB, remote country, typical adobe Nepali houses linked to each other by walking trails and for few.... by the now new road.

Dust, dry mud, wet mud, landslides, gravel, rocks, sand, sometime barely a trail, that is how we found the dreamed of BlackTop road. Construction is definitely in progress in some sections. The huge project and distance in a very rugged terrain requires dividing the distance into many sections and between many different contractors. It does not seem a lot of coordination is happening between them. A few sections were “acceptable” - everything here is relative - others were just miserable to ride. We hiked the bikes sometimes for few hours to end the day exhausted and covered by the dust our own feet and tires created. One day, a long climb was done with the incentive and the encouragement of a 25km downhill waiting for us behind the pass.

The providential 25km can be summarized by a 5 hours long effort. Above ankle deep powdered sand hiding big rocks, trenches and dusty air irritating the eyes and filling our lungs make that dreamed of downhill worse than the uphill. A funny thought came to my mind. This is like being in one of these fatbike winter races or expeditions we have done. Riding the bikes in those conditions required the same type of ride. Looking for the right line, compact snow/compact mud, crusty snow surfaces hiding air holes/light flour type sand hiding rocks.

All the streams, creeks were dry. Water is detoured by hoses to irrigate rice fields and provide water to families via 1000 litre black plastic barrels sitting along houses. So, at the end of the day, we were looking for houses surrounded by rice fields to pitch the tent and get some water to somewhat clean ourselves and cook.

We have always been welcomed and very often the invitation included a Dhal Bat meal. The cold temperatures at this time of the year are never a real problem for us as we have a good winter tent and good sleeping bags. The tent becomes a cozy place where we like to rest in early evening. It is getting dark around 5PM and temperatures drop down very quickly when the sun is gone. Accepting an invitation for a meal forces us to stay “up” in the cold longer than we want. Cooking in Nepal is a long process. It is done inside of the house in a room that we can call Kitchen. In a corner of the room, a clay oven or pit is a designated wood fire place. Quickly the smoke invades the room as no chimney is built. Nepalis want to keep the heat of the fire in the room and so the smoke is associated with heat.

So we stay out and try to be as interactive as possible with the entire family with the few words of Nepali we learned in each of our previous encounters. Nepalis have a very social life style. Especially in the country side where cell phone coverage is weak or even non existent. No cell phone coverage, no internet access. This reality preserves the family and social aspects of a culture that will eventually disappear sooner than later.

Kids are always a source of amusement, too happy to play new games with us after the first few minutes of shyness.

Despite the difficulties, the itinerary was superb. The encounters amazing. The hospitality and kindness beyond anything we could describe. So many opportunities to learn more and more about Nepal and Nepalis. So, absolutely no regrets.

It took us about 14 days to cover roughly 350km and now that we are In Kathmandu, in a heated room, showered with hot water and waiting for our laundry to be done, we feel it was one of the best parts of our journey so far in Nepal.

After all the bike trip was meant to be an adventure, we planned it and we are living it that way.

We are now about to start a new Nepali journey, this time shared with friends from Vancouver arriving with their bikes just in time to celebrate the new year.

To be continued....

India, NepalZenija EsmitsJanuary 13, 2019

The Story

challenge

+2300m/-2850m

ROUTE

263KM

TIME

6 days

off road

74KM

Sylvia

Frank

challenge

+9345m/-11478m

ROUTE

407KM

TIME

17 days

off road

210KM

Sylvia

Frank

challenge

+7775m/-10195m

ROUTE

1414km

TIME

48 days

off road

176km

A journey into our journey

LANG

ALEXA

MARY

challenge

+22018m/-20768m

ROUTE

867km

TIME

24 days

off road

342km

SYLVIA

FRANK