We rode on rutted, unpaved, rural rocky roads, up, down, across streams, through forests. Through small, rural Nepali villages, isolated houses and farm fields and hundreds of switchbacks. We saw monkeys, men and women carrying 70 pound loads on their backs, goats, cattle, chickens, ducks and lots of dogs. The sun was intense. Busses, many motorcycles, trucks and even cars - like a Ford Fiesta - were also on the road on occasion and I could not believe that the busses and cars were able to traverse the roads. It was definitely 4 wheel drive country, but there were few 4WD vehicles. Beyond belief that they could make it on those roads.
I was described as "A wrestler" - like The Rock or Hulk Hogan. I laughed like hell!!!
This caught my eye as I rode past. It was wild, but had some nice looking buds and my fingers were a little sticky after touching it.
I had a flat tire, which the guide repaired.
I especially enjoyed my riding partner, Krishna Danggi, 26, a self made man. Orphaned at a year and a half, he lived in the orphanage until he was 19. He is a sports and music reporter for the Kathmandu edition of the New York Times. He speaks and writes English fluently.
Krishna was the best partner imaginable for such a grueling ride. He encouraged and motivated me and I hope I did the same for him. We were both dog tired and saddle sore at the end of the day.....and long before the end of the day. We pushed each other, physically and mentally. We talked music. We both kept each other going by saying to each other "I will buy you a beer when we are done".
He asked, "Is that a Pink Floyd T-shirt you are wearing? They are one of my favorite bands". How could I not like another Floyd Fan? He said he also liked The Beatles, ELO, Led Zeppelin. He writes reviews for Nepali bands that cover American songs/bands. He did not like rap music.
He explained Hindu beliefs to me.
He is going to university and studying journalism. II look foward to meeting him again........maybe when I return from Pokhara, Lhasa or my trek along the route to the Nepali Mt. Everest Base Camp. Krishna made it up there - and he said I could make it. Some encouragement and support that I will use as inspiration in several weeks.
I drank over a gallon of water and sweat every ounce of it out of my body. I had leg, foot and arm cramps. At times the trail was smooth dirt; at other times it was nothing but loose rock - big rocks, little rocks and very steep. There were hills so steep that even our guide walked his bike. I walked mine quite a few times. It was the most physical thing I have done since before my quad tendon rupture 8 years ago. 2 years after my surgery I would have said that it would have been impossible for me to ever, ever do what I did yesterday.
Just before we entered the city on the way home, we had a 1000 foot or so downhill on a twisty paved road. It was delightful to have such a long, smooth downhill after some of the rough, rocky places we had traveled. Real rough, real rocky and real steep. At times there were places where if you fell off the bike on the wrong side you would drop 50 feet or more straight down.
Krishna is writing a piece for the paper on the ride, and when he sends me a copy, I will post it. He also wrote a piece on the men that cremate bodies in Kathmandu and I will also post that when he emails it to me.
The route:
Up, up, up and along the hilltop from the valley.
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