Here are some of our favorite photos from the trip (each photo is a thumbnail linked to a higher quality picture.):
61) Our lunch break as we rode through southern Nepal was in a little restaurant on the bank of the West Rapti River.
62) The family that ran the restaurant where we had lunch has this little shrine on the wall in the back of the restaurant.
63) After lunch we rode through a corner of Chitwan National Park. We didn't see any Bengal Tigers or wild Asian Rhinos just a lot of monkeys. We also saw a traditional village made from trees harvested from the jungle on the edge of the park.
64) We stopped for the night in the small town of Hetauda but we arrived early enough in the afternoon that we could walk the streets in the center of town. This shop was selling hand hammered copper and silver bowls.
65) The Royal Enfields we were riding were all made in the 1970s and 1980s. This was a conscious choice by the guys that ran the tour because this era of Royal Enfield (pre-unit construction) is stone ax simple. However, that didn't mean there weren't periodic problems. The fuel in Nepal is often dirty with water, dirt, rust and who knows what else floating in it. We often has issues where the fuel filters and carb jets would clog. Fortunately, the tour had two Indian mechanics, Imran and Hafiz, and they were like a NASCAR pit crew. They could strip off a carburetor, clean the float bowl, re-assemble and kick a bike back to life in under 5 minutes.
66) In addition to the two mechanics we also had Amar along to help with logistics. While we blissfully road along enjoying the scenery Amar was in the chase van calling hotels to confirm reservations, calling bike shops to pick up spare parts, calling border crossings to make sure they would be open, checking with locals on road conditions and lots more. Here he is showing off a spare carburetor from the parts cache.
67) By far the most dangerous vehicle on the Nepalese roads are the tourists buses but these big Tata trucks aren't that far behind. They zoom around corners taking their half out of the middle of the road. They have a distinctive horn and anytime you heard that ominous "toodle" you immediately dove to the shoulder of the road.
68) Monkeys often hung out on the roads and sometimes the whole line of bikes was zigging and zagging trying to avoid the little critters as the troops ran from side to side as we rode by.
69) There are fewer lies in the motorcycling world bigger than the one printed on the side of a 1978 Royal Enfield Bullet 500 gearbox. It claims there is only one neutral inside that transmission housing but I think all of us on the trip can attest to finding more of them sprinkled liberally throughout the gear range.
70) After nearly a week of riding in Nepal we crossed the border into West Bengal, India and we immediately started climbing up into the hill country that is famous for growing tea. This was basically a second pilgrimage for Jonna and we stopped alongside the first tea field we saw so she could take in the sacred beauty.
71) The guide took a secondary road for our climb back up into the mountains and it was stunning! A tight and twisty little 1 1/2 lane wide ribbon of good condition asphalt that climbed up ridge after ridge.
72) As we neared the Singbulli Tea Garden for our afternoon break the views looking down onto the Balason River were quite scenic. We stopped for a quick photo at this little Hindu shrine which was on a prominent ridge jutting out over the valley.
73) Drinking chai every day was nice but once we got into India and Jonna could have a authentic cup of Indian black tea on our rest breaks she was in heaven!
74) Another highlight of our ride into Darjeeling was the road north of Mirik. This was another excellent motorcycle road - curvy and scenic. There are various places where you can see west to the border with Nepal and north to the Himalayas in Sikkim. The ride up into the pine forest was particularly beautiful.
75) We stayed in the Elgin Hotel in Darjeeling. Dinner that night had all the trappings of the Victorian English culture which held so much influence over this area during colonial times. Unfortunately, Alan had a moment of weakness during the meal and had a serving of a Russian beat salad which had some raw vegetables in it. Just a few hours later he was suffering for that culinary transgression. A bad case of food poisoning turned him into a miserable figure for the next 24 hours and eventually necessitated a doctor visit to set things right.
76) The hotel had this little orchid garden set up just outside the front door.
77) We had a day off to explore Darjeeling and started it off with a walk down the aptly named "Cart Road" to visit the Darjeeling Zoo. Along the way went went past the curiously named "Hot Stimulating Cafe".
78) The highlight of the Zoo was definitely the Red Panda pens with the cute critters climbing up in the trees over our heads. We also visited a nearby tea plantation where we got a tour of the farm to see how Darjeeling Tea is processed. Jonna took the opportunity to load up so she would have fresh Darjeeling tea available for the rest of the trip!
79) The next day marked a return to the bikes but also marked our entry into Bhutan. We rode through the entry gate and stopped at the office where we registered as visitors and picked up our mandatory Bhutanese guide.
80) After being officially entered into the country we went for a walk around the border town of Phuent Soling. Compared to the chaos of Nepal and the energetic bustle of India the calm of Bhutan was immediately noticeable.
81) The riding had been terrific in northern India but the fun factor knob was turned up to 11 in Bhutan. First of all, the roads are basically empty. Second, the pavement is excellent. Third, the mountainous landscape means the roads are twisty. Finally, the scenery is gorgeous. It may be expensive to visit the country but as a motorcyclist it is worth it!
82) For our first break we stopped in the little village of Gedu. Jonna found the local men playing Carrom - a tabletop game that involves flicking little round pucks around to knock them into pockets - sort of like playing pool with checkers instead of balls.
83) There is only one paved road that traverses Bhutan from west to east - The Lateral Road. We spent our entire time in Bhutan working our way eastward along this route. Our first stop was in the western city of Paro. We stopped where the road to Paro connects to the Lateral Road to enjoy the view into the Paro Chu river valley.
84) Bhutan was historically a kingdom where secular and religious power were combined and this power was regionalized across the country in fortified monasteries called dzongs. Today, the Rinpung Dzong in Paro is still home to both the government offices and the main Buddhist monastery for the area. It is an imposing and picturesque site on the bank of the Paro Chu river.
85) We lined up all the bikes in front of the dzong for a photo op.
86) Jonna and Alan walked into town from our hotel to look around and in the middle of town we found this gigantic prayer wheel.
87) The next day we had a "rest" day but for us that meant doing a hike instead of resting. One of the most spectacular sites in all of Bhutan is the famous Taktsang "Tiger's Nest" monastery. The site hangs 1,000 feet above the Paro Valley on a ledge on a near vertical cliff at an altitude of 10,240 feet. The hike up is a steep climb - 1,700 feet of elevation gain in just 2 miles.
88) ...But the view is worth it! The trail comes out just above the monastery so you look down onto it but also have incredible views across Paro Valley. Even on a sunny day, like when we did the hike, there are clouds which sometimes drift through giving the place a eerie, mystical feel.
89) From this vantage point we hiked down a narrow path that was literally cut from the rock of the cliff, crossed a stone bridge over a stream that fell a few hundred feet in a waterfall into a pool beside the bridge and then fell in another waterfall out of sight from underneath the bridge and then walked up to the massive wooden gates at the wall of the monastery. The whole experience was straight out of a fairy tale!
90) The national sport of Bhutan is archery and every weekend the men of Paro gather at an archery range for team competitions. We stopped and watched as this team sent arrow after arrow down a long course to a wooden target - all while the opposing team tried to distract the archer by jumping around and yelling. Meanwhile, the archer's team tried to encourage the shooter by giving words of encouragement and singing songs. It was quite the energetic competition!
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