Srijana Farm to the Cliffs at Kushma - Day 10


Our itinerary was changed because of roadworks and we were glad it was. We were given one of three options for today.

Option 1: a full day off road to end up at our destination.
Option 2: mostly sealed road but s short section of rough off road.

Option 3: Return to Pokhara and come back via sealed roads.


After yesterdays fight with the roadworks we deicided on Option 2. Now one thing you need to know about distance in Nepal. A Nepali kilometre can vary from 2 to 10 km depending on who tells you. 

We left the Srijana Farm after a delicious breakfast of all local delicacies. The first few hours on the road were relatively easy by comparison to other days. After a coffee stop and a lunch stop we started our "off road" venture. Off road here takes on a totally different meaning to what we are used to. WE have unsealed roads in Australia that may have a few pot holes here and there. Here in Nepal we have potholes that have a few bits of road in between. Our average speed would have been around 15Kph for the best part of an hour until we stopped for a much needed break. We stretched our weary bodies and hoped the off road would end soon, but this was not to be. The road seemed to be getting worse and it really took all of our off road training skills to navigate this section. So glad we chose the short off road instead of the all day off road.





After another few hours of "Off Road" riding and a couple more breaks we stopped at a bus stop. A couple of young lads were walking up the hill with a home made scooter and carrying a couple of 25 litre buckets with some clothes in them. As we have done on previous rides, we gave them a small Koala that can clip on their clothes,. The boys thought that was pretty cool and ran off home. about 5 minutes later half the village, mostly kids, came down the hill to see us. We felt really bad because we didn't have any more koalas. Prabin said that they were just happy to see some one not from the village. After a stack of photos with Peter and me, we had to say good bye and tackle the last leg for the day.



The road seemed to be getting harder to ride. Imagine a cobblestone road made of all different shaped rocks, and then give them all different heights, That is what we had to ride on. It was hard but we all got through it with only minor skirrmishes.




Our stay for the night is "The Cliff" at Kushma. We are roughing it tonight in tents....... well glamping actually. Ann and I were fortunate enough to chat with the manager/owner of the establishment who gave us a brief history on how it came to be. Today was a hard day but the destination was worth the pain.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Long Trip Home - Day 14

Image
 Our trip to Nepal was drawing to a close, and only a few things left now before we were home in our own bed. Ann and I decided to take everyone out for dinner on our final night. We found a little eatery, a short walk from the hotel and after checking they had visa card facilities we decided on that for our last dinner together. We all ordered our drinks and meals and soon we were presented with our meals. Surprisingly, none of us had any after effect of any food we ate during our trip Considering the basic facilities at some of the places we ate, we thought that was pretty good. After all the Nepali people generally take a lot of pride in their appearance and cleanliness. Peter and I ordered chicken dishes, whilst Ann ordered a pork dish, Michael a fish dish and Zelda had some kind of bread dish that I cant remember. Peter had commented on how tasty his meal was and I tried a bit and it definitely was, compared to my Pad Thai. Mine was gluggy and not like the Pad Thai  I have had in
Read more

Kathmandu to Pokhara- Day 2

Image
We lay awake for hours, our bodies still totally spent from yesterdays travel. We had an alarm  set for 530 AM but that wasn't really needed. The staff here at the Hotel Moonlight in Kathmandu are really friendly and helpful. We explained we were heading out early the night before to the tourist bus and they had a breakfast box prepared for us and organised the transfer to the bus stop. The even went out of their way to exchange some larger denomination notes for small ones, with the limited cash on hand they have these days. A quick splash of coffee to awaken the senses and we were packed into the bus and on our way to the tourist bus park. I had organised our bus ride online with New Road Travels and Tours, communicating through WhatsApp. We got our seats reserved and all we had to do was pay on the day.Very trusting but the constant communication reassured them we will be travelling. We didn't get the luxury coach we were hoping for but the one we are on seems well appointed
Read more

Touring Lumbini and ride to Srijana Farm. - Day 9

Image
It was little differnt today with an early start to tour some temples in Lumbini. This is known as the birthplace of Buddha. Buddha was a prince who renounced his royalty in search of enlightenment.  After leading a life of begging, asceticism  and meditation, he attained  enlightenment  at  Bodh Gaya  in what is now India.  The location of the birthplace is housed in a magnificent building but unfortunately we were not allowed to take pictures inside. The area outside also shows the ruins on his former palace. This is to Buddhists what Mecca is to Muslims. Buddhists from all over the world come here to pray and find their own path to enlightenment. The prayer flags were everywhere and standing in amongst them I felt a sense of calm come over me. Walking around this area, before the crowds, there is a feeling of calm, peace and serenity. Buddhist monks from all nationalities were here and some gave us blessings when we made a small donation to them. After we left the main temple area w
Read more