2014 was a good year: for various reasons, we had the opportunity to exaggerate, so after Nicaragua in February and Mongolia in the summer, in November we were able to take even a trip to Nepal

22/11/2014

We arrive in Kathmandu, the city is chaotic but fascinating, so we spend the day walking around



23/11/2014

It's the day we have to pick up the bike and start our journey, but the morning starts with a bad surprise: the guy from bikemandu, from which I had booked the bike months before, a Royal Enfield Classic 350, sends me an email saying that the bike I had booked is not available, because of unspecified problems, but he has an alternative, albeit without luggage racks. I'm not discouraged, and I reply that I'm going to his place: we are in Asia, and a solution is usually easy to find, I think.
When we arrive there is no alternative.
The only bike he has is already booked by another customer, and it doesn't seem to be in good conditions.
The guy asks me if I want to see the "alternative" bike and of course the answer is yes: the bike is not there and we need to wait.
Ok no problem.
After two hours two guys arrive, riding a pair of Bullet pissing oil everywhere.
Obviously it is not the solution I was hoping for, but I ask for the price, imagining that it is lower than the one agreeded for the bike now absent.
No: the price is the same, the guy says it's a low price for the market, he isn't collaborative and we have already lost a morning.
After his wife intervenes to support their reasons, I send them lovingly to hell and I go away.
The day before I saw bike rental shops in Thamel, the tourist district, and I suppose to be able to find an alternative: in the worst case we will tour Nepal on a Bajaj Pulsar.

So our plan, as often happens in Asia, is thrown in the trash the first day.
No problem: the guys from the rental shops are much more friendly and everyone tells me to come back in the evening when I will have the opportunity to see more bikes and choose the one i like.
We are sure that the next day we will have a bike for us, so we spend the rest of the day to go sightseeing

A Minion on a Enfield!

At evening we return at the most friendly and professional looking rental shop.
They offer us to choose between a few bikes and we select a Bajaj Pulsar 220 with some scraps but only 2000 km and a Royal Enfield Classic 350 with 8000 km, both coming with soft side bags.
Having tried both, I succumb to the allure of the Enfield.
The price at the end of negotiations, it's the same I had from bikemandu - so it was not a low price.
I ask them to give me, the next morning, at least a spare tube.

24/11/2014

The bike comes as promised, plus even some cable and spark plug replacement.
Loaded it, we let what is left out of our bags at the hotel and we are ready to go.



You need to drive on the left, as in England, but it's not particularly problematic to me, the traffic is ... oh well









On the way I try to be very careful and cautious: seeing a truck overtaking and in the wrong lane sticking out from behind a blind curve is pretty much the normality.
The meaning of a flashing is something like this "I know very well that I am in your lane, but I'm not going to move, so I'm flashing to tell you that if you want to avoid a front crash you must slow down and throw you to the side because I do not give up"
with a smile, of course.

But is not all that bad ...









Sometimes it is even worse





After at least a 5 hour ride, we reach Pokhara.

And price for rental was ??

22/23 USD per day for the Enfield 350, 13/15 USD for the Bajaj Pulsar...

25/11/2014



We have to decide: do we go high in the mountains or not?
The ascent and descent to/from Muktinath would require at least 5 days from what they tell us, the season would be the right one, but doing it two up would require some effort.
The bike so far has been good: it just needs a little welding.
Usually, in these situations, I'm not the one who is able to say "no", but this time is different: we're enjoying Nepal and the time we have is not the longest one.
Any problem on the way to Muktinath could cause us to lose days and keep us from seeing much of the rest of the country.
We decide to abandon the idea, this time we'll visit the part of Nepal more easily accessible.
We intend to return for a second trip, so Sabrina will satisfy her desire for trekking, while I will enjoy the dirt without a passenger, perhaps with some other friends.

So today we stay in Pokhara, taking it easy

















In the afternoon we visit the village of Tibetan refugees of Tashi Palkel





















And then up to Sarangkot to take a look at the mountains





After sunset we return to town for a at Bullett Base Camp.
The restaurant is currently closed, but some of the regulars are still there in front for a chat and a few bottles recovered from the shops nearby ...

26/11/2014

Back to Sagarkot for some views of the mountains













Then to Bullet Base Camp to say goodbye..



A coffe..





And we are ready to go.
Today we ride the Siddhartha Highway, twisty and beautiful, but with less traffic than the Kathmandu-Pokhara









































We arrive in Tansen (Palpa), where we stop for the night

27/11/2014



















After a great breakfast and a visit to the city, we go south



























Until the lowlands where Lumbini is

Lumbini is the place where the first Buddha is supposed to be born.
Not that much to see, except for a park with recently builded temples.





























The small village close to the entrance is there mostly beacause of tourists



28/11/2014

"Cristiano, let's go to the next bar, 'cause I think I saw Jesus Christ there" says Sabrina at the end of our breakfast.
I don't know if I need to be worried about her health or if the mysticism of the place had some effect, but I follow her.
At the bar next door there's a guy dressed in a white robe looking familiar.

I can avoid to photograph him, so I sling immediately on the terrace of our guesthouse





and I take the shoot







I don't want to judge, but I will only say that some western people makes things a bit strange, in Nepal.
I have seen many walking downtown barefoot, others dressed as holy men, one as well as Sandokan: there is something for all tastes.

Then we leave again, this time to the east









Until we rach Sauraha, a small village close to Chitwan national park

29/11/2014

The park can be visited in four different ways: by foot, elephant, canoe or jeep.
After we changed our minds a dozen times, we decide that a four hours jeep tour is what it does for us, in the afternoon.
We spend the morning walking around

to cross the river, the same one where I photographed the crocodiles, there's a short canoe crossing: let's say I prefer to have wheels and ground under my butt











at the other side, a jeep is waiting for us





we see tiger's footprints



deers, some more crocodiles, wild boars













no tigers and no rhinos, so we are a little disappointed.

But at some point, on the way back ...







Satisfied for the friendly encounter, in the evening we eat on the small tables of a local restaurant

30/11/2014

Some local traffic in front of us while we are eating breakfast











We reach Daman, which should be a scenic spot on the Himalayas.
It's foggy, so no view.

















Then we meet Alexandre, who, after years in Nepal, is beginning his return home to France today, on his Enfield



In the evening we arrive to Bhaktapur

1/12/2014

Lovely photos. Great report. I worked in Nepal as a tour guide on the late '90s and you've made me "homesick" for the place!
I think the bike hire is pretty reasonable - compare it with European prices! Apart from welding, how is the bike holding up, and would you recommend the company you used?
Thanks for sharing your story,
Ride safe,
Simon.

Bike was ok: just a small welding needed on one of the exhaust supports.

I was also happy with the guy who I rented it from. Here's his card

We ride to Nagarkot in the morning, but it's foggy, so no views on the Himalaya





So we go back to Bhaktapur to visit the city