to Pokhara: the promise of beer and pizza got us here - Racpat RTW 2015-2017 - CycleBlaze

April 18, 2016

to Pokhara: the promise of beer and pizza got us here

As we make our way through Pokhara, a Westerner with a lime green helmet matching the color of his motorbike waves for Patrick to stop. "Do you know where you are going?" he asks. "Yes, thank you." Patrick answers. "Where are you from?" and Patrick says I was born in Holland and now live in Boise Idaho. "I'm from Twin Falls, lived in Boise until 3 years ago, moved here when I married a Nepalese woman." Then he is on his way, and we continue on to find the Sacred Valley Inn.

The day starts early as we descend the hill that we didn't ride up. We have the road to ourselves, still a foggy haze and disappointing there are no views of mountains, and soon we rejoin the main road to Pokhara.

Just as we get to the top of the first climb, there is Star Coffee Center and we stop for a good cup of organic Himalayan coffee to enjoy with the apple pie we bought in Bandipur. They have only been open for a few weeks and we waited for awhile for the coffee. When we pay the 300 rupees, they say we only charge you 200 rupees since we had problems with the milk. We ask if they have a tip jar and give them 100 rupees back for good customer service. We have been so used to it taking a long time to get chai or coffee, or that we are served what we each have ordered at different times, that we hardly noticed that it took a long time to get this coffee.

We plug along, stopping again for a cold drink and eat peanut butter and crackers after the second climb. We keep on plugging along until about 10kms from Pokhara, we both need something more substantial to eat and stop for an order of Chow Mein that we share. Rachel's bruised ribs from the spill the last day cycling in India are still bothering her. A few rest days hopefully helps. As we near Pokhara, we start seeing lots of motorscooters in a variety of bright colors, not just motorbikes. There was one serious looking accident between a farm tractor and motorbike. We are surprised we don't see more of this.

The guesthouse is in a good location nearby to Fewa lake and the main street where shops and restaurants for tourists are plentiful. Pokhara is the starting point for many treks into the mountains. There are lots of mountaineering shops selling fake and real outdoor clothes and equipment. This will be one of last tourist places for awhile where we can get food other than the local fare, and supermarkets to resupply our food for the road.

Thunder, lightening and rain starts again in the afternoon to early evening and still no view of the mountains. But with the rains, a good chance the morning sunrise will be clear.

Switch-backing down from Bandipur
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The sun is rising through the fog. No mountain views this morning.
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The rain of the last two nights has freshened things up, green everywhere.
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We stop at a coffee stand for a nice cappuccino and a slice of apple pie that we bought in Bandipur yesterday.
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Green rice fields.
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A "cosmic" experience cycling through this town. Carnival has arrived and the main road is covered with strings of silver flags.
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Just before reaching the high point we "bonk" and stop for some chowmein noodles. After that it is another short climb and then gradually down into the city.
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Today's ride: 75 km (47 miles)
Total: 15,904 km (9,876 miles)

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