Pouring outside, would be sooo easy to stay another day. Load Bob in the hotel as a river of water rushes down the road straight out front. Unfortunately no large verandah to load up out of the weather. Roll down to Sonams for breakfast and last good coffee for a while. Bikes undercover on the doorstep of closed cyber cafe. Given hotel recommendations to cover us through the West of Sikkim which is fantastic. Soph makes a canine friend as clashes of thunder sound very close over town.
Walk through the mall, apparently fined if caught riding. Extremely unlikely anyone would bust you in this weather however. Out of the rain for a short while as walk through a temporary undercover shopping Expo set up just off the mall. Start cycling again further along Jawahar Rd which continues around just below the zoo. It drops down onto Hill cart opposite the back road to Jorethang. Still pouring rain, as we pass everyone walking with umbrellas. We stop under a currently vacant stall cover and are asked by a passing older man "no umbrella?" as if cycling with an umbrella was an expectation.
Impressive school, St Josephs described to us as looking like Hogwarts, on the corner. Difficult to confirm as we pass between the school and it's sports grounds without hanging around. Continue down towards Mount Hermon and a few more largish schools. Passed by jeeps full of secondary aged school students. Maybe an excursion. It would be difficult to get even a small bus down this roads.
Road steep and patchy as we pass out of dense foliage and into a sea of tea estates with the odd village breaking the dotted green carpet. Mist is drifting through and women (predominantly) are working with umbrellas picking the leaves and placing into a woven basket (dokyo) on their backs.
Checking directions multiple times as small siding roads don't look much different from the road we are on. Given confirmation from an older lady at a y intersection. Her directions lead us toward a slightly more finished road but our accompanying jeep (Tata Mahindra) traffic drops off. Double check two minutes down ridge which confirms that we have been given a bum steer, fifteen minutes to get back up to the junction. The alternate road when we take it is rough and even steeper.
Chia at a bamboo bar on ridge with view down towards Jorethang and Naya bazaar. Road continues through tea estates all the way to the valley floor where it rises and falls as we circle around to the bouncy metal plated border suspension bridge and officially enter Sikkim.
Decorated gate entry welcoming us to Sikkim where we sign in and are required to show our Inner line permit and Passports. Steep rough road up to the higher main road where we turn right to Jorethang. Across large metal bridge covered with pools of golden brown water. We are already filthy from the wet descent so it just adds another layer to us and the bikes. In the streets of town it appears quite a bit of infrastructure work is going on. Pass a large quite modern looking complex on our left but unsigned, so not sure. Dengue fever explanatory sign on our right is more concerning. Momos at a veg restaurant where a group of French and Austrians are having lunch. Invited to share table with Austrians, one of whom has been in this area before and works back home with fair trade establishment and placing disabled people in jobs.
Street bins but slightly camp styling as animals such as monkeys. Stop at a well signed tourism information place and obtain our best road map of Sikkim yet. Still no topography however. We discussed with some guys in Darjeeling the Blue Army Topo maps and were told that they do exist but not sold nor advisable to be seen using one.
Back out of town crossing the still water logged bridge but then turning right following the river into a new valley. Road continues to be plagued by holes and poor surface, work crews are around but not in any apparent rush. Further along notice dark black grey water running in the deep side concrete drains before passing a massive tunnel under construction into the hill side. Part of Sikkim's large Hydro power development. The road gets a little better but still impairing a smooth ride. Another tunnel follows then a third which is a road diversion. Fantastic as it is only our second tunnel in the past 3000 or so kms but glad to see the day light on the other side.
Enter Reishi a busy little river side town where we had read there are hot springs, but quick conversation with some locals identifies that the Tatopani springs are 3km further on. Pull over following a small bridge and waterfall where there is also the unmistakable smell of sulfur, but no sign of signage or infrastructure. Starting climbing a little away from the river and then notice on the far bank a Buddhist temple with prayer flags and some baths on the edge of the water flow. Soph stays at the top in a small general store as I take the winding concrete path down to the river. Cross over one of two suspension bridges colored and alive with hundreds of prayer flags.
Across the bridge and along a path past the very basic Trekkers huts to the temple and nearby whitewashed chorten. Behind the locked temple a gated entry leads to one of the four holy caves in Sikkim. This one I believe predated Buddhism and was originally a Bon site (Animist) known as the cave of the Occult fairies. Similar to the Christian faith in europe sometimes local spiritual sites were built upon or customs adopted by the new faiths. Thereby gaining greater adherence with the locals. On entering the cave met by a crazy cricket, not a fairy as one would expect but quite vocal. The cave itself was unusual and lit via pockets of sky showing through parts of the eroded ceiling. More a pirates lair rather than bats cave. Some butter lamps and prayer flags my only accompaniment in the otherwise still cave. One or two mani stones and a painted carving partially covered by a white silk scarf.
Back outside past the refreshing looking water and back up to the road side. Crowd of dogs floating around for the possibility of some food as we add to our salt content with some chips. Road now getting much better with consistently smooth tarred surface, must just be the heavy infrastructure that is knocking it around.
Now that the road is better spend more time inspecting the road side and the increasing lushness of the foliage. Spot a huge snail on the road and swing back around to the other side to arrange a photograph. On coming truck and car passing in opposite direction. The driver of the truck smiling and waving as he passes and squashes unknowingly the snail into the surface of the road beneath a tire. Is it bad karma to be the cause of another sentient beings demise?
The river gets a little wilder and closer as we pass a small village with bamboo constructed temporary river crossings. Through town cross a bridge over a river and to side of the confluence with the Rangit. A little climb further and we spot a large Hindi temple complex to our right on the far side of the river and the town of Legship nestled as the base of the ridge above.
Look for the Ganesh pure veg restaurant where we have been told there is good accomodation. Turns out there is a pure veg place in town but called Kanchen Hotel - food and lodging, run by owner called Ganesh. Confusing. Clean up in cold water before cleaning the bikes with a tooth brush across the road on a building site, with the usual entourage. Have a great dinner. Bed and sleep comes very quickly.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Coffee award (Thursday 28 April 2011)
Breakfast at the Hotel Aliment, so so. Go for seconds at Sonams for mid morning brunch which is a lot more satisfying. Continue onto the Tourism office to obtain a Sikkim Inner line (Restricted Area) Permit. These days 15 day free just requiring passport and visa copies in addition to one passport photo. The guys were really quite nice and efficient. Will have to confirm our route though as beyond the pre approved areas access via registered tour agency only.
Coffee at Cafe Coffee Day and then to Oxford Book store to buy Eicher Road Atlas of India. Not great but better then any other alternative available locally. There are supposed to be old army maps with topography but I am not sure whether they are completely off the market or just to foreigners as we have been unable to locate anywhere.
Spend the afternoon catching up on blog writing and photo backups as the day is cloudy and cold.
Tea at Sonams as the WiFi next door is the best since Delhi. Dogs going nuts in the streets. Decide to spend another day in Darjeeling to maximise on the WiFi and organise final plan for Sikkim route.
Sonams gains the Frazer coffee award for Darjeeling. Stovetop and nice and strong. Cheaper than Cafe Coffee Day and better friendlier service.
Coffee at Cafe Coffee Day and then to Oxford Book store to buy Eicher Road Atlas of India. Not great but better then any other alternative available locally. There are supposed to be old army maps with topography but I am not sure whether they are completely off the market or just to foreigners as we have been unable to locate anywhere.
Spend the afternoon catching up on blog writing and photo backups as the day is cloudy and cold.
Tea at Sonams as the WiFi next door is the best since Delhi. Dogs going nuts in the streets. Decide to spend another day in Darjeeling to maximise on the WiFi and organise final plan for Sikkim route.
Sonams gains the Frazer coffee award for Darjeeling. Stovetop and nice and strong. Cheaper than Cafe Coffee Day and better friendlier service.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Talkactive (Wednesday 27 April 2011)
Late risers. No rush and cool outside, nice change. Guys next door did the Darjeeling tourist pilgrimage across to Tiger Hill 11km to the South East. At a height of 2590mtr versus Dar at 2134mtrs it apparently gives an awesome sunrise vista across the himalaya including Kanchenjunga sitting on the border between Nepal and India. So many people get up at 4.30 - 5.30am take a share jeep and join the crowd over on the hill top. There are even heated rooms available for the more comfort conscious variety. Apparently it can be a bit frantic, so we are not busting to add it to our to do list.
Down Tenzing Norgay Rd to Sonams kitchen. Excellent breakfast and filter coffee. Share the table with an american guy and girl who were both feeling the downside of partying from last night. The guy was quite cool having cycled through some of America with his surfboard on a trailer. The downside of the place was it was packed with only western tourists, which is quite a shock when you have been on cultural diversity rations for a while. Find wifi next door at an adventure tour / cyber cafe place.
Lots of places in town closed this morning and public offices closed all day as Sai Baba a very well known religious figure was being buried having died two days ago. The guy was very well respected and had many followers. His funeral was supposed to attract over 500,000 people having laid instate for the past two days. You would know if you had seen him as he had this big frizz of hair and wore like many Hindi religious identities orange.
Walk along past Observatory Hill with morning view back across to the snow capped Kanchenjunga before heading down Jawahar Road to the Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park. The park self proclaims itself as the highest altitude zoo in the world. The zoo was great and with more extensive animal enclosures than those at Nainital. The highlights being the Snow Leopard, Golden Pheasant and Red Pandas.
Signage everywhere both in writing and depiction requested a certain atmosphere of calm, which was great as versus the leopard we saw at the last zoo these ones were pretty chilled out not prowling the fence line backwards and forwards non stop. There was still a couple of loud mouth kids and parents growling or clicking at generally the larger animals in an attempt to attain action. The brochure is a classic including " do not attempt to prod them (the nocturnal animals) awake, just to see them better " and " to protect themselves animals, can bite or claw you ". Outside one exhibit I was hoping that this may occur to a particularly painful young zoo visitor. Fortunately, for the kid, this did not occur.
From the zoo onto the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute museum established in 1954 it contains exhibits covering the various Everest ascents and some relief models of the whole himalayan range. Not bad, possibly a little too static. There is also a climbing wall out back and the institute run climbing and adventure courses, but were not viewable. The kids here pumped I guess by the zoo were very talkative ( a term used by a Nepali student for visiting indian tourists in Pokhara) and the cavernous museum just amplified the hype. It was great to get back outside.
Walk back up the ridge back towards town before heading down to Hot Pizza for Carbonara and a Panini. Not bad. Wandered the lower bazaar, Chauk Bazaar looking for tea. Directed to a place called Naya syang. Very popular with the locals however the tea like most chia around was very sweet.
Wander around trying to find topo map for Sikkim if not also Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. No success, closest value an Eiger Road Atlas of India which will provide starting detail but to which we will need to add some altitudes for the routes that we are proposing.
Dinner at Frank Ross Cafe which was decidedly disappointing. All veg and went with the Mexican options which was not good. Wandered back up to the main Mall, Chowrasta and the Arts, Crafts and Curios store. Some skillfully carved conch shells with Buddhist motives. Surprisingly heavy so not good for the bikes.
Retire for the night to catch up on some typing. Don't even stop on the way for coffee at Cafe Coffee Day. Slow leak evident in rear tire, will need to practice my patching.
Down Tenzing Norgay Rd to Sonams kitchen. Excellent breakfast and filter coffee. Share the table with an american guy and girl who were both feeling the downside of partying from last night. The guy was quite cool having cycled through some of America with his surfboard on a trailer. The downside of the place was it was packed with only western tourists, which is quite a shock when you have been on cultural diversity rations for a while. Find wifi next door at an adventure tour / cyber cafe place.
Lots of places in town closed this morning and public offices closed all day as Sai Baba a very well known religious figure was being buried having died two days ago. The guy was very well respected and had many followers. His funeral was supposed to attract over 500,000 people having laid instate for the past two days. You would know if you had seen him as he had this big frizz of hair and wore like many Hindi religious identities orange.
Walk along past Observatory Hill with morning view back across to the snow capped Kanchenjunga before heading down Jawahar Road to the Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park. The park self proclaims itself as the highest altitude zoo in the world. The zoo was great and with more extensive animal enclosures than those at Nainital. The highlights being the Snow Leopard, Golden Pheasant and Red Pandas.
Signage everywhere both in writing and depiction requested a certain atmosphere of calm, which was great as versus the leopard we saw at the last zoo these ones were pretty chilled out not prowling the fence line backwards and forwards non stop. There was still a couple of loud mouth kids and parents growling or clicking at generally the larger animals in an attempt to attain action. The brochure is a classic including " do not attempt to prod them (the nocturnal animals) awake, just to see them better " and " to protect themselves animals, can bite or claw you ". Outside one exhibit I was hoping that this may occur to a particularly painful young zoo visitor. Fortunately, for the kid, this did not occur.
From the zoo onto the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute museum established in 1954 it contains exhibits covering the various Everest ascents and some relief models of the whole himalayan range. Not bad, possibly a little too static. There is also a climbing wall out back and the institute run climbing and adventure courses, but were not viewable. The kids here pumped I guess by the zoo were very talkative ( a term used by a Nepali student for visiting indian tourists in Pokhara) and the cavernous museum just amplified the hype. It was great to get back outside.
Walk back up the ridge back towards town before heading down to Hot Pizza for Carbonara and a Panini. Not bad. Wandered the lower bazaar, Chauk Bazaar looking for tea. Directed to a place called Naya syang. Very popular with the locals however the tea like most chia around was very sweet.
Wander around trying to find topo map for Sikkim if not also Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. No success, closest value an Eiger Road Atlas of India which will provide starting detail but to which we will need to add some altitudes for the routes that we are proposing.
Dinner at Frank Ross Cafe which was decidedly disappointing. All veg and went with the Mexican options which was not good. Wandered back up to the main Mall, Chowrasta and the Arts, Crafts and Curios store. Some skillfully carved conch shells with Buddhist motives. Surprisingly heavy so not good for the bikes.
Retire for the night to catch up on some typing. Don't even stop on the way for coffee at Cafe Coffee Day. Slow leak evident in rear tire, will need to practice my patching.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
"Brazilian?" (Tuesday 26 April 2011)
Bright light early in these parts just past 5am. Surprisingly easy to sleep through to 6.30am though. Down the stairs to Hill top lodge restaurant and have so so Aloo paratha, we had read in LP that there was a place in town that served the worlds best. So rechecked the location and wandered up the road, at the Delhi Darbar restaurant met the owner who identified that his chef had done the runner. So unable to concur with the previous assessment, we still feel that at a road side dharba at Sundernagar we had our best yet.
Hit the road and cycle out in the morning sunshine, few clouds in sight and the valley view clear below. The road is as small as the railway beside it and unfortunately in less ideal condition. We spend most of the morning dodging pot holes and trying to skip from tar island to tar island as smoothly as possible whilst avoiding vehicles coming in either direction. Honks are interspersed with waves and for a variety of reason from "hi, how's it going" to "I'm coming through get out of my way". Trees above us now include a smattering of huge pine trees whilst below are still hillsides covered with tea bushes. Every now and then spotted with little white chortens. More Buddhist prayer flags then Hindi temples.
So many people are calling out Brazilian as we pass. We have tanned a little since cycling but are still definitely white versus milk chocolate so I am sorry Brazil we are letting the side down. We do try and correct as many people as we can but some people don't even state it to inquire, they just discuss amongst themselves as if a surety.
Tea at Margaret Hope estate. It is not bad but I don't get sense for the depth of flavor. I am sorry there will be no born again tea drinker when I get home, still hanging out for good coffee. Share the outside table with a well cared for white terrier. Very cute and enjoying Soph's attentions.
Road surface has improved from this morning with only the odd section of road work. Tar here is quite hands on with the tar being melted in large 200 gallon drums next to a small fire on the side of the road. Both the fire and the drum belching fumes which requires a held breath on passing. The road workers are well past that however working with no face protection and some in thongs. At one of the sites they had rigged up the road roller but the machine consisted of a pair of large park side rollers atop of which was sitting a standard tractor. The tractors drive shaft was connected via a chain to the rollers axle beneath, not sure about breaking system. Quite a bit of the replaced road along the way has interspersed rocks embedded into the tar. I guess for added traction but it would also assist I guess in allowing traffic back onto the repaired road sooner?
Make Ghoom and stop for momos. They also have a large dumpling styled momo. All very tasty but no veg just mutton. I don't quite get the aspect with some Buddhists of the not eating meet unless killed by another. By creating demand for the product is it just all semantics. I can understand the aged or naturally deceased aspect of consumption, though it does seem a little ridiculous and perhaps even in some cases crueler, the cases of assisted natural demise that we have read about. I would love to be vegetarian, I love the concept but I cannot stray long from the reality that I am a carnivore.
Pass several monasteries as we start heading down. This has both of us concerned as we do not feel like we have ascended as far as we should have. However the repeated enquiries confirm that we are still on the right road as do the train tracks on the side. Pulling over to enquire from one grandmotherly figure at a general store I hear a crash from behind me. Look around and see Sophie hastily getting back to her feet. Cleat stuck in pedal, how embarrassing. Will have to remember to oil the springs later on.
The road continues to descend through residential sprawl till we pull over outside the Darjeeling railway station. Confer with a couple of older guys which sees us cycling up to our right towards the developed ridge line above. Hotels are everywhere, just not the ones we are looking for which are higher on the ridge. Pass the municipal buildings before having to jump off and push, partially due to pedestrian traffic and part gradient of the road.
Settle for our third option as the first two though nice enough had no where to put the bikes. Whilst I was doing the run around Soph met a french couple who were also cycling have come from Europe but had left their bikes down on the flats. On heading to the third place we met up with our Bombay based Royal enfield motorbike tourists. They had been forced down to Sukna before crossing to an alternate road to Kurseong which though fun on a motorbike was apparently quite steep.
Out for Dinner at Hot for Pizza before machiattos at Cafe coffee day on the mall. Diversity once again, but coming at the cost of being in a quite touristy place. More foreigners then we have seen since leaving Bhaktapur. Back to Hotel Aliment for hopefully a good nights sleep, dogs appear quite active though so will see.
Hit the road and cycle out in the morning sunshine, few clouds in sight and the valley view clear below. The road is as small as the railway beside it and unfortunately in less ideal condition. We spend most of the morning dodging pot holes and trying to skip from tar island to tar island as smoothly as possible whilst avoiding vehicles coming in either direction. Honks are interspersed with waves and for a variety of reason from "hi, how's it going" to "I'm coming through get out of my way". Trees above us now include a smattering of huge pine trees whilst below are still hillsides covered with tea bushes. Every now and then spotted with little white chortens. More Buddhist prayer flags then Hindi temples.
So many people are calling out Brazilian as we pass. We have tanned a little since cycling but are still definitely white versus milk chocolate so I am sorry Brazil we are letting the side down. We do try and correct as many people as we can but some people don't even state it to inquire, they just discuss amongst themselves as if a surety.
Tea at Margaret Hope estate. It is not bad but I don't get sense for the depth of flavor. I am sorry there will be no born again tea drinker when I get home, still hanging out for good coffee. Share the outside table with a well cared for white terrier. Very cute and enjoying Soph's attentions.
Road surface has improved from this morning with only the odd section of road work. Tar here is quite hands on with the tar being melted in large 200 gallon drums next to a small fire on the side of the road. Both the fire and the drum belching fumes which requires a held breath on passing. The road workers are well past that however working with no face protection and some in thongs. At one of the sites they had rigged up the road roller but the machine consisted of a pair of large park side rollers atop of which was sitting a standard tractor. The tractors drive shaft was connected via a chain to the rollers axle beneath, not sure about breaking system. Quite a bit of the replaced road along the way has interspersed rocks embedded into the tar. I guess for added traction but it would also assist I guess in allowing traffic back onto the repaired road sooner?
Make Ghoom and stop for momos. They also have a large dumpling styled momo. All very tasty but no veg just mutton. I don't quite get the aspect with some Buddhists of the not eating meet unless killed by another. By creating demand for the product is it just all semantics. I can understand the aged or naturally deceased aspect of consumption, though it does seem a little ridiculous and perhaps even in some cases crueler, the cases of assisted natural demise that we have read about. I would love to be vegetarian, I love the concept but I cannot stray long from the reality that I am a carnivore.
Pass several monasteries as we start heading down. This has both of us concerned as we do not feel like we have ascended as far as we should have. However the repeated enquiries confirm that we are still on the right road as do the train tracks on the side. Pulling over to enquire from one grandmotherly figure at a general store I hear a crash from behind me. Look around and see Sophie hastily getting back to her feet. Cleat stuck in pedal, how embarrassing. Will have to remember to oil the springs later on.
The road continues to descend through residential sprawl till we pull over outside the Darjeeling railway station. Confer with a couple of older guys which sees us cycling up to our right towards the developed ridge line above. Hotels are everywhere, just not the ones we are looking for which are higher on the ridge. Pass the municipal buildings before having to jump off and push, partially due to pedestrian traffic and part gradient of the road.
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| From Siriguli to Darjeeling, India. April 2011 |
Settle for our third option as the first two though nice enough had no where to put the bikes. Whilst I was doing the run around Soph met a french couple who were also cycling have come from Europe but had left their bikes down on the flats. On heading to the third place we met up with our Bombay based Royal enfield motorbike tourists. They had been forced down to Sukna before crossing to an alternate road to Kurseong which though fun on a motorbike was apparently quite steep.
Out for Dinner at Hot for Pizza before machiattos at Cafe coffee day on the mall. Diversity once again, but coming at the cost of being in a quite touristy place. More foreigners then we have seen since leaving Bhaktapur. Back to Hotel Aliment for hopefully a good nights sleep, dogs appear quite active though so will see.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Misty (Monday 25 April 2011)
Wake to the sounds of the houses out behind the hotel coming to life in the morning. Oh and the baby gecko that resides outside the window next to the balcony. The luxury of the balcony and the styling has meant that we can leave the balcony door open every night and have no concerns with security. It is a great feeling to be able to leave the door open and listen to the summer storms with the fan on and under a mosquito net. Gradually get all the gear down to the courtyard from the room. The previously free storage of gear by the lodge has changed to 20 rup per day which is annoying and sneaky, but we already have the bike bags out and have no desire of putting the 3.5 kg back in. Will need to assess other lodge / hotel options on returning to Siliguri after Sikkim. Out onto the morning streets which are already flowing with traffic.
Cycle out along Hill Cart Rd, the same street that we came in and head back up onto highway 31 before turning across the traffic onto highway 55. (still known as Hillcart Rd). Initially passing through outer suburban areas before surroundings become more spread. Keep our eyes peeled for a dhaba and spot one with a bright new red two door Tata out the front. All the family appear to be involved as we are introduced to the daughter, son and husband. Family are Christians, suprising as the frequency of encounters has increased since Nepal.
The sky dark when we left the Lodge this morning has opened whilst enjoying our chiya and now it is spitting. As we leave houses behind we enter first a plantation forest and then lush green tea plantations. In the other direction on the road we are passed by three couples on bikes with the passenger sitting on the pannier rack holding an umbrella open over both. With tea buses in the background it is quite memorable.
The road is shadowed by the toy train line (completed 1881) which runs all the way up to Darleeling. It is almost like a tram line it sits so close. The odd house is again quite english era with ripple iron roof as is the first train station we pass before starting to climb through the forest. The rain is now quite light through the tree cover but the wind is increasing. Good bitumen and gradual inclines makes the road very ridable. The train tracks are 61cm wide but thankfully sunken as it switch backs across the road, still need to take bob at the angle lest the smaller trailer tire gets caught in the process.
Lite mist is combining with the denser foliage in this tree protected West Bengali reserve reducing visibility slightly but adding to ambiance. Still waiting for the traffic to increase and a toy train to pass. Apparently the trains take their time up the hill so maybe we are in front and it won't catch up, still their should also be a diesel service coming the other way and heading to NJP train station.
The view across the plain below is starting to slowly get better as we stop for a tea in Sukna. Dogs are in noticeably higher numbers per population up here. Just below town on some of the hillsides the forest has been semi cleared for tea plantations retaining the green running along the slopes. Interspersed large trees retain the feeling of the prior canopy and tea workers with wicker baskets are at work either pruning or picking, not sure which.
Larger villages sometimes feel like two as the long gradual switchbacks return you through the same village just higher on the slope. Thanks to thick mist higher on the slope it is difficult to assess where the road leads.
Flowers cut the foliage intermittently with whites, purples and yellows. Tea bushes up further appear younger as they are yet to merge into a green carpet. Soph questions the risk of landslide with some of the higher slopes being aggressively cleared for plantations. Stop for veg momos and tea at Tindharia. The village has a distinct feeling of calm and the small restaurant mirrors this, with young daughter and father making momos together for the lunch crowd later in the day.
Pass a young boy who post asking where we are heading identifies that we will have to turn back as the road is closed. Uncertain of whether he is speaking with certainty or not we continue on as the odd land cruiser and small truck continue to pass us. The mist is really becoming quite thick now sitting on the hillside. We pull in at a small village to confirm the road status and get no definite feedback. Meet a young indian couple on a Royal Enfield who have just come down through the fog. They identify that they turned around as they could not see anything, no identification of anything more serious however.
We turn on our led brake lights and enter the thicker fog, five minutes further up we meet a line of vehicles pulled over including the small coaster bus that past us in the last village. Soph holds the bikes as I walk further up along the road which is clearly undergoing road works including bank reinforcement work. No sounds of falling rocks and a couple of people wandering around so continue and find some massive boulders that have come down and squeezed the road to a single trail through. A couple of lite peebles fall but nothing significant. No vehicles are moving through. On the far side talk with the road work supervisor who believes it will not be a problem to get the bikes through. Run back down to Soph and then we ride the bikes through as quickly as possible.
The next five km are fantastic as we have the road to ourselves, unfortunately the mist still obscures any significant view of the valley below or the climb above. Pass through two more villages along the railway before we enter lower Kurseong where the deviated traffic rejoined Hill cart Rd. As a result Kurseong at first felt like one big traffic jam as the flow would be constricted normally thanks to quite pokey streets but intensified due to drivers keen to get somewhere, generally share jeeps or vans.
We cycled up past the locomotive workshop, station and then latter the fire station searching for hotels and lodges but only finding schools. The place is infested with schools and as a result children who all appeared to be on the streets though it was only 2.30pm all in very smart school uniforms. I have given up trying to understand whether schools are in or out on holiday or not. Soph every now and then inquires with the more street savvy kid that we meet as we are cycling along, more from the aspect of shouldn't you be somewhere else.
Have a look at the Kurseong Tourist lodge but it's starting rooms are a little pricey. Back down into town than on a one way higher street which deposited us back at the station. Have been looking for the Hill Top lodge a recommendation from our momo chef earlier. Finally spot it right where it is supposed to be, next to the Indian oil petrol pumps. Rooms though not fancy satisfy our general requirements and we out the bikes in the oversized room, bob on the balcony. Dinner mainly of Chinese options downstairs at the restaurant before inspecting the indian sweets at Unique on the main rd.
Feeling relatively trashed a combination of the 51km climb up, though taken very easily and the Kingfisher beer with dinner.
Cycle out along Hill Cart Rd, the same street that we came in and head back up onto highway 31 before turning across the traffic onto highway 55. (still known as Hillcart Rd). Initially passing through outer suburban areas before surroundings become more spread. Keep our eyes peeled for a dhaba and spot one with a bright new red two door Tata out the front. All the family appear to be involved as we are introduced to the daughter, son and husband. Family are Christians, suprising as the frequency of encounters has increased since Nepal.
The sky dark when we left the Lodge this morning has opened whilst enjoying our chiya and now it is spitting. As we leave houses behind we enter first a plantation forest and then lush green tea plantations. In the other direction on the road we are passed by three couples on bikes with the passenger sitting on the pannier rack holding an umbrella open over both. With tea buses in the background it is quite memorable.
The road is shadowed by the toy train line (completed 1881) which runs all the way up to Darleeling. It is almost like a tram line it sits so close. The odd house is again quite english era with ripple iron roof as is the first train station we pass before starting to climb through the forest. The rain is now quite light through the tree cover but the wind is increasing. Good bitumen and gradual inclines makes the road very ridable. The train tracks are 61cm wide but thankfully sunken as it switch backs across the road, still need to take bob at the angle lest the smaller trailer tire gets caught in the process.
Lite mist is combining with the denser foliage in this tree protected West Bengali reserve reducing visibility slightly but adding to ambiance. Still waiting for the traffic to increase and a toy train to pass. Apparently the trains take their time up the hill so maybe we are in front and it won't catch up, still their should also be a diesel service coming the other way and heading to NJP train station.
The view across the plain below is starting to slowly get better as we stop for a tea in Sukna. Dogs are in noticeably higher numbers per population up here. Just below town on some of the hillsides the forest has been semi cleared for tea plantations retaining the green running along the slopes. Interspersed large trees retain the feeling of the prior canopy and tea workers with wicker baskets are at work either pruning or picking, not sure which.
Larger villages sometimes feel like two as the long gradual switchbacks return you through the same village just higher on the slope. Thanks to thick mist higher on the slope it is difficult to assess where the road leads.
Flowers cut the foliage intermittently with whites, purples and yellows. Tea bushes up further appear younger as they are yet to merge into a green carpet. Soph questions the risk of landslide with some of the higher slopes being aggressively cleared for plantations. Stop for veg momos and tea at Tindharia. The village has a distinct feeling of calm and the small restaurant mirrors this, with young daughter and father making momos together for the lunch crowd later in the day.
Pass a young boy who post asking where we are heading identifies that we will have to turn back as the road is closed. Uncertain of whether he is speaking with certainty or not we continue on as the odd land cruiser and small truck continue to pass us. The mist is really becoming quite thick now sitting on the hillside. We pull in at a small village to confirm the road status and get no definite feedback. Meet a young indian couple on a Royal Enfield who have just come down through the fog. They identify that they turned around as they could not see anything, no identification of anything more serious however.
We turn on our led brake lights and enter the thicker fog, five minutes further up we meet a line of vehicles pulled over including the small coaster bus that past us in the last village. Soph holds the bikes as I walk further up along the road which is clearly undergoing road works including bank reinforcement work. No sounds of falling rocks and a couple of people wandering around so continue and find some massive boulders that have come down and squeezed the road to a single trail through. A couple of lite peebles fall but nothing significant. No vehicles are moving through. On the far side talk with the road work supervisor who believes it will not be a problem to get the bikes through. Run back down to Soph and then we ride the bikes through as quickly as possible.
The next five km are fantastic as we have the road to ourselves, unfortunately the mist still obscures any significant view of the valley below or the climb above. Pass through two more villages along the railway before we enter lower Kurseong where the deviated traffic rejoined Hill cart Rd. As a result Kurseong at first felt like one big traffic jam as the flow would be constricted normally thanks to quite pokey streets but intensified due to drivers keen to get somewhere, generally share jeeps or vans.
We cycled up past the locomotive workshop, station and then latter the fire station searching for hotels and lodges but only finding schools. The place is infested with schools and as a result children who all appeared to be on the streets though it was only 2.30pm all in very smart school uniforms. I have given up trying to understand whether schools are in or out on holiday or not. Soph every now and then inquires with the more street savvy kid that we meet as we are cycling along, more from the aspect of shouldn't you be somewhere else.
Have a look at the Kurseong Tourist lodge but it's starting rooms are a little pricey. Back down into town than on a one way higher street which deposited us back at the station. Have been looking for the Hill Top lodge a recommendation from our momo chef earlier. Finally spot it right where it is supposed to be, next to the Indian oil petrol pumps. Rooms though not fancy satisfy our general requirements and we out the bikes in the oversized room, bob on the balcony. Dinner mainly of Chinese options downstairs at the restaurant before inspecting the indian sweets at Unique on the main rd.
Feeling relatively trashed a combination of the 51km climb up, though taken very easily and the Kingfisher beer with dinner.
 |
| Siriguli to Darjeeling, India. April 2011 |
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Elephantiasis (Sunday 24 April 2011)
Sleep in, so nice to stay in the same place for more than one day. Sounds of activity from the houses which the balcony overlooks. It is such a change traveling on the plains (Nepal - Terai) during summer versus winter. It negates the desire for carpet, the need for hot (tatopani) water geezers and increases the desire for mosquito nets and fans. AC is still a luxury that you can live without, as long as your room has windows, preferably a cross breeze and the previous. Yet to enter big creepy crawly territory so maybe the base requirements will differ there.
Hit the streets along the lane and past the Hill Cart Rd street side food and weirdly pet vendors. Mutually exclusive so nothing to be concerned about. Cute fluffy little puppies are obviously good sellers around here. I have also seen some big German Shepards. Cross the effectively four lane (unmarked) road and then stopped by a couple passing on a rickshaw. From Arunachal Pradesh and wondering if they can have their photos taken with us. Unfazed and not surprised given our prior indian experiences, in fact find it a quite nice opportunity for interaction. It's when a whole group are keen for photos and you go through various arrangement of shots that it gets a bit drawn out.
Cross the Mahananda river and then stop for breakfast in at a small hotel dhaba. The guys turn the fan on just over our table, special treatment. Aloo pratha good but I am missing our homemade Chandigarh pickle to spice it up a little. Here they give you green chillies and spanish (red) onion as condiments but not the jar of pickles or the curd like in Haryana. Chia however is very tasty as is the Chana masala which is almost gravy thick.
Back onto the streets and along towards the Hong Kong markets (or bistari (?) bazaar). Meet a young guy who is on his way to work, we discuss a few different things and he invites us to visit him in his village (25km from Siliguri) as few foreigners pass through. As he is writing down his address and we are standing on one of the main access lanes to the market I suddenly feel myself being dragged backwards. My backpack open to get a pen out has been caught by a passing rickshaw whose owner has not noticed. Our new friend and several nearby store owners yell in hindi at the rider to stop, appearing outraged, I on the other hand just feel surprised and glad to be unhooked.
Wander down crisscrossing the market moving from clothes to fruit to veg. Decide to buy some fruit for a fruit salad back in our room and so stand back and watch the bartering process to try and ascertain local prices. Not hard to see quantity and note exchange especially when you are able to recognize and differentiate note colours and sizes. Buy a small dark watermelon, several small and just ripe mangos, bananas and limes before leaving the fruit section. Several people later on inquiring as to the price we paid for the watermelon, to ascertain whether we have been scalped or not. 20rup seems on the higher of the local price range but below tourist rate so we are relatively happy. An older stall owner sitting with his goods out in front asks Soph to take a photo of his friend sitting alongside him, also with goods in front, but who we later find out is blind.
The markets are a scene of busy yet measured enterprise with a constant flow of people passing inspecting and enquiring prices from their vendor of choice. From the veg we move untoward the meat market where chickens in baskets sit huddled and cluck as very close by their compatriots are dispatched with efficiency. Guts are thrown in a pile as are feathers with the completed bird carcass placed on a table ready for purchase. Can't get much fresher and whilst still morning the heat is not yet at chronic salmonella levels. Still you have to feel for the remaining chickens, who in one basket I noticed for all facing inwards. Stop at a kitchen utensils store and purchase a stainless steel bowl for our salad, 25rup - less than one dollar.
On past the bag merchants to the side of the market and the sugar cane juice sellers whose carts have an old style hand driven wringer or roller attachment many with bells to attract passing trade. The sugar cane in run through the wringer then gradually folded back upon itself to milk as much juice as possible from the stalk. The juice trickles down sometimes over chunks of ice into an awaiting jug and then is poured into glasses sitting in glass holders on the front of the cart. Pre soft drink days. Unfortunately due to the uncertainty of the source of the ice we have not tried and so I am uncertain as to price per glass, but given that soft drink is 15rup (mrp) per small bottle it would have to be cheaper.
Just behind the juice carts spot some young green coconuts still on their stalks. Decide to grab one which is sliced open on the spot to try the juice. 10rup but the juice is not as sweet as I remembered. Soph has the pleasure for the rest of the morning walking around bearing a massive green coconut. Still between it and the watermelon we garner a little street cred so it is not all bad. Back to the hotel where we have fruit salad using our little paring knife and catch movie on cable before heading back out.
On the bridge say hi to a middle aged American who asks if we have a sec. We should have switched on at that stage but didn't and so said yes. He proceeded to pull out homestyle pics of exceedingly gruesome surgery that he had performed to remove large growths and legions. In doing so locals also stopped, the way that they do, to also check out the photos which he had no qualms in showing. He then pulled out a colour brochure which also had graphic photos on it and identified his work as being connected to an evangelical church. He had been he said operating here in Siliguri for the past seven years. The brochure however identified that the growths and the illnesses were the result of following false gods. One picture showing the removal of a leg effected with elephantiasis had next to it the cause of the illness as being the mans worship of the god Ganesh.
Initially impressed with the mans dedication to the poor and medically in need our disposition changed rapidly on reading his propaganda. Although Christian by birth and aware of the requirement to spread the "good news" the method of partial truths and perception we both found to be exceedingly distateful especially being communicated to the poorly educated people whom he would be exposed to. It left us feeling torn between our respect of indigenous culture and the desire for cost effective treatment for these horrible diseases which were a result of various causes many of which very human in cause and creation. We moved on without expressing our desired approval as a result of our perceived deception by a person we felt who should have been bound by higher ethical standards.
Further along the the road we passed several people with identifiable glaucoma, impressing upon us the desire to donate to the Fred Hollows Foundation an, as far as we are aware, non aligned non prejudiced vehicle for the support of local needy individuals. By whose very deeds are surely greater examples of charity and worldly support than a biased and marketed church based vehicle. I can understand the religious fervor that would simplify such a perception into base causes at their route or spiritual level but cannot condone it in a modern world especially having seen the examples of great charity and support evidenced under alternate spiritual vehicles.
Although again aware of the clause that their no alternate gate to heaven then by true belief in the Christian god, I, though maybe truly naive, would be far happier to be exposed to the potential of purgatory but to live what I perceive as an active good deed and action based life, attempting day by day to achieve a greater phase of human enlightenment than one of condemnation of another similar to that condoned during the european middle ages. The thought of such still brings tingles to my body and so I cannot otherwise justify my possibly simplistic judgment than by what feels true to my core. Maybe through further study of the major religions (christian, muslim, buddhist, hindu etc) I will, if granted the opportunity, alter my judgment, but as of today this is what I feel.
To break the mood we decide to catch a rickshaw to NJP (New Jalpaiguri) train station and nearby bazaar paying a rickshaw to take us what we believed to be a further km up the road. The journey turned out to be an exceeding complex series of back streets (with speed humps) and turns for a good half an hour of neck sweat raising effort on the behalf of our rickshaw peddler. A middle aged man of god humor, who after the first groan from the back ( emitted having bumped our heads on the pull over rain cover having crossing a speed bump at speed ) swerved all future road imperfections. 50 rup.
NJP was massive and like the other indian railway stations we had visited quite modern and relatively systemised. An army of rickshaws and tuk tuks, jeeps and vans were lined up out front only seconded by the street food vendors of Chats and Samosas. The Bazaar unfortunately was very quiet with many of the stores having pulled down their front roller doors and having gone home, leaving only the street cleaners.
Deciding to bail and get back into town we hailed a motorised rickshaw (tuk tuk) which we had all to ourselves. The driver spared no second in his attempt to brake all prior speed records getting us into town, as if he was a keen viewer of the Great (or is it Amazing?) Race shown on cable over here. It was great having the afternoon air swept into our faces as we swerved and beeped our way stopping completely only once we were back in at New Cart Rd.
Went looking for cyber cafes but the two we knew of were both closed for Sunday afternoon. (getting used to change over to Sunday as rest day versus Saturday in Nepal) Settled for dinner at Sartaj striking initially for it's ornately uniformed door man. Good Chinese/Asian apparently so went with the Chopsuey and Singapore noodles which definitely didn't disappoint, best since Old Lan Hua in Pokhara.
Back to the hotel and sounds of singing (surely they could find someone with a better voice) from a nearby temple recognising and mourning the passing of a very well known indian religious figure Sai Baba.
Hit the streets along the lane and past the Hill Cart Rd street side food and weirdly pet vendors. Mutually exclusive so nothing to be concerned about. Cute fluffy little puppies are obviously good sellers around here. I have also seen some big German Shepards. Cross the effectively four lane (unmarked) road and then stopped by a couple passing on a rickshaw. From Arunachal Pradesh and wondering if they can have their photos taken with us. Unfazed and not surprised given our prior indian experiences, in fact find it a quite nice opportunity for interaction. It's when a whole group are keen for photos and you go through various arrangement of shots that it gets a bit drawn out.
Cross the Mahananda river and then stop for breakfast in at a small hotel dhaba. The guys turn the fan on just over our table, special treatment. Aloo pratha good but I am missing our homemade Chandigarh pickle to spice it up a little. Here they give you green chillies and spanish (red) onion as condiments but not the jar of pickles or the curd like in Haryana. Chia however is very tasty as is the Chana masala which is almost gravy thick.
Back onto the streets and along towards the Hong Kong markets (or bistari (?) bazaar). Meet a young guy who is on his way to work, we discuss a few different things and he invites us to visit him in his village (25km from Siliguri) as few foreigners pass through. As he is writing down his address and we are standing on one of the main access lanes to the market I suddenly feel myself being dragged backwards. My backpack open to get a pen out has been caught by a passing rickshaw whose owner has not noticed. Our new friend and several nearby store owners yell in hindi at the rider to stop, appearing outraged, I on the other hand just feel surprised and glad to be unhooked.
Wander down crisscrossing the market moving from clothes to fruit to veg. Decide to buy some fruit for a fruit salad back in our room and so stand back and watch the bartering process to try and ascertain local prices. Not hard to see quantity and note exchange especially when you are able to recognize and differentiate note colours and sizes. Buy a small dark watermelon, several small and just ripe mangos, bananas and limes before leaving the fruit section. Several people later on inquiring as to the price we paid for the watermelon, to ascertain whether we have been scalped or not. 20rup seems on the higher of the local price range but below tourist rate so we are relatively happy. An older stall owner sitting with his goods out in front asks Soph to take a photo of his friend sitting alongside him, also with goods in front, but who we later find out is blind.
The markets are a scene of busy yet measured enterprise with a constant flow of people passing inspecting and enquiring prices from their vendor of choice. From the veg we move untoward the meat market where chickens in baskets sit huddled and cluck as very close by their compatriots are dispatched with efficiency. Guts are thrown in a pile as are feathers with the completed bird carcass placed on a table ready for purchase. Can't get much fresher and whilst still morning the heat is not yet at chronic salmonella levels. Still you have to feel for the remaining chickens, who in one basket I noticed for all facing inwards. Stop at a kitchen utensils store and purchase a stainless steel bowl for our salad, 25rup - less than one dollar.
On past the bag merchants to the side of the market and the sugar cane juice sellers whose carts have an old style hand driven wringer or roller attachment many with bells to attract passing trade. The sugar cane in run through the wringer then gradually folded back upon itself to milk as much juice as possible from the stalk. The juice trickles down sometimes over chunks of ice into an awaiting jug and then is poured into glasses sitting in glass holders on the front of the cart. Pre soft drink days. Unfortunately due to the uncertainty of the source of the ice we have not tried and so I am uncertain as to price per glass, but given that soft drink is 15rup (mrp) per small bottle it would have to be cheaper.
Just behind the juice carts spot some young green coconuts still on their stalks. Decide to grab one which is sliced open on the spot to try the juice. 10rup but the juice is not as sweet as I remembered. Soph has the pleasure for the rest of the morning walking around bearing a massive green coconut. Still between it and the watermelon we garner a little street cred so it is not all bad. Back to the hotel where we have fruit salad using our little paring knife and catch movie on cable before heading back out.
On the bridge say hi to a middle aged American who asks if we have a sec. We should have switched on at that stage but didn't and so said yes. He proceeded to pull out homestyle pics of exceedingly gruesome surgery that he had performed to remove large growths and legions. In doing so locals also stopped, the way that they do, to also check out the photos which he had no qualms in showing. He then pulled out a colour brochure which also had graphic photos on it and identified his work as being connected to an evangelical church. He had been he said operating here in Siliguri for the past seven years. The brochure however identified that the growths and the illnesses were the result of following false gods. One picture showing the removal of a leg effected with elephantiasis had next to it the cause of the illness as being the mans worship of the god Ganesh.
Initially impressed with the mans dedication to the poor and medically in need our disposition changed rapidly on reading his propaganda. Although Christian by birth and aware of the requirement to spread the "good news" the method of partial truths and perception we both found to be exceedingly distateful especially being communicated to the poorly educated people whom he would be exposed to. It left us feeling torn between our respect of indigenous culture and the desire for cost effective treatment for these horrible diseases which were a result of various causes many of which very human in cause and creation. We moved on without expressing our desired approval as a result of our perceived deception by a person we felt who should have been bound by higher ethical standards.
Further along the the road we passed several people with identifiable glaucoma, impressing upon us the desire to donate to the Fred Hollows Foundation an, as far as we are aware, non aligned non prejudiced vehicle for the support of local needy individuals. By whose very deeds are surely greater examples of charity and worldly support than a biased and marketed church based vehicle. I can understand the religious fervor that would simplify such a perception into base causes at their route or spiritual level but cannot condone it in a modern world especially having seen the examples of great charity and support evidenced under alternate spiritual vehicles.
Although again aware of the clause that their no alternate gate to heaven then by true belief in the Christian god, I, though maybe truly naive, would be far happier to be exposed to the potential of purgatory but to live what I perceive as an active good deed and action based life, attempting day by day to achieve a greater phase of human enlightenment than one of condemnation of another similar to that condoned during the european middle ages. The thought of such still brings tingles to my body and so I cannot otherwise justify my possibly simplistic judgment than by what feels true to my core. Maybe through further study of the major religions (christian, muslim, buddhist, hindu etc) I will, if granted the opportunity, alter my judgment, but as of today this is what I feel.
To break the mood we decide to catch a rickshaw to NJP (New Jalpaiguri) train station and nearby bazaar paying a rickshaw to take us what we believed to be a further km up the road. The journey turned out to be an exceeding complex series of back streets (with speed humps) and turns for a good half an hour of neck sweat raising effort on the behalf of our rickshaw peddler. A middle aged man of god humor, who after the first groan from the back ( emitted having bumped our heads on the pull over rain cover having crossing a speed bump at speed ) swerved all future road imperfections. 50 rup.
NJP was massive and like the other indian railway stations we had visited quite modern and relatively systemised. An army of rickshaws and tuk tuks, jeeps and vans were lined up out front only seconded by the street food vendors of Chats and Samosas. The Bazaar unfortunately was very quiet with many of the stores having pulled down their front roller doors and having gone home, leaving only the street cleaners.
Deciding to bail and get back into town we hailed a motorised rickshaw (tuk tuk) which we had all to ourselves. The driver spared no second in his attempt to brake all prior speed records getting us into town, as if he was a keen viewer of the Great (or is it Amazing?) Race shown on cable over here. It was great having the afternoon air swept into our faces as we swerved and beeped our way stopping completely only once we were back in at New Cart Rd.
Went looking for cyber cafes but the two we knew of were both closed for Sunday afternoon. (getting used to change over to Sunday as rest day versus Saturday in Nepal) Settled for dinner at Sartaj striking initially for it's ornately uniformed door man. Good Chinese/Asian apparently so went with the Chopsuey and Singapore noodles which definitely didn't disappoint, best since Old Lan Hua in Pokhara.
Back to the hotel and sounds of singing (surely they could find someone with a better voice) from a nearby temple recognising and mourning the passing of a very well known indian religious figure Sai Baba.
 |
| Siriguli, India. April 2011 |
Saturday, April 23, 2011
A change is as good as a holiday (Saturday 23 April 2011)
Leave the room, placing the condom from the tractor guys in the top drawer of the set of drawers. Breakfast in the hotel, which when named Beenayak could be interesting. The options limited so go with three lots of toast and chiya. The restaurant looks like their was a party to the early hours the only thing missing is the bodies. Apparently the owners father had died though.
Once more cycle out of Birtamod and through Charali to the Nepali eastern terai border town of Kakarbhitta. A mass of rickshaws, vans and a few larger trucks initially identifying the border edge before focusing on the large road covering archway. Immigration office initially hard to spot due to all the action and because no one else had to go there, but then recognizable both by it's signage in red writing and color as all government buildings in Nepal are a similar sandy colour. The staff as warm and relaxed as the staff on the western terai. Checkout a painless ten minutes with no search, a smile and invite to return.
Feeling tingly with excitement roll the bikes down the hill and across the bridge over the border river to the indian border town of Pantianki. Again have trouble spotting the right immigration building but directed by a couple of officials to the cottage styled building set back from the road on the right. Again we were the only guys there. More forms to fill in and a little more bureaucratic but fast and painless. No checking of bags on this side either. Just a bit of a discussion about the bikes and the fact they have disc brakes.
Out onto the road and it is chaos with traffic backed up in both directions with people, bikes and rickshaws going any which way to try and get through, in many cases by seeking their own express route making it worse for those patiently sitting in line. Having been in this situation before we through decorum out the window and joined in crossing to the pedestrian strip on the other side of the road and joining the weaving, if a little more patiently and possibly politely then some of our road compatriots. It took us longer to work through the traffic to the T intersection than it had in both immigration offices combined. Still having been exposed to the way life works in India it could only bring smiles to your face as people smiled, stared and inquired along the way. Even received a pat on the back by one older couple.
At the T intersection turned left which felt wrong as our visible expectation from the map was to head east not north. The road was correct however and felt fantastic not because it was significantly superior to the road just left in Nepal but because of small differences, a marked break down lane, English road signs and smiling inquiring faces rather than surprised incredulous and occasionally crazy laughter. Other aspects such as the age and condition of vehicles, the crazy honking swerving head on driving by bus drivers and an increase in road side advertising slowly also seeping in.
Welcomed back to India having pulled over into the shade of a large tree. Discussed in very good english where we had been and where we were going which was really nice. It felt like returning to something or somewhere that you recognised and knew your place in. Sometimes on the terai people had not encountered many westerners (other then the odd NGO) nor western education and so had no construct or norm as to how to interpret you. This can be nice but it is not always comfortable.
Continue on through lush fields and towns rather then villages. A few tea plantations and crops including banana trees. On the outskirts of Siliguri having passed through Bagdogra we passed first a mammoth shopping complex which could easily have passed from the outside as a Westfield in the suburbs of Sydney or Newcastle then a gated landscaped suburb of modern apartments.
Access to Siliguri via an underpass and then before we new it, we were on New Cart Rd, the main road through town. Consider out hotel options as we cycle into town and settle on the Conclave lodge which is set back off the busy main road but still quite accessible to the action in town. The lodge itself had the feel of a slightly degenerating school or basic mansion. Large airy space, not built in but in need of a little TLC. The Labrador pup in the gated courtyard adding to a laid back feel.
Settle in and put the bikes in the enormous room before walking into town for a quick reconnaissance. Have tea at a street side stall, 4rup per glass. Back to the Conclave Hotel on the corner of the lane for dinner at the Eminent restaurant which is quite good before retiring to the room to setup our mosquito net, using the double net purchased in Kathmandu and our tent poles, the end result being quite pleasing and more importantly effective. Best of all, no load shedding. Heaven.
Once more cycle out of Birtamod and through Charali to the Nepali eastern terai border town of Kakarbhitta. A mass of rickshaws, vans and a few larger trucks initially identifying the border edge before focusing on the large road covering archway. Immigration office initially hard to spot due to all the action and because no one else had to go there, but then recognizable both by it's signage in red writing and color as all government buildings in Nepal are a similar sandy colour. The staff as warm and relaxed as the staff on the western terai. Checkout a painless ten minutes with no search, a smile and invite to return.
Feeling tingly with excitement roll the bikes down the hill and across the bridge over the border river to the indian border town of Pantianki. Again have trouble spotting the right immigration building but directed by a couple of officials to the cottage styled building set back from the road on the right. Again we were the only guys there. More forms to fill in and a little more bureaucratic but fast and painless. No checking of bags on this side either. Just a bit of a discussion about the bikes and the fact they have disc brakes.
Out onto the road and it is chaos with traffic backed up in both directions with people, bikes and rickshaws going any which way to try and get through, in many cases by seeking their own express route making it worse for those patiently sitting in line. Having been in this situation before we through decorum out the window and joined in crossing to the pedestrian strip on the other side of the road and joining the weaving, if a little more patiently and possibly politely then some of our road compatriots. It took us longer to work through the traffic to the T intersection than it had in both immigration offices combined. Still having been exposed to the way life works in India it could only bring smiles to your face as people smiled, stared and inquired along the way. Even received a pat on the back by one older couple.
At the T intersection turned left which felt wrong as our visible expectation from the map was to head east not north. The road was correct however and felt fantastic not because it was significantly superior to the road just left in Nepal but because of small differences, a marked break down lane, English road signs and smiling inquiring faces rather than surprised incredulous and occasionally crazy laughter. Other aspects such as the age and condition of vehicles, the crazy honking swerving head on driving by bus drivers and an increase in road side advertising slowly also seeping in.
Welcomed back to India having pulled over into the shade of a large tree. Discussed in very good english where we had been and where we were going which was really nice. It felt like returning to something or somewhere that you recognised and knew your place in. Sometimes on the terai people had not encountered many westerners (other then the odd NGO) nor western education and so had no construct or norm as to how to interpret you. This can be nice but it is not always comfortable.
Continue on through lush fields and towns rather then villages. A few tea plantations and crops including banana trees. On the outskirts of Siliguri having passed through Bagdogra we passed first a mammoth shopping complex which could easily have passed from the outside as a Westfield in the suburbs of Sydney or Newcastle then a gated landscaped suburb of modern apartments.
Access to Siliguri via an underpass and then before we new it, we were on New Cart Rd, the main road through town. Consider out hotel options as we cycle into town and settle on the Conclave lodge which is set back off the busy main road but still quite accessible to the action in town. The lodge itself had the feel of a slightly degenerating school or basic mansion. Large airy space, not built in but in need of a little TLC. The Labrador pup in the gated courtyard adding to a laid back feel.
Settle in and put the bikes in the enormous room before walking into town for a quick reconnaissance. Have tea at a street side stall, 4rup per glass. Back to the Conclave Hotel on the corner of the lane for dinner at the Eminent restaurant which is quite good before retiring to the room to setup our mosquito net, using the double net purchased in Kathmandu and our tent poles, the end result being quite pleasing and more importantly effective. Best of all, no load shedding. Heaven.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Possible (Friday 22 April)
Great night, comfy beds and good mosquito nets. Head downstairs for late breakfast which turns into chiya only as no bread and only find out twenty minutes later after someone has been into the market. Cycle off towards Charali the junction for the road north to Illam. Before leaving various locals ask where we are going and when we identify Illam the general answer is that it is not possible as it is too steep. Used to such encounters we reply nonchalantly saying that because of the gears quite a lot is possible and that we have cycled a long way.
On the road to Charali a passing tractor slows up and one of the teenage guys on the back yells out hello before leaning over to me and attempts to pass a small silver packet, though reaching it slips out of my hand. Again the tractor slows up and this time the guy successfully passes me another packet then beams a huge smile before the tractor accelerates down the highway. On closer inspection the packet is a condom.
Stop for breakfast of samosa on the corner at Charali before starting towards the hills. For a long time Illam has been our final Nepali destination so to be heading their feels like the completion of our time in Nepal. The road starts flat for seven to eight kms passing out through green fields predominantly rice but with a few other crops thrown in. Pass some really large private houses more similar to those we saw in Pokhara than on the Terai. The foothills begin and small patches of tea estates then bang a sweat inducing sharp climb.
Because of our late start it is nearly midday and the temperature is quite humid warm, making the first couple of climbs more oxygen challenging. I have a Nepali ride alongside me on a motorbike as we climb asking all sorts of questions. A combination of being boxed in by the bike and not wanting to be impolite to the obvious curious guy I fail to notice Soph has dropped behind. The guy again stating what everyone else has stated ie impossible invites us to his house on the way back down, and proceeds to show me the location of his house. By the time he leaves Soph is a way behind and when she catches up not in good humour.
The next series of climbs are testing as straight with consistent gradients rather then gradual switchbacks where you can ease off once in a while. Pull over to grab fluid top ups and the young guys again reiterate what everyone else has said ie it is too steep. We talk through our reasoning before pushing on.
Again the road is a really gear crunching steep and people consistency is starting to seep in, but the dogged determination is hard to drop especially having answered positively to all our previous questioners.
Continue to climb and take breaks and some sections more ridable than others. The higher we go we begin to hit stretches whether as a result of continual muscle sapping stretches or nasty gradients become pushes rather then light spin. Again the determination is ingrained and so we keep on pushing though when stopped people continue to identify that it is too steep and that it gets worse further up.
At about 2pm we begin looking for food as the heat has remained and we haven't climbed high enough to secure the cooler temperatures. We can see the road high above us in sections but again unable to determine just how sharply the road climbs and whether it gets any better. Small road side villages we pass are all closed up as further down we noted a Buddhist ceremony being conducted. We look at a couple of freight carriers but none are going our way.
We agree to push on for another hour to assess whether things will get better. Eventually roll into a small village up on the ridge line before the road continues up and around the other side. The road gradient looks much better. Inquiries with the locals are however fruitless and many say that the road gets worse rather then better further up. We calculate that we have travelled 25km and would have a further 25 to the half way spot that we had planned for. Tired and frustrated to the resignation that today, with the luggage we were pulling we weren't going to comfortably do the ascent. Feeling a little beaten and peeved at the seeming lack of support or encouragement decide to take it out on the descent. Reach speeds of 65km with bob which is not quite suicidal but increases the consequences of error. Feel a little better when we reach the bottom in half an hour, the same distance requiring five hours on the way up.
Enter Charali and assess lodge options but the prices seem a bit of a take and so try a couple of kms to the East towards the border. Nothing appears and not that keen to camp right on the border and so we turn around and cycle back to Birtamod. Return to the Hotel Villagio but it is booked out. They direct us to another place, Hotel Beenayak (I am not kidding) which we spot and is on the left just before the bridge. Soph goes in for the inspection and I stay with the bikes outside. Have the dubious pleasure of meeting the most smartarse street vermin since we started the trip. Must be the day for it, I spend the next ten minutes grinning through gritted teeth and asking them nicely not to touch things on the bike and no they could not go for a ride, nor try on my sunglasses.
Eventually Soph returned and thankfully they had a room that was okay. Bikes inside and huge sigh having sat on the bed once in the room. Order a Tuborg beer which though warm was still satisfying. Food from the restaurant was quite good. The room had an air conditioner though we had opted for a non air con room. It only worked with the remote. When our food was delivered to the room the waiter noticed the air conditioner was on and explained that we would have to pay extra for the air conditioner and confiscated the remote. We made do with our mosquito net and the rooms fan in it's absence.
On the road to Charali a passing tractor slows up and one of the teenage guys on the back yells out hello before leaning over to me and attempts to pass a small silver packet, though reaching it slips out of my hand. Again the tractor slows up and this time the guy successfully passes me another packet then beams a huge smile before the tractor accelerates down the highway. On closer inspection the packet is a condom.
Stop for breakfast of samosa on the corner at Charali before starting towards the hills. For a long time Illam has been our final Nepali destination so to be heading their feels like the completion of our time in Nepal. The road starts flat for seven to eight kms passing out through green fields predominantly rice but with a few other crops thrown in. Pass some really large private houses more similar to those we saw in Pokhara than on the Terai. The foothills begin and small patches of tea estates then bang a sweat inducing sharp climb.
Because of our late start it is nearly midday and the temperature is quite humid warm, making the first couple of climbs more oxygen challenging. I have a Nepali ride alongside me on a motorbike as we climb asking all sorts of questions. A combination of being boxed in by the bike and not wanting to be impolite to the obvious curious guy I fail to notice Soph has dropped behind. The guy again stating what everyone else has stated ie impossible invites us to his house on the way back down, and proceeds to show me the location of his house. By the time he leaves Soph is a way behind and when she catches up not in good humour.
The next series of climbs are testing as straight with consistent gradients rather then gradual switchbacks where you can ease off once in a while. Pull over to grab fluid top ups and the young guys again reiterate what everyone else has said ie it is too steep. We talk through our reasoning before pushing on.
Again the road is a really gear crunching steep and people consistency is starting to seep in, but the dogged determination is hard to drop especially having answered positively to all our previous questioners.
Continue to climb and take breaks and some sections more ridable than others. The higher we go we begin to hit stretches whether as a result of continual muscle sapping stretches or nasty gradients become pushes rather then light spin. Again the determination is ingrained and so we keep on pushing though when stopped people continue to identify that it is too steep and that it gets worse further up.
At about 2pm we begin looking for food as the heat has remained and we haven't climbed high enough to secure the cooler temperatures. We can see the road high above us in sections but again unable to determine just how sharply the road climbs and whether it gets any better. Small road side villages we pass are all closed up as further down we noted a Buddhist ceremony being conducted. We look at a couple of freight carriers but none are going our way.
We agree to push on for another hour to assess whether things will get better. Eventually roll into a small village up on the ridge line before the road continues up and around the other side. The road gradient looks much better. Inquiries with the locals are however fruitless and many say that the road gets worse rather then better further up. We calculate that we have travelled 25km and would have a further 25 to the half way spot that we had planned for. Tired and frustrated to the resignation that today, with the luggage we were pulling we weren't going to comfortably do the ascent. Feeling a little beaten and peeved at the seeming lack of support or encouragement decide to take it out on the descent. Reach speeds of 65km with bob which is not quite suicidal but increases the consequences of error. Feel a little better when we reach the bottom in half an hour, the same distance requiring five hours on the way up.
Enter Charali and assess lodge options but the prices seem a bit of a take and so try a couple of kms to the East towards the border. Nothing appears and not that keen to camp right on the border and so we turn around and cycle back to Birtamod. Return to the Hotel Villagio but it is booked out. They direct us to another place, Hotel Beenayak (I am not kidding) which we spot and is on the left just before the bridge. Soph goes in for the inspection and I stay with the bikes outside. Have the dubious pleasure of meeting the most smartarse street vermin since we started the trip. Must be the day for it, I spend the next ten minutes grinning through gritted teeth and asking them nicely not to touch things on the bike and no they could not go for a ride, nor try on my sunglasses.
Eventually Soph returned and thankfully they had a room that was okay. Bikes inside and huge sigh having sat on the bed once in the room. Order a Tuborg beer which though warm was still satisfying. Food from the restaurant was quite good. The room had an air conditioner though we had opted for a non air con room. It only worked with the remote. When our food was delivered to the room the waiter noticed the air conditioner was on and explained that we would have to pay extra for the air conditioner and confiscated the remote. We made do with our mosquito net and the rooms fan in it's absence.
 |
| Towards Ilam, Nepal. April 2011 |
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Bearing it (Thursday 21 April 2011)
Chiya brought by our friendly Hotel waitress who is a little darker then most nepalis, and similar to a few of the ladies we have seen in the past week have tattoos on the inside of their arms or on their hands. Tattoos as in some parts of Australia appear to be undergoing a bit of a trend in Katmandu at the moment, but these appear much older and more native in style. When we traveling on the metro in Delhi I noticed a few guys with them on their hands also. Will have to see whether it is a racial or religious or caste thing. It seems to be more consistent with the darker southern peoples rather then the more mongoloid northern.
Roll the bikes into the alleyway from the hotel and load them up ready to go. Slight hassle with Soph's rear derailleur but thankfully after a little resetting it seems ok. Out onto the Highway once again and join the flow of traffic heading east.
Easy rolling along flat relatively smooth tar. Towns spread at about every 5kms. Places seem relatively clean and the green patches makes the cycling quite pleasant. Surprised by Soph's exclamation of surprise from behind and a "did you see that?", obviously not. Pull over to the side and look across and a guy is wandering along the other side of the road with a stick and a massive black bear on a chain. Don't hang out or go across to the guy as I don't want to encourage the guy. It is hot down here on the Terai and I am pretty sure that the big guy would not be down here if it were not for the chain and the stick.
Just out of town the Betana Wetland conservation area which looks clean and green, quite refreshing. Race a couple of kids just to veer from the usual, and it turns into a drawn out sprint.
Little memorials on the side of road back at the edge of the jungle. Shaped in mixture of shapes from small chorten style to small house shaped likenesses.
In one section of tree covered fields small tea bushes like a consistent pruned hedge undergrowth but with large tree cover interspersed so the tea appeared to be in the shade. The Himalaya tea gardens.
Houses like you would find in either Lismore or Darwin raised houses with verandahs and ripple iron rooves surrounded by date or banana trees.
Plantation eucalyptus trees running for paddocks in the fields to our left. Further down a poplar plantation. Soccer fields in eucalyptus every now and again.
Invited to sit down outside a general store by an older grandfatherly figure. We take up the offer as we need to grab water anyway. Settle in and draw a crowd at both the store and than subsequently at the chiya place just down the way.
Stop at Damak which feels much larger then reflected on our map and seems bustling. Through town and just before the bridge over the river a Hindi temple on the left side and a Buddhist one on the right. The river itself is flowing and clear. A refreshing change to so many rivers now in central nepal. We discuss and have to conclude it is likely a population factor rather then specifically an amended system.
Tourist welcome sign that includes an owl like bird and a python. Nice. Will keep my eyes open should we choose to explore any of the jungle.
Pull over under a tree 7kms or so from Birtamod. Turns out to be next to a school and so we meet various teachers mixed with other locals out the front. It is really nice under a large tree in the afternoon light.
Make Birtamod our chosen stop for the night which similar to most of the centers since Itahari have the same style and structure. Not too bad, but unfortunately the main river in town is a cesspit. Hotel Villagio looks quite nice and out by itself. Marble floors that look really well laid and the rooms with mosquito nets and generator from 6pm guaranteed fans.
Watch kids riding their bikes through a pool of water on the far side of the road before good dinner at the hotel and a bit of cable. Bodies still a little put out by the exposure to the summer sun and heat, but getting better.
Roll the bikes into the alleyway from the hotel and load them up ready to go. Slight hassle with Soph's rear derailleur but thankfully after a little resetting it seems ok. Out onto the Highway once again and join the flow of traffic heading east.
Easy rolling along flat relatively smooth tar. Towns spread at about every 5kms. Places seem relatively clean and the green patches makes the cycling quite pleasant. Surprised by Soph's exclamation of surprise from behind and a "did you see that?", obviously not. Pull over to the side and look across and a guy is wandering along the other side of the road with a stick and a massive black bear on a chain. Don't hang out or go across to the guy as I don't want to encourage the guy. It is hot down here on the Terai and I am pretty sure that the big guy would not be down here if it were not for the chain and the stick.
Just out of town the Betana Wetland conservation area which looks clean and green, quite refreshing. Race a couple of kids just to veer from the usual, and it turns into a drawn out sprint.
Little memorials on the side of road back at the edge of the jungle. Shaped in mixture of shapes from small chorten style to small house shaped likenesses.
In one section of tree covered fields small tea bushes like a consistent pruned hedge undergrowth but with large tree cover interspersed so the tea appeared to be in the shade. The Himalaya tea gardens.
Houses like you would find in either Lismore or Darwin raised houses with verandahs and ripple iron rooves surrounded by date or banana trees.
Plantation eucalyptus trees running for paddocks in the fields to our left. Further down a poplar plantation. Soccer fields in eucalyptus every now and again.
Invited to sit down outside a general store by an older grandfatherly figure. We take up the offer as we need to grab water anyway. Settle in and draw a crowd at both the store and than subsequently at the chiya place just down the way.
Stop at Damak which feels much larger then reflected on our map and seems bustling. Through town and just before the bridge over the river a Hindi temple on the left side and a Buddhist one on the right. The river itself is flowing and clear. A refreshing change to so many rivers now in central nepal. We discuss and have to conclude it is likely a population factor rather then specifically an amended system.
Tourist welcome sign that includes an owl like bird and a python. Nice. Will keep my eyes open should we choose to explore any of the jungle.
Pull over under a tree 7kms or so from Birtamod. Turns out to be next to a school and so we meet various teachers mixed with other locals out the front. It is really nice under a large tree in the afternoon light.
Make Birtamod our chosen stop for the night which similar to most of the centers since Itahari have the same style and structure. Not too bad, but unfortunately the main river in town is a cesspit. Hotel Villagio looks quite nice and out by itself. Marble floors that look really well laid and the rooms with mosquito nets and generator from 6pm guaranteed fans.
Watch kids riding their bikes through a pool of water on the far side of the road before good dinner at the hotel and a bit of cable. Bodies still a little put out by the exposure to the summer sun and heat, but getting better.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
"Again come" (Tuesday 19 April 2011)
Sleep in, appreciating the generator power happening quietly somewhere in the vicinity. Appreciated a short sharp storm during the night, which has dampened slightly the heat. Breakfast at the hotel restaurant to achieve diet diversity. Poached eggs on toast goes down well. The food at the Vishal has been great and though run down in some aspects of appearance the core elements of a good stay have all been fulfilled. The peacock in the garden out the back was an unusual addition and suprisingly quiet in the morning. Maybe they are vocal only when held in pairs.
Pull the bikes out from behind the UN white four wheel drive also in the car park near the garden. Two older indian appearing ladies in saris watch our preparations whilst adding the occasional comment to each other. Serious looking but when engaged faces break into white gleaming smiles and eyes flash.
Onto the streets and quickly join the flow of traffic heading further east along the Mahendra (Highway) Rajmarg. Not far out of town we cross wide broad river flats, again predominantly pebbles and river rocks. The road remains beautifully tarred and the weather though hot also has a pleasant breeze. To the left we follow a closer range of small craggy dry looking hills, with spotted light green tree cover. Legs feeling much better and comfortably operating in the heat.
Consistent with yesterday we share the road with far more cycles and pedestrians than cars. You can guarantee that if you cycle past a few younger guys with bikes (Hero cycles) a couple of minutes later you will hear a squeak or slight metal vibration from behind then they will pass. The younger often fishtailing wildly in front then looking over their shoulders to ensure that you have appreciated their display. The older guys might cast a slight gaze but will carry on unto often you pass them further along the road having resumed their normal pace. The young guys, having flashed smiles post your smile at their display, generally either cut a u turn or divert off the road crazily with well sprung seats absorbing much of their road bank energy. Even the odd young couple will pass, with the guy cycling furiously and the sari draped girl sitting sidesaddle on the back rack. One girl gives the look of a sigh of recurrence as they pass, with little other movement betraying the sudden speed or swerve back across once in front.
Mid morning pull in for a cold mineral water refill but finding none settle for soft drink. When I come back from buying the drinks Sophie, holding her bike under the shade of a large tree is surrounded by a small crowd, with one bright eyed young girl and an older man interpreting various questions. The usuals were all covered; where from? Husband? For what purpose your trip? How long in Nepal? Children? How long married? (with very questioning looks follow no to the children question) Where going to? How much the cycle cost? What do you think of Nepal? It is difficult to break her away having returned the bottles, with the little girl repeatedly asking expectantly but positively (rather than desperately), you again come? On returning to the road the girl crosses over the highway and runs alongside for twenty metres calling out "you come again, you come again!?"
Pass over several large river beds again predominantly visually dry. Some serious water obviously flows down through these parts during monsoon time. Sections increasingly shaded by tree lined road, almost a spiritually refreshing experience as we approach Kanchanpur. The road from here does a dog leg south to deviate around the Kosi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, described as a bird lovers treat with a huge diversity of resident and visiting migratory birds.
Stop in town under a peepal tree and sit next to a goat on the concrete covered seat encircling it's base for what I now class as a bum break. Not long before we attract another large crowd and rerun the questions. One older guy attempts very seriously to give us directions to illam which appear consistent with the information contained in our map in his hands. Regardless it was his time in the light and he enjoyed reiterating the directions several times.
On the way out of town Soph pulls up as a result of her first flat tire. Though feeling partially vindicated that it was not just my poor luck to have a flat, this was quickly eroded by the change, slowed by the attempted use of a previously patched tube which again quickly deflated. In the cool and with just each other to work through the change over this is not a major hassle, just a waste of time, but when you are surrounded by a group of inquisitive people of all ages in the midday heat, many deep breaths are expelled. Best to be cool and take the interest and occasional squeeze of the tire as you are attempting to reinflate it in humor.
Next time I will get one of the onlookers to pump as they no doubt would do and be excited at being asked. Take care with the gear being opened and where placed, but there is internal crowd control maintained by various members and so partially mitigated risk of something going missing. Still it's best to be relatively organised, just not uptight. Should anyone however come near the hand brake of the removed wheel that is another story. (hydraulic disk brakes) Have taken to putting the valve cap as a spacer between the pads to reduce the risk of non intentioned closure.
The next stretch of highway heading due south felt hot and a bit no frills. By this stage our backsides had accumulated soreness and no amount of relocating would deny the fact that the bruising is increasing. As a result every km or so involves a slight readjustment on the seat or quick stand on the peddles. Every now and again I look at the 5cm thick sprung saddles on the Hero bikes and sigh. Maybe next cycle tour. Joined by a maths teacher cycling back to the secondary school at which he taught in Bhardaha. Gave a little distraction from the pain.
Rolled into Bhardaha and the junction town retained our prior road sentiments. Though a large Hindi temple before cresting the embankment across the flood plain to the Sapt river there did not to be any standout food options and the heat was radiating off the road. Settled on ice cold (water) supplied at a small party supplies store. The guys running it though initially a little scary, thanks to their red stained teeth (the result of chewing bettlenut) were really nice and even turned on a small fan for us as we sat on their sole bench seat. After their confirmation of our identity as Australian they commiserated at us regarding the Australian cricket side and Ricky Ponting. Neither of us being overly aware as to the matches nor the individuals who had played in the world cup.
Goodbyes to our cheek filled chewing red lipped smiling crew and heading back into the heat we crested the river dyke running now South across the floodplains and than the large and flowing Sapt Kosi. One of the feeding tributaries to which was the Sun Kosi, which we turned south from at Kurkot. This is a big river, not as fundamental or inspiring as the Mississippi but just as brown and possibly as wide. In 2008 this river flooded in a big way and resulted in huge loss across the floodplains both here and further south in Bihar India. The flood plains at present are full of agriculture with sunflowers, corn, maize, wheat and other crops all looking very healthy in the sun. Water buffalo were wallowing in small pools of trapped water looking very satisfied. Locals were sheltering under either tree cover or hand held umbrellas. Very Gandhiesque especially given some male attire of loose long shirt and loincloth.
A small s bend before rolling onto the bridge itself which is on one side of a long line of drop gates regulating the flow further south. Maintenance work is underway as we roll across on some of the large gates and their haulage systems. Small cluster of huts at the far end before swinging left heading North. Bhantabari, which is as close to the border as we come without actually crossing the border.
The road north commences well but soon descends into patches of tar and then stretches of almost fire road. Though a little slower it gives my mind a diversion from my backside.
Pull into Inarwa, top up on fluids and salt (twisty style packaged snacks with masal flavoring which we decided in the heat were a better option than if we could find samosa which would no doubt be spicy..in the heat we have both gone off eating a spicy lunch instead craving fresh food. The twisties were a nice alternative though) before pushing on. We rolled in next to a quiet little drinks and food store on a green patch in the shade. The store owner promptly bought out two chairs for us to relax on with smiles. It is now 4.30pm and the road sides are increasingly full of people on the move. It is actually a really nice time of day to ride and we would have appreciated it so much more if we had been a little less trashed. Enter Jumka which also feels quite nice with a strong flowing river passing through town. Soph has a vehicle pull up alongside (pushing her onto the rougher gravel side which at this time of the ride is not pleasant for the tired limbs) with a male voice calling namaste, namaste. She later admits to feeling the urge of telling the person to bugger off but held back. A second latter, "oh I can see you are concentrating on driving". Turns out to be a white guy driving a left hand drive van, when she apologizes and identifies that we were heading for Itahari he identifies that he will see us there.
Outer sprawl, but orderly and comparatively clean. Then cluster of larger buildings in the centre of town and we swing left at the main junction and find shelter under some trees on a concrete pavement. Itahari seems prosperous and is located on the junction between Dharan a large town to the north and Biratnagar (Nepals second most populated city) to the south 6kms from the indian border. Soph does the honors and goes inquiring after good accomodation whilst I hold the bikes. She is directed to a place pretty much straight in front of us up an alleyway.
The Herritage Guesthouse, next to the interestingly named Oh my dear Hotel (not sure what's going on there). New and clean it is a much appreciated flake out choice, slightly more expensive, but still reasonable. Power comes on at 6pm but seems inconsistent. Everytime you settle into watching anything on tv and get absorbed the power drops out. Have dal bhaat in our room and it is fantastic. Not long after finishing a sudden ferocious storm hits and we relocate our bikes into the stairwell away from the driving rain and wind. Bed resting our tired bodies, especially backsides.
Pull the bikes out from behind the UN white four wheel drive also in the car park near the garden. Two older indian appearing ladies in saris watch our preparations whilst adding the occasional comment to each other. Serious looking but when engaged faces break into white gleaming smiles and eyes flash.
Onto the streets and quickly join the flow of traffic heading further east along the Mahendra (Highway) Rajmarg. Not far out of town we cross wide broad river flats, again predominantly pebbles and river rocks. The road remains beautifully tarred and the weather though hot also has a pleasant breeze. To the left we follow a closer range of small craggy dry looking hills, with spotted light green tree cover. Legs feeling much better and comfortably operating in the heat.
Consistent with yesterday we share the road with far more cycles and pedestrians than cars. You can guarantee that if you cycle past a few younger guys with bikes (Hero cycles) a couple of minutes later you will hear a squeak or slight metal vibration from behind then they will pass. The younger often fishtailing wildly in front then looking over their shoulders to ensure that you have appreciated their display. The older guys might cast a slight gaze but will carry on unto often you pass them further along the road having resumed their normal pace. The young guys, having flashed smiles post your smile at their display, generally either cut a u turn or divert off the road crazily with well sprung seats absorbing much of their road bank energy. Even the odd young couple will pass, with the guy cycling furiously and the sari draped girl sitting sidesaddle on the back rack. One girl gives the look of a sigh of recurrence as they pass, with little other movement betraying the sudden speed or swerve back across once in front.
Mid morning pull in for a cold mineral water refill but finding none settle for soft drink. When I come back from buying the drinks Sophie, holding her bike under the shade of a large tree is surrounded by a small crowd, with one bright eyed young girl and an older man interpreting various questions. The usuals were all covered; where from? Husband? For what purpose your trip? How long in Nepal? Children? How long married? (with very questioning looks follow no to the children question) Where going to? How much the cycle cost? What do you think of Nepal? It is difficult to break her away having returned the bottles, with the little girl repeatedly asking expectantly but positively (rather than desperately), you again come? On returning to the road the girl crosses over the highway and runs alongside for twenty metres calling out "you come again, you come again!?"
Pass over several large river beds again predominantly visually dry. Some serious water obviously flows down through these parts during monsoon time. Sections increasingly shaded by tree lined road, almost a spiritually refreshing experience as we approach Kanchanpur. The road from here does a dog leg south to deviate around the Kosi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, described as a bird lovers treat with a huge diversity of resident and visiting migratory birds.
Stop in town under a peepal tree and sit next to a goat on the concrete covered seat encircling it's base for what I now class as a bum break. Not long before we attract another large crowd and rerun the questions. One older guy attempts very seriously to give us directions to illam which appear consistent with the information contained in our map in his hands. Regardless it was his time in the light and he enjoyed reiterating the directions several times.
On the way out of town Soph pulls up as a result of her first flat tire. Though feeling partially vindicated that it was not just my poor luck to have a flat, this was quickly eroded by the change, slowed by the attempted use of a previously patched tube which again quickly deflated. In the cool and with just each other to work through the change over this is not a major hassle, just a waste of time, but when you are surrounded by a group of inquisitive people of all ages in the midday heat, many deep breaths are expelled. Best to be cool and take the interest and occasional squeeze of the tire as you are attempting to reinflate it in humor.
Next time I will get one of the onlookers to pump as they no doubt would do and be excited at being asked. Take care with the gear being opened and where placed, but there is internal crowd control maintained by various members and so partially mitigated risk of something going missing. Still it's best to be relatively organised, just not uptight. Should anyone however come near the hand brake of the removed wheel that is another story. (hydraulic disk brakes) Have taken to putting the valve cap as a spacer between the pads to reduce the risk of non intentioned closure.
The next stretch of highway heading due south felt hot and a bit no frills. By this stage our backsides had accumulated soreness and no amount of relocating would deny the fact that the bruising is increasing. As a result every km or so involves a slight readjustment on the seat or quick stand on the peddles. Every now and again I look at the 5cm thick sprung saddles on the Hero bikes and sigh. Maybe next cycle tour. Joined by a maths teacher cycling back to the secondary school at which he taught in Bhardaha. Gave a little distraction from the pain.
Rolled into Bhardaha and the junction town retained our prior road sentiments. Though a large Hindi temple before cresting the embankment across the flood plain to the Sapt river there did not to be any standout food options and the heat was radiating off the road. Settled on ice cold (water) supplied at a small party supplies store. The guys running it though initially a little scary, thanks to their red stained teeth (the result of chewing bettlenut) were really nice and even turned on a small fan for us as we sat on their sole bench seat. After their confirmation of our identity as Australian they commiserated at us regarding the Australian cricket side and Ricky Ponting. Neither of us being overly aware as to the matches nor the individuals who had played in the world cup.
Goodbyes to our cheek filled chewing red lipped smiling crew and heading back into the heat we crested the river dyke running now South across the floodplains and than the large and flowing Sapt Kosi. One of the feeding tributaries to which was the Sun Kosi, which we turned south from at Kurkot. This is a big river, not as fundamental or inspiring as the Mississippi but just as brown and possibly as wide. In 2008 this river flooded in a big way and resulted in huge loss across the floodplains both here and further south in Bihar India. The flood plains at present are full of agriculture with sunflowers, corn, maize, wheat and other crops all looking very healthy in the sun. Water buffalo were wallowing in small pools of trapped water looking very satisfied. Locals were sheltering under either tree cover or hand held umbrellas. Very Gandhiesque especially given some male attire of loose long shirt and loincloth.
A small s bend before rolling onto the bridge itself which is on one side of a long line of drop gates regulating the flow further south. Maintenance work is underway as we roll across on some of the large gates and their haulage systems. Small cluster of huts at the far end before swinging left heading North. Bhantabari, which is as close to the border as we come without actually crossing the border.
The road north commences well but soon descends into patches of tar and then stretches of almost fire road. Though a little slower it gives my mind a diversion from my backside.
Pull into Inarwa, top up on fluids and salt (twisty style packaged snacks with masal flavoring which we decided in the heat were a better option than if we could find samosa which would no doubt be spicy..in the heat we have both gone off eating a spicy lunch instead craving fresh food. The twisties were a nice alternative though) before pushing on. We rolled in next to a quiet little drinks and food store on a green patch in the shade. The store owner promptly bought out two chairs for us to relax on with smiles. It is now 4.30pm and the road sides are increasingly full of people on the move. It is actually a really nice time of day to ride and we would have appreciated it so much more if we had been a little less trashed. Enter Jumka which also feels quite nice with a strong flowing river passing through town. Soph has a vehicle pull up alongside (pushing her onto the rougher gravel side which at this time of the ride is not pleasant for the tired limbs) with a male voice calling namaste, namaste. She later admits to feeling the urge of telling the person to bugger off but held back. A second latter, "oh I can see you are concentrating on driving". Turns out to be a white guy driving a left hand drive van, when she apologizes and identifies that we were heading for Itahari he identifies that he will see us there.
Outer sprawl, but orderly and comparatively clean. Then cluster of larger buildings in the centre of town and we swing left at the main junction and find shelter under some trees on a concrete pavement. Itahari seems prosperous and is located on the junction between Dharan a large town to the north and Biratnagar (Nepals second most populated city) to the south 6kms from the indian border. Soph does the honors and goes inquiring after good accomodation whilst I hold the bikes. She is directed to a place pretty much straight in front of us up an alleyway.
The Herritage Guesthouse, next to the interestingly named Oh my dear Hotel (not sure what's going on there). New and clean it is a much appreciated flake out choice, slightly more expensive, but still reasonable. Power comes on at 6pm but seems inconsistent. Everytime you settle into watching anything on tv and get absorbed the power drops out. Have dal bhaat in our room and it is fantastic. Not long after finishing a sudden ferocious storm hits and we relocate our bikes into the stairwell away from the driving rain and wind. Bed resting our tired bodies, especially backsides.
 |
| Eastern Terai, Nepal. April 2011 |
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