October 4 - on the Gorkha, home of the famous Gurkhas of British Army fame. It's another hilltop finish so yet another late day climb, this time about 800 metres in the last 14 km of riding, so not quite as steep as yesterday except for the last three or four km which was really steep - the main road into town complete with all the major business and shops is a 10+ percent grade - the photo below is deceiving - trust us, we were in the granny gear heading up (i.e., towards the camera).
Several street vendors were selling these colourful powders that we understand are used in relation to festivals. Right now, we are in the fifth day of the Dashain festival which is the biggest holiday in Nepal, lasting fifteen days. The people of Kathmandu abandon the city to travel home during Dashain - we've seen reports that one and a half million people drove out of Kathmandu during the first week of Dashain, that in addition to another 1.5 million who left during the two weeks prior.
Some photos from the town of Gorkha...
...the Gorkha museum.
October 5th - a short 50 km day because we're on very small roads, largely unpaved, all in aid of staying off the main Pokhara-to-Kathmandu highway which is not particularly wide but has lots of obstructions and heavy truck and bus traffic as well as Dashain holiday traffic, and nowhere for a bicycle to go when people are passing. The morning started with no views into the valley...
Most of the ride was fairly slow for us ordinary folk on roads with river rock size stones, loose gravel, etc, so even some of the descents needed to be off the bike and walking. Still with mist floating around the hills, we thought that this looked like a walkway to heaven. Steps and paved (with stone) footpaths are common here - they predate roads for motorised travel since monsoon rains would otherwise make foot travel impossible in the mud.
As part of the Dashain festival, it is common for local villages to construct swings using tall bamboo poles and we indeed saw several of these, some with the swings suspended over the middle of the road. The following photo shows a very elaborate sort-of-swing apparatus - the whole rectangular block rotates and you can see kids hanging on at the corners - not sure if this is part of Dashain or if it is a more permanent amusement here.
One of our fellow riders, Frieder, coming along the track on top of the ridge. We were starting a nice (but slow due to conditions) descent here.
The road had a good stretch of mud, fortunately not too much of which was really wet and slippery...
...but not a lot of space for even a small bike to pass a truck. What do they do when truck meets bus?
If there's water, we must be at the bottom of the descent. No bridge, just 30 cm of water in the stream flowing across the road - a bit of gravel, a bit of mud - maintain momentum and cycle through. Only the feet get wet and not nearly as much as if you stop and walk it.
After going through this river, we had an 800 m climb over 12 km - steep and places with loose gravel where you couldn't get enough traction to keep riding. All part of the adventure.
A stop for a cold drink at one of the tiny shops. The local people were very interested in what the heck this bunch of people were doing on bikes and are quite amazed when we tell them the distances that we travel and even more so when they ask our age.
The last 8 km was a descent on mostly good-surfaced tarmac... wow, was that nice. Destination tonight was in Dahdingbesi uncharacteristically at the bottom rather than the top of the hill.
October 6th - the plan was for a day very similar to yesterday, but recent rains essentially made the route impassible so we rode the bikes 17 km back to the main highway where the bikes were loaded on a truck and us people onto a bus to go forward to where we could leave the main road and ride about 35 km in to the village where that night's accommodation was arranged.
...the bike truck and our bus for the highway trip...
One of the Dashain traditions was the sacrificial slaughter of animals which now seems to be changing more to using it for a feast. Mainly goats - we saw several being prepared openly in front of houses and being cooked in pots or over open fires. One rider had counted close to hundred goats being so prepared as we rode by on the bikes or on the bus. A bit like the hit that the turkey population takes at Thanksgiving in Canada and the U.S.
Suspension bridges throughout these valleys provide for foot and bike crossings...
Lots of rock and mudslides along these roads...
A couple of black kites chasing each other at less than wing-span height above the river surface...
...while higher several vultures were circling...
...and another black kite over the fields...
Destination was the Famous Farm hotel at the top of the hill - yes, a 500 metre climb in the last 5 km - overlooking Newakot, seen below...
...our room - the "Garden Room"...
...and behind me when taking the photo above, about 5 metres downhill, they kept some of the livestock and even had a bathtub in the ground so the gees could take a bath...
So this is the final overnight on the trip...
Briefing for tomorrow going in to Kathmandu...
...and moments later I caught this black kite against the moon...
October 7th - same problem - road still full of mud from the rains and the landslides. So we were bussed to near Kathmandu's monkey temple where we'd meet some local cyclists who'd take us on a relatively leisurely group ride past a couple of UNESCO heritage sites to the hotel. The bus ride was on the main highway and I don't think there was anybody in the group who would have wanted to be on a bike in that traffic.
The local people get up early - here already washing clothes and dishes and themselves at the water fountain...
On the way through the village, it seemed that they already knew we were nearing the end and we got farewells even from the little ones...
...another misty morning and another disappointment that we couldn't see any snow-capped peaks - they're there, just can't be seen...
The terrain remained just as rugged as before until we climbed another steep hill and made a turn over the ridge into Kathmandu...
...to the monkey temple where we got the bikes off the truck and the final group photo.
Led by a local cycling club, first pause at the Kathmandu's Hanuman Dhoka Durbar square and its historic temples and shrines...
...and then the Patan Durbar square...
...both of these UNESCO recognised heritage sites... before going to the hotel for a busy afternoon of boxing the bikes and having the end-of-trip farewell dinner.
End of bike ride, still a couple of days for us in Kathmandu before flying home. We'll post some Kathmandu photos probably after getting home.
October 5th - a short 50 km day because we're on very small roads, largely unpaved, all in aid of staying off the main Pokhara-to-Kathmandu highway which is not particularly wide but has lots of obstructions and heavy truck and bus traffic as well as Dashain holiday traffic, and nowhere for a bicycle to go when people are passing. The morning started with no views into the valley...
The local people get up early - here already washing clothes and dishes and themselves at the water fountain...
End of bike ride, still a couple of days for us in Kathmandu before flying home. We'll post some Kathmandu photos probably after getting home.
