July 29, 2025
Blessed soul that I am..
After a lot of dilly-dallying, I finally set off toward Manang. I had to take care of a few things before starting: switch to hydraulic brakes or stay with mechanical disc brakes, try to find a new fat tire to replace a completely worn-out rear one, stock up on brake pads, get route information, and secure the Annapurna Conservation Area permit.
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After the Kora ride, I replaced both the front and rear brake pads. I decided against hydraulic brakes and instead upgraded to a larger 180 mm front rotor.
I'd also picked up a newer Nepal map, a few Annapurna region maps, and met more trail runners and cyclists. So, the two weeks I spent at my Boston friend’s parents' house weren’t wasted, but I felt like I was slacking. I even got to participate in a trail run with my Kora buddy Arihant in the Nagarjuna National Park, which towers over Kathmandu.
Thanks to that run, I met more crazies and felt a little less crazy myself.
I packed up MisterGordo yesterday, but the timing didn’t feel right. I tend to get scared—or too comfortable—after a break or when my rhythm is broken. Today, my excuse was the rain.
Anyways, after saying goodbye and seeking blessings from my friend’s parents, I hit the road. Within minutes, I stopped at the Nepal Telecom office to pick up an NTC SIM. Since I work online, I needed a reliable network, and I’d been told NTC works better in the remote areas I was heading to. That took an hour.
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Just as I was finally leaving Kathmandu, my new tire popped out—luckily, not during traffic, not in heavy rain, or not when I was descending a steep oraalo (downhill) section. I fixed it, then grabbed some samosas and chai, since it had started pouring by then.
An hour later, I was pushing MisterGordo. The road was steep, and I realized I was passing through the same area where I had run the previous Saturday.
Despite the torrential downpour, I needed to put some distance between me and Kathmandu. I threw on my poncho and pushed on. As I descended the steep mountain, two guys on a motorcycle stopped me—they were cyclists too. They gave me their number and invited me to their lodge in Bidur-Batar. I had only planned to ride another 10 miles and stop, but their encouragement pushed me towards 20 mile.
So I rode on—through some sticky raato hilo (red mud).
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I kept riding until about 7:30 p.m. and finally reached their lodge in Batar.
They, like many others, kept asking: “Eklaa?” or “Saathi cha?” — Alone? Do you have friends? People are always baffled that I ride alone. But for me, it works. I ride at my own pace, stop wherever I want, practice my Nepali, and just be myself. With friends, I feel like I’d be “bound.”
At the lodge, I spread out all my wet gear and currency to dry. That’s when I realized again how beautiful Nepali currency is—each denomination has a different animal!
Today, I had ridden 34 miles, 3,000 feet of elevation gain.
Today's ride: 54 km (34 miles)
Total: 3,791 km (2,354 miles)
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