and more specifically, the Annapurna Circuit. I couldn't miss that.
Promod's advice worked like a charm. He got out of the bus first. I was second. While waiting at the base of the stairs to board, an elderly woman walked up to the front of the line wanting to get ahead of us. At that moment the flight attendant waved us up. So intent on getting a choice seat, we blasted up the stairs leaving her behind. It was a horrible thing to do. I was guilt-ridden the entire flight, so much so that after retrieving our bags in Pokhara, I had Promod join me in approaching the woman so that he could translate my apology to her.
In the airport I met a father and son team (see photo)
who were going to spend the next 60 days climbing Mt Everest. They had planned to do it last year and had made it nearly to base camp when the earthquake hit. They were lucky to escape alive. Now they are here to try again. God speed fellas. You are brave soles.
After arriving in Pokhara around 8:30 we went straight to the hotel where we dumped our bags and ventured off to go white water rafting. We jumped into a rickety old bus, with a tour guide and a few helpers and drove about 45 minutes up towards
the mountains where we jumped out, donned our wet suits, received a brief training from our guide Min, and launched the boat. We were accompanied
by a guide in a kayak whose sole job was to drag us to safety if we fell into the water.
What a marvelous two hours
it was. Along the way we saw a lots of little kids waving to us, men and women farming boulders and rocks and loading them on to dump trucks, a river bank funeral where a body was being cremated and spectacular views of white capped mountain peaks unlike anything I had ever seen. Spellbinding!
See video link for a brief look at our paddling; http://youtu.be/TPK_DyNGLeg
We got back to the hotel in the early afternoon, got dressed into our bike gear, set up the bikes and headed out for a 15 mile test ride.
It took awhile for me to get used to the bike but I started to get the hang of it after an hour or so. Of course the others were bombing through the streets moments after we left the hotel. As feared, these guys are accomplished mountain bikers.
I did have a little mishap on the way back. A bus packed with people, some hanging out of the windows and doors, was approaching us down a very narrow road. I assumed the driver would take the extra couple of feet to his left so that I could pass. No such luck. He continued to hug our side of the road. By the time I realized what he was doing it was too late. He squeezed me off the road. There wasn't time or space for me to clip out of my pedal. I went down, my bike half sliding under the bus. The bus was able to abruptly stop. Thankfully. I got away with a few scrapes and a bruised ego. It could have been much worse.
I think the incident was a good thing. It acted as a good reminder for me that this place has its own culture and different rules of the road. It also reminded me that I shouldn't try to exceed my riding limits. I'll do my best to adhere to this.
I now know why they told us to bring extra inner tubes and tires. After we got outside of town, the roads were all dirt and covered with rocks; large and small. Some were sharp and pointed. At first I tried to dodge them but that proved fruitless. There were way too many. Instead I learned to relax, take them head on and let the bike's suspension do the work. It worked. It was a ton of fun.
We are going on a 30 mile loop this morning into the low mountains and then coming back to Pokhara. I begged the adventure shop owner to take me paragliding in the afternoon.
He refused. He said the winds are too gusty and unpredictable in the afternoon. I offered him double but he said no. 😢
I've included some photos from the bus ride to the rafting. Enjoy!
G.
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- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Location:Pokhara, Nepal
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