Up before the birds, thanks to no ceiling lining in our room and the lodge owners maximizing their daylight hours, and then some. Sinhuli is a picture postcard undeveloped hill town and it sounds predominantly the same. (that is when the local boys don't climb the hill in either direction to use their homemade cut down go carts) Bar the action going on around the lodge itself the only sounds are bird calls and the wind brushing the trees on the surrounding slopes.
Once we are obviously awake, there is a quiet interest in what we will do next, but in quiet curiosity rather than school fight huddle. "Uncle" brings chiya which has, as we confirm getting closer to the bottom, pepper. Preferable to salt but still when accumulating towards the dregs of the glass less pleasurable. Clean the previous two days of road and river from the bikes with a small crowd. By the end the gears are once again working and the wheels spinning freely with no disc brake rub (squeal). Cheering, as at Kurkhot, I thought I may have semi closed the disc brake pistons in my frustrated road side prognosis.
Goodbyes to all the family and then cycle out to find a small incline awaiting us around the ridge line before a snaking descent that again bore a slight resemblance to the great wall of China.
What felt like slow torture in the latter parts of yesterday is morning blessed brake glissading downhill surrounded by loose packed forest and small hill settlements. Our only company the odd motorcyclist and packed past capacity bus. The repetition of signs confirming descent after descent so so refreshing.
We roll into Sinhulimadi (Sindhuli bazaar) and in fact through it past the police checkpost before I realized, to Soph's clear relief, my error. Breakfast time is overdue with her rumbling tummy. Back up a slight hill and then roll down off the side to town centre identified by the large bus park, a tear drop shaped road roundabout and a fenced sparse yet grassed playground. Stores lining two sides and with a positive feel. We do the loop casually assessing food options and local assessment based upon support before leaning the bikes against some cement stairs and settling in for some Aloo tarkari (curry), roti and chiya. Our company very interested on our Nepali map and cycle route marked across it. Cheering as paani is now 20 rup a litre as we are consuming now about 4 - 5 litres each a day. Still disappointed that we could not resolve our Steripen issue in time as the plastic accumulation is depressing.
Passing the checkpost again on the way out, we are still stoked with our change of fortune having a non "under constr" marked road. We are off the Mahabarat range and though it still appears like we pass over the side of the Narayani range, it is less shaded on our map, a positive sign. From town we begin an increasingly humid shadowing of the Kamla flowing down out from the Sinhuli basin, foliage takes on a semi tropical appearance with increasing erosion wash on the chalky sided banks.
Not long after the tar disappeared, replaced by well used fire road. We knew that we were on the right road as the side markers continued and there were no obvious alternatives, but the feeling of being ripped off was hard to loose. For the next ten km or so we went through a repetition of tar near bridges then loose hard packed road with large loose rocks. Not ideal for covering distance. The road also dipped and rose to the river drawing out the pain. The river flats gradually opened up and we met the road crew applying fresh tar to the surface.
Houses also increasingly appeared with dark tiled roofs but otherwise same as the previous houses on the terai. We pulled into one to restock liquids as water was not satisfying our thirst. In Nepal (as in india) in most places you can find the softdrink option of either glass recycled bottles or plastic. The glass are the better option but some times on the bike you need to carry or quantity of liquid. The plastic are generally about a third more expensive for a small 600ml. The glass especially in some places have plenty of character and obviously have done the circuit a few times. It makes it easier to identify a store that sells soft drink though as the plastic racks fit the recycled bottles sit out the front.
Down on the river flats rice paddies start popping up interspersed with maize. The rice flats with film of water whilst the non river flat forests remain dry in the undergrowth and the green predominantly leaves. The river as we cross a tributary and then turn away from it is now super sized flood flats but with little evident flow. The heat has continued and we increase our drink stops. Thankfully a fresh breeze is blowing, even when head on appreciated for it's coolness.
The Narayani range turns out to be little more then three sections of climb before the final descent into Bansbari and the connection with the Mahendra highway. Once at the T intersection we loop up and back to assess the fresh fruit options. The heat making us dream of ice cold watermelon, with the likely reality, thanks to load shedding, watermelon being no less appealing. No watermelon, plenty of apples and grapes. We instead go for the cucumber options and pay 10 rup per piece. Probably tourist rates but in this heat I could not give a stuff.
Sit under a peepal tree and peel and slice the cucumber. A party pack of Pepsi and some average pack away samosa finishing our lunch. Back on the road but the heat fatigue and saddle fidget takes it's toll over the following 10kms of flat to Dhalkebar. Three guest houses, but the one on the right before the road junction looking the most inviting. 500 rup for own bathroom, tv and fan so not bad.
Bikes in the prayer room and bob upstairs we settled in for cool showers, cold as the water started hot like a garden hose left out in summer. It was my first disappointment of attaining hot water. Mosquito nets over the beds so I guess we will see some action later. Still hot so we chill out over juicy, but not overly tasty watermelon from the street side stalls. Two types on offer, one dark consistently colored and the other with a variable light / dark pattern, which we tried. 50 rup for a small melon.
Sit out side on the balcony and watch the nearby highway action. Mixed vehicle and pedestrian again. Dragonflies flittering in large numbers in the fading light. Dinner next door of chow chow basically Maggie noodles with stir fried egg thrown in. We discuss boarding school memories. Carslberg to wash it down, with plenty of water also.
Back to our sauna of a room and settle in for an early night with the fan on full ball.
Once we are obviously awake, there is a quiet interest in what we will do next, but in quiet curiosity rather than school fight huddle. "Uncle" brings chiya which has, as we confirm getting closer to the bottom, pepper. Preferable to salt but still when accumulating towards the dregs of the glass less pleasurable. Clean the previous two days of road and river from the bikes with a small crowd. By the end the gears are once again working and the wheels spinning freely with no disc brake rub (squeal). Cheering, as at Kurkhot, I thought I may have semi closed the disc brake pistons in my frustrated road side prognosis.
Goodbyes to all the family and then cycle out to find a small incline awaiting us around the ridge line before a snaking descent that again bore a slight resemblance to the great wall of China.
What felt like slow torture in the latter parts of yesterday is morning blessed brake glissading downhill surrounded by loose packed forest and small hill settlements. Our only company the odd motorcyclist and packed past capacity bus. The repetition of signs confirming descent after descent so so refreshing.
We roll into Sinhulimadi (Sindhuli bazaar) and in fact through it past the police checkpost before I realized, to Soph's clear relief, my error. Breakfast time is overdue with her rumbling tummy. Back up a slight hill and then roll down off the side to town centre identified by the large bus park, a tear drop shaped road roundabout and a fenced sparse yet grassed playground. Stores lining two sides and with a positive feel. We do the loop casually assessing food options and local assessment based upon support before leaning the bikes against some cement stairs and settling in for some Aloo tarkari (curry), roti and chiya. Our company very interested on our Nepali map and cycle route marked across it. Cheering as paani is now 20 rup a litre as we are consuming now about 4 - 5 litres each a day. Still disappointed that we could not resolve our Steripen issue in time as the plastic accumulation is depressing.
Passing the checkpost again on the way out, we are still stoked with our change of fortune having a non "under constr" marked road. We are off the Mahabarat range and though it still appears like we pass over the side of the Narayani range, it is less shaded on our map, a positive sign. From town we begin an increasingly humid shadowing of the Kamla flowing down out from the Sinhuli basin, foliage takes on a semi tropical appearance with increasing erosion wash on the chalky sided banks.
Not long after the tar disappeared, replaced by well used fire road. We knew that we were on the right road as the side markers continued and there were no obvious alternatives, but the feeling of being ripped off was hard to loose. For the next ten km or so we went through a repetition of tar near bridges then loose hard packed road with large loose rocks. Not ideal for covering distance. The road also dipped and rose to the river drawing out the pain. The river flats gradually opened up and we met the road crew applying fresh tar to the surface.
Houses also increasingly appeared with dark tiled roofs but otherwise same as the previous houses on the terai. We pulled into one to restock liquids as water was not satisfying our thirst. In Nepal (as in india) in most places you can find the softdrink option of either glass recycled bottles or plastic. The glass are the better option but some times on the bike you need to carry or quantity of liquid. The plastic are generally about a third more expensive for a small 600ml. The glass especially in some places have plenty of character and obviously have done the circuit a few times. It makes it easier to identify a store that sells soft drink though as the plastic racks fit the recycled bottles sit out the front.
Down on the river flats rice paddies start popping up interspersed with maize. The rice flats with film of water whilst the non river flat forests remain dry in the undergrowth and the green predominantly leaves. The river as we cross a tributary and then turn away from it is now super sized flood flats but with little evident flow. The heat has continued and we increase our drink stops. Thankfully a fresh breeze is blowing, even when head on appreciated for it's coolness.
The Narayani range turns out to be little more then three sections of climb before the final descent into Bansbari and the connection with the Mahendra highway. Once at the T intersection we loop up and back to assess the fresh fruit options. The heat making us dream of ice cold watermelon, with the likely reality, thanks to load shedding, watermelon being no less appealing. No watermelon, plenty of apples and grapes. We instead go for the cucumber options and pay 10 rup per piece. Probably tourist rates but in this heat I could not give a stuff.
Sit under a peepal tree and peel and slice the cucumber. A party pack of Pepsi and some average pack away samosa finishing our lunch. Back on the road but the heat fatigue and saddle fidget takes it's toll over the following 10kms of flat to Dhalkebar. Three guest houses, but the one on the right before the road junction looking the most inviting. 500 rup for own bathroom, tv and fan so not bad.
Bikes in the prayer room and bob upstairs we settled in for cool showers, cold as the water started hot like a garden hose left out in summer. It was my first disappointment of attaining hot water. Mosquito nets over the beds so I guess we will see some action later. Still hot so we chill out over juicy, but not overly tasty watermelon from the street side stalls. Two types on offer, one dark consistently colored and the other with a variable light / dark pattern, which we tried. 50 rup for a small melon.
Sit out side on the balcony and watch the nearby highway action. Mixed vehicle and pedestrian again. Dragonflies flittering in large numbers in the fading light. Dinner next door of chow chow basically Maggie noodles with stir fried egg thrown in. We discuss boarding school memories. Carslberg to wash it down, with plenty of water also.
Back to our sauna of a room and settle in for an early night with the fan on full ball.
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