Week 57: To Kohalpur: Long, hot and smokey ride

April 27, 2016

"Where are you going? Welcome" the Banke National Park guard shouts to us as we weave through the barriers at the entrance to the park.

Another early start, we go about 20 kms before our first break for chai and oreos. This was the first time we saw shops. We have gentle climbs, we see two foxes cross the road. Then enter the park and the road then skirts for most of the day. We see signs with pictures of tigers, rhino, deer and hyena.

"Watch out for tigers this time of day" Patrick says and Rachel answers, "we're in trouble if we see a tiger maybe becoming part of the food chain", "Just pedal faster."

Another rest stop at 37 kms, there hasn't been anything since the last break. Occasionally there may be a tiny shop, this is rural Nepal. We don't see communal wells or people carrying water on their heads or bikes like in Africa, so there must be good water sources closer to people's houses. Children call out bye bye as we pass. A few motorcycles ride along side of Patrick asking questions like in India. We continue cycling through the forest, the underbrush has been burned making the air smokey.

At Kusum, we are ready for another stop and fortunate that we did. We meet James, a Brit, has also been cycling a year, but going in the opposite direction from us. A good opportunity to exchange route information. He describes himself as a traveler using a bike not a cycle tourist. We like that description. Interesting that he too said he struggled a bit yesterday and kilometers seemed to add up slowly.

After we exit the park, again through barriers, we are 20 kms from Kohalpur and stop for a cold drink. It's getting hot, hot, hot! We plug along, the road flattens out just as the wind builds. We see a bus miss negotiating a curve going straight off the road. As we pass by, people are calmly and quietly getting off the bus. One last quick stop for a cold drink at 10 kms out, finally making it to town and checking into the Center Plaza Hotel. We insist the bikes go in the room, Patrick had read a journal from last year a French cyclist had his bike stolen in Kohalpur.

This was a long day. One more day to Bardia and a rest day.

It is nice riding through these forests. The morning starts out cool, but by ten it gets hot. Ground fires are burning everywhere causing smokey skies and bad air.

People gather firewood and stack it in nice piles.

The road is up and down today, crossing many wide rivers, mostly dry though this time of year.

Entering Banki National Park. Despite all the roadside posters the chances of seeing a tiger by the side of the road are not good.

We meet James, an English cyclist on a "Dawes Galaxy". He has been on the road about as long as us and is headed for Kathmandu. We might run into him again on the Pamir Highway.

Saved by a part falling off my bike. Patrick notices a piece of metal hitting his shoe before bouncing off the road. "At first I ignore it, but then I survey the bike while riding trying to figure out what it could have been". Turns out the metal cap covering the crank bolt is missing. It really is just extra weight, but it has been on this bike for 24 years, so after about 100 meters I decide to stop, turn back and look for it. While I find it, about 400 meters ahead of us, this oncoming bus misses its turn and runs off the road on the opposite side. Had we not stopped to find the cap we could have been "in the wrong place at the wrong time"..... Thanks bike!

Today's ride: 112 km (70 miles)
Total: 16,334 km (10,143 miles)

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