Travel Tips

It was a 20km back-track the way we had come, until we turned due north. Leaving the Terai lowlands, the road undulated through a deep gorge, following the banks of a fast flowing river. It was gorgeous scenery, and the terrible state of repair of that road kept the traffic relatively unthreatening.

At the town of Muggling, we joined the Pokhara to Kathmandu highway, the busiest and most infamously dangerous road in Nepal. From hereon I wore my cycle helmet the whole time, which by then I was rarely using.

We were still following a deep river within a gorge, now headed due east. The hills were harder, but still manageable and the traffic deadly, but still we seemed to be enjoying it. The countryside around was just too beautiful not to.

After a night in a simple, but clean roadside guesthouse, we rode on. Up and down, up and down... then up! At a chai stop, I made my routine check of my rear wheel. Still only ten cracks. That was promising, though if it collapsed now I would probably disappear over a very high cliff! What wasnt so promising was the added concern of a two-inch split in the rear tire. Double-bugger!

We finished the day's run, completely exhausted, at Naubise (1,020m) after 80km of hard hills in high humidity. A night in a 'hotel', which was more like a derelict, smelly barn. But it sufficed. It was our last night out on the road. It was only fitting we went out completely lacking in style.

Our final day. Straight up into the mountains. A minor truck accident - one of many we saw on that road - caused huge queues we had to negotiate round. Passing hundreds of stationary vehicles, I was struggling up one especially steep incline and was determined not to get off. Aside from hurting my pride, pushing is actually harder than cycling, then I heard a roar of applause and clapping. I squinted through the salty sweat that stung my eyes and saw a tour bus full of western tourists hanging out of the windows cheering us on. One chap jumped out, took some photos before pushing me a few meters up the hill. It was just what I needed at that point. The moral support was a great boost. Thanks guys.

Finally, just 14km before central Kathmandu, we rolled over the high pass at 1,535m and free-wheeled down toward the capital.

Negotiating the city's chaotic streets was predictably confusing, though not as bad as I had feared, and soon we were in the center of tourist Thamel district. We pulled into the famous Kathmandu Guesthouse, collapsed into a chair out on the terrace and ordered big, frothy cappuccinos.

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