Another quick note: If you ever have to install a new set of Koolstop MTB brake pads, please, don’t do it as I did. After cycling more than 10,000 kms, I have finally realized that the red (salmon) part should point to the back. Stupid me!!! That’s what happens (occasionally) if I go with my ‘gut instincts’ rather than reading instructions (printed right on the brakes, big L and R)…I exchanged the pads on the front, too. It was long overdue as the old set lasted around 7,500 kms. I could feel lot better braking modulation when installed properly. I also re-installed the ones in the back.
But it looked so good the wrong way;) I wonder if anyone did the same mistake?
November 20th, 2006
Posted by
Rich |
Cycling, Equipment, Preparation |
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So, finally I was able to ‘escape’ from Thamel after almost two weeks. Today was my birthday and I found it telling that I always seem to find myself in places so far away from home and friends. I guess I’m used to it by now;)
I left my Madhuban GH ‘den’ in Chetrapati, near Thamel, at about 10:00am. The weather was pleasant, dry and not too hot. Before I left I asked a receptionist for directions to the Ring Road which is the best and fastest way to get onto the Prithvi highway (H02) leading to Pokhara. I found the road quicker than I thought, with help of a few guys who pointed me the right way. (From Thamel just head for Swayambhunath, the Ring Road crosses behind the temple.) It is soooo nice that people in Nepal speak fairly well English, at least the younger ones;)
As Kathmandu lies in a valley, for the first 17-18 kms it was a gradual climb to get out. The ‘pass’ was about 200 meters above it. Traffic was pretty bad all the way to the top. I wouldn’t mind it but breathing diesel fumes wasn’t fun at all. Right after cresting the pass, it became lot better though. I’m sure going fast with wind blowing helped too. The downhill was scary fast and steep with the road winding precariously through the Middle Hills of Nepal. I wouldn’t want to cycle the other way up these hills;) Views weren’t as great as on my ride to Kathmandu. It was just too hazy…
After the road leveled a bit, it was up and down ride almost all the way to Kiratnar where I decided to stay overnight. More down than up which was good. I wasn’t really hungry during the whole day so I just kept riding only stopping for a quick bottle of Coke here and there. As it was too hazy, I didn’t even take any pictures but definitely had a great ride. People in Nepal are just amazing, always smiling and returning greetings. Hard to believe as the country just came out of a violent 10-year civil war. I only hope and wish that the recent peace agreement between the Maoists and mainstream democratic parties will yield better results than the previous attempts. BTW, enroute I had seen a few Maoists flags…
There were many checkpoints on the route but I was mostly waved through unlike locals. I was only stopped once, near Benighat, but I think it was more out of curiosity. I didn’t even have to show my passport. It was a short friendly talk, we shook hands at the end. I left the police officer in amazement when I told him that I cycled from Kathmandu in only 3 hours and 40 minutes (about 82 kms). I had to show him my cyclocomputer data. Otherwise, he wouldn’t believe me. That was faster than local buses. But they stop almost everywhere;)
I felt very strong and cycling after almost two weeks of doing nothing but eating came surprisingly easy. I was almost shocked when I checked my climbing stats. At the end of the day I couldn’t believe I gained over a kilometer in cumulative altitude.
Just past Kurintar was a nice place for a lunch promoted in the latest edition of Lonely Planet Nepal’s guide (Sept. 2006) called River Side Springs Resort. I wanted to check out a nearby place to stay for a night, Manakamana Village Resort, and maybe have a dinner at the River Side place later. (River Side is just damn too expensive to sleep at: US$50!!!) I just couldn’t find anyone in the whole place so I left and found a nice resort just one kilometer down the road: Dalima Holiday Resort. It caters to folks on package tours too but owners don’t ask for outragous money, at least for Nepal. Nice, simple and clean ‘economy’ rooms at 800 rps with beautiful gardens, a decent restaurant and attentive service. The only disadvantage, too many flights of stairs to get to my room, as the resort was on a steep hillside. I my room I even had a company of a small gecko. Good, it was taking care of insects;) Not that they were many at this of the year. At about 375m altitude this was the lowest I slept during my whole trip. I hope this much oxygen won’t cause any permanent damage;))))
Start: Kathmandu (H02), Nepal
End: Kurintar (H02), Nepal
Distance: 109.15 km
Elevation: 1,085/-2,045 m
Time: 5′01″
Avg: 21.8 km/h
Total: 5,757.0 km
Riding/Total days: 74/140
November 20th, 2006
Posted by
Rich |
Nepal |
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