Greetings from Agra, India where Garryck and I sit now overlooking the
famous Taj Mahal in the morning sun on Thanksgiving Day. Our gratitude
levels are high as we reflect back on the magic of Nepal and the wonderful
memories that will forever be in our hearts and souls.

Nepal was our 6th country to explore in 2002 and it was by far our
favorite. We crossed the border from Tibet on the 6th of October with
tired bodies and souls from over a month of tough touring and living to
find an oasis of delights within 15 kilometers of entering Nepal. We had
heard of a place called The Last Resort from our Australian co-riders Jo
and Dennis, a plush jungle resort set on the Bhote Kosi river surrounded
by tropical plants and trees, butterflies, waterfalls, and equipped with a
sauna, plunge pool, hot showers, and unreal food--a far cry from the tough
conditions in Tibet. Both Garryck and I were in need of a break from the
saddle so we perched ourselves in the bliss of this all inclusive resort
where we had 3 home cooked meals a day and no riding for 5 days. Our
friends who rode with us in Tibet Keyna, Geoff, Craig, Jane and Katerina
enjoyed the first few days and Garryck and I did as close to nothing as
possible with our days filled with naps, reading, writing, swimming in the
river and getting pampered for only 10-15 dollars a day. It was just what
the doctor ordered.

The day before we left we decided to indulge in our first adventure in
Nepal and toss our bodies off a 160 meter (500+ foot) bridge and do one of
the world's highest bungee jumps to get the adrenaline rush started.
Overlooking the rushing Bhote Kosi River below us both took the plunge off
the suspension bridge screaming in ecstasy as the speed of our long decent
brought chills to our bodies and set the stage for our future adventures
in Nepal. An unforgettable experience!

We finally healed our bruised butts and decided to make the 110KM ride to
Katmandu in one day. I found a guest rider from Argentina named Nicolas,
a cayoning guide at Last Resort with bulging muscles and a gentle
personality, to join me most of the way. In Katmandu the 4 day Tihar
festival was going on and after a glorious day of touring with practically
no traffic on the road we made it to Katmandu and enjoyed a steak dinner
from Everest Steak House. We then settled into festival time in Katmandu
by attending multiple parties, events with goat and chicken sacrifices,
and started to plan our time in Nepal after catching up with our family
and friends.

We got word of a full moon party back up at Last Resort that included a
day of rafting the class 4+ and 5 Bhote Kosi river. We were to be the
first commercial raft on this wild river of the season and it was an
opportunity we could not pass up. After 4 days of chillin in Katmandu and
soaking in the history, culture, festival, sites and people we took a few
days more in paradise at Last Resort. The full moon party was a blast
(minus the horrid DJ) and the highlight was the world famous Bhote Kosi
raft trip. If you want 7 hours of constant hair- raising adrenaline, come
run this river early season and you'll get what you are looking for. It
was one huge rapid after another, rafts flipping, rafters being tossed
into a gushing river, screaming tourists, and smiles everywhere after we
made it out alive. Another unforgettable adventure in Nepal.

Back down in Katmandu it was time to move on but not until we did some
mountain biking and checked out the local mountains with a new Nepali
friend "DD" (Double D). We met DD out on the streets and he took us to a
Sadu (holy man) temple up in the mountains above Katmandu on a perfect
sunny day with Garryck, Jane, a guest rider Patty from the states, Kathy
and I where we biked, hiked and hung out in Nepal's hills. We were able
to see tons of small villages, give rides to the small kids, play frisbee,
and soak in the last of the Katmandu Valley before moving on.

By this time Kathy, a wild and crazy Canadian we met at Everest Base Camp
in Tibet, and Garryck were planning a trek into the Annapurna Himalaya and
I was on my way to Pokhara to learn to Kayak on the Seti river. We
decided to go our own ways for a week or two and explore our own desires.
Our Nepali friend DD accepted my invitation to ride with me to Pokhara and
I was thrilled to have a native guest rider.

DD and I left Katmandu to his home town of Patan where we spent an evening
checking out the unreal sights there and I slept in his small one bedroom
house there. DD is a 27 year old Nepali guy who has lived in Patan all
his life and, like most Nepali folks, has never really left the area nor
the country. He had no money so I offered to pay his food and lodging on
the way. He is a refrigerator mechanic out of work but still with a great
attitude and desire to delight (Desire Delight is his nick name DD) his
friends and family. He has a huge heart, an endless smile, and he was as
excited as I was to ride to Pokhara, about 200 KM from Katmandu.

After a nice night of checking the site of Patan we woke up super early at
5AM to check out a small Festival of Health where we witnessed hundreds of
Nepali folks being blessed by holy water at a Hindu-Buddhist shrine. I
was fortunate to have him with me to explain the festival, the music, the
prayers, rituals, and history of the place.

This day Garryck and Kathy were on the way to Pokhara by bus since
Garryck's tandem was out of commission until a new part came. They were
to start their 10 day trek to Annapurna Base Camp the next day. DD and I
were at the same time on the loaded tandem bike to begin our ride towards
Pokhara from Patan.

It was a glorious day for touring and we both knew that the road between
Katmandu and Pokhara was one of the busiest in all Nepal so we set our
expectations for a day of truck and bus dodging. The ride was not nearly
as crazy as we anticipated but rather was an enjoyable tour of 110KM with
DD on the back teaching me Nepalese words, frequent stops in villages to
sample the food and play with the kids, and check out the lush green
scenery with houses dotting the hills. After a tough day in the saddle we
made it to a riverside hotel where we set up my tent a few steps from the
river and had a swim followed by a meal with the sound of a flowing river.
We soon after hit our sleeping bags and slept like babies.

The next morning DD had a look of pure terror and he woke me up asking me
to look at the pale yellow colors of his eyes. I'm no doctor, but I knew
that those symptoms can often mean Hepatitis and it was a serious concern.
He was feeling very ill and had no strength so we had to regretfully cut
his tour short and send him back too Katmandu to find a doctor. I gave
him a few hundred rupees, a big hug, and told him not to worry. Our time
together touring Nepal is a memory we will both never forget.

So I still had 100 KM of hilly terrain to do, now solo on my loaded
tandem. I decided to take it slow and do it in two days of 50 KM a day.
The two days of touring continued in stunning beauty with locals out
harvesting rice, kids playing, about a dozen guest riders of all ages
riding on the back of the tandem from 1 KM to 30 KM, and smiles from ear
to ear in every direction. I was loving the touring in Nepal.

Finally I made it to Pokhara a few days before my kayak course was to
begin. Pokhara is a town set right on Fewa Lake with the Annapurna
Himalaya shooting out of the lush green hills. It's normally a busy
tourist spot, but due to the current political issues with the Maoist
terrorists, the place was almost empty. I had a guest rider who rode the
last 30 KM with me all the way to Pokhara named Santos who had strong legs
and a huge smile. He waved to all his friends along the way and was a
great guest. I found a plush hotel overlooking the Himalayas for a buck a
night, took a shower, and hit the town for some unreal food.

Finally my kayak course was to start on Fewa Lake. The night before I got
food poisoning but managed to kill the bacteria before the day on the
lake. The first day I learned to roll the kayak in about 2 hours of
professional instruction. The next 3 days were spent on the warm class
2-3 Seti River where myself and the only other student Ian from New York
were pampered with 2 kayak instructors, a cook, and fully catered camping
on the river every night. The stars shined, the warm river and sandy
beaches were like an island paradise, and sleeping to the sound of a river
got me hooked immediately.

Upon returning to Pokhara I still had at least 10 days until Garryck would
return to Pokhara so I decided to get back in the kayak again and run the
famous holy river, the Kali Gendaki, class 3-4+, for another 3 days with
Ian and a new friend Lanee. Again we were blessed to have 4 other
kayakers to help us out, 2 of them sponsored professionals from Montana,
USA Ben and Nick. Words can't describe the feeling of kayaking in the
rivers from the Himalayas. If you have never kayaked before and have
considered giving it a shot--DO IT! And if you want to do it in a
beautiful place, at an excellent value, on a warm river and lake, do it in
Nepal. It is the most exhilarating rush I've ever experienced! You are
one with the river and the adrenaline is like no other I have ever
experienced.

So after my 7 day kayaking blitz, Garryck had already returned from the
Annapurnas where he also had the time of his life. He and Kathy did a 10
day trek to Annapurna base camp where day after day his jaw was hanging
down in disbelief at the majesty of the Himalayas. On his trek he came
face to face, up close and personal, with many of the world's highest
mountains. He shared his passion with me and told me I MUST pull out the
cold weather clothes one more time and check them out. Since he had gone
back to Katmandu with Kathy to see her off and grab our shipment from our
headquarters (my mamacita, aka Mom), I decided I would take his advice and
head into the Himalayas on a solo 7-day mountain bike expedition.

I caught a small plane from Pokhara and in 30 minutes was whisked amongst
the monster mountains to a town called Jomson at about 10,000 feet. I
then I began a marathon climb towards the 17,000 foot Thorung-La summit
via Merktinath. The first day I climbed through the Mustang Valley and up
to a small village outside Merkinath at about 13,000 feet where I caught a
sunset on the Annapurna Himalaya that I'll never forget.

The next day my plan was to climb as high as possible without porters on
unridable trails towards the summit. After 7 hours of mostly carrying my
bike, clothing, tools and gear I pooped out at about 4,800 meters (about
15,000 feet, 2000 feet shy of the summit) and the altitude had taken its
toll on me since I did not take the time to properly acclimatize. I took
a brake and began my 12,000 vertical foot "Dream Downhill Run" surrounded
by magical snow capped mountains. It was indeed another experience I will
never forget.

The first part of this downhill was a 3-day run to Merkinath, Marpha and
finally Tatopani. I stayed in Tea Houses along the way to rest my bones
after long days of wicked fast single track, fire roads, switchbacks,
stairs, animal-dodging village fly-bys, and unreal scenery to stop and
rest. By far the most stunning run in my life.

Tatopani means "Hot Water" translated and is called such due to the fact
that it hosts a natural hot springs right on the Kali Gendaki river.
After 8 hours of down hilling the most technical riding on the planet,
taking multiple diggers, and getting 10 flat tires on one day I was ready
to soak my bones. Tatopani was an oasis away from the cold of the high
altitude including a hot spring, bar, restaurant with amazing food, and
friendly trekkers all relaxing from the tough trek.

I had planned to stay for only a few days in the paradise called Tatopani
but the "flow" would not let me leave. For one, I got about 15-20 flat
tires on this big 3 day downhill run and I was out of patches and glue
with tubes that still had leaks in them. Bottom line--my bike was out of
commission! I was bummed but "went with the flow" and headed down to the
river to chill out and figure out my next move.

In addition, there was a Maoist terrorist strike going on for 3 days
forcing every business, bus, or organization to be closed in of fear the
consequences of disobeying the mandatory strike. For me to leave this
tropical paradise would mean sitting in a hotel down in Beni, the next
town, and awaiting a bus back to Pokhara for me and my out-of-commission
bike. So I decided to extend my stay 2 more days and enjoyed four days of
doing nothing but soaking in hot springs, swimming in the Kali Gendaki,
talking with new friends from around the world, doing yoga, and just
chilling out like never before.

The "Mountain Bike Gods" looked down upon me in favor and my angel
appeared on day four in Tatopani. Who else arrived but our good friend
Jane, our co-rider and former guest rider from China, Tibet and Nepal.
She not only was on her bike but she also had a spare tube that I had
given her crossing the border from Tibet to Nepal! She had been doing her
own solo mountain bike trip of the Annapurnas and now we could both ride
down together the remainder of the beautiful downhill ride to Pokhara!

After a nice breakfast we bid farewell to our kayaker friends who were
running the class 5-6 upper Kali and were off to pedal to Beni, another
3,000 feet of amazing downhill riding. The terrain was a bit out of
Jane's current ability, but we managed to get her and I down to Beni in
one piece to enjoy a nice meal with fellow kayakers Stan, Ben, Pete and
Carol, Sepo Pete, and more.

The last day of our adventure included more downhill riding through small
Nepalese villages all the way to Pokhara, with a break on top of a bus to
get us over a 3,000 foot climb that was in the way. We arrived in Pokhara
that evening to find a smiling Garryck roaming the streets of Pokhara
ready to plan our next adventure from Pokhara to India.

Garryck had received our shipment from Mamacita in Katmandu including new
parts and a bunch of teddy bears that we would deliver to a local
orphanage. He had ridden during the strike from Katmandu to Pokhara and
had the time of his life due to the fact that he had the entire road to
himself void of all cars, busses and trucks (a rare treat for that stretch
of road).

For Garryck his ride was also one he would never forget. To ride during a
Maoist terrorist strike for some could be considered risky and I'm sure he
had a few butterflies in his stomach as he began the 200 KM ride to
Pokhara. But as he began the 3,000 foot winding downhill out of Katmandu
with no cars, views of the Himalaya shooting out of the lush green valley,
kids playing in the streets, and the true peace of Nepal gave him a ride
like nobody has ever experienced in this region. He was able to pick up
gobs of guest riders of all ages, from young kids who can barely reach to
pedals to old men who forgot how to pedal at all.

After his first day of touring about 100 KM he finally found a plush
4-star hotel in which he was the only guest. With a full staff there to
serve him, he was able to negotiate a 200 rupee rate (about 3 dollars) for
a deluxe room on the river. He was so content he stayed an extra day
there to catch up on his journal and soak in the peace that the Maoist
strike had created for the adventure traveler.

He powered a 100 KM uphill ride in one day to Pokhara and had only been
there one day before I arrived from my own mountain bike expedition so our
timing could not have been better. We embraced with wide, excited eyes
and were eager to share our unique adventures in Nepal over an enormous
steak at Everest Steak House for about 3 bucks. Life was good in Nepal
indeed.

So what could top this "indulgence in adrenaline" we've experienced so
far? It was time to give back a bit so Garryck, myself and a group of
cool pro kayakers headed to the local orphanage on Garryck's 31st birthday
and gave a toy to every kid and everyone got a ride on the bike with us.
At one time we had 6 people on one bike, all yelling, laughing, and
cheering in the small side streets of Pokhara. The kids were so thankful
for our visit and the entire experience reminded us just how blessed we
are to have the ability to put smiles on faces so easily.

The time to get back on the road was drawing near, but I had one last
thing I had to do. I got in 18 holes at the local golf course at a
ridiculously reduced price including my own caddie and ball boy with views
of the entire Annapurna Himalaya range. A stunning day on the course.
Had to rack up one more amazing experience in before leaving the
Himalayas.

After that we packed up our bikes and finalized plans with two guest
riders we had met at the local bike shop Himalayan Mountain Bikes in
Pokhara, Santos and Ramshandra. We agreed the next day we'd meet at 8AM
and get ready to pedal south towards India via Bardia National Park (in
the heart of the Maoist activity).

So after a nice breakfast we rode over to the bike shop and they broke
some news to us. Santos had become ill and we were down to only one guest
rider. "Better than none", was our response. Ramshandra was to be
Garryck's guest rider for the 480 KM journey from Pokhara to Bardia
National Park.

Ramshandra is a 17 year old young man, a junior in high school, about 100
pounds, dark skin, and a smile that just would not quit that beamed white
from his brown face. He showed up wearing jeans, a button down shirt and
flip-flops - flip-flops of all things! Somehow he had convinced his
parents to allow him to ride with complete strangers on the back of a
tandem into the heart of the conflict between the government and the
Maoists for an undetermined amount of time. Yep, we were taking a 17 year
old pup with us where a few days before a dozen or so folks had died in
heated gunfire.

He had strong legs from biking tons and a super light load of just a small
pack so I knew I'd have a hard time keeping up with the power legs of both
Garryck and him. But I figured I'd just have to pick up tons of fresh
legs on the way and play catch up over all the hills that were inevitably
on our route. No worries, we had all the time we needed.

As we climbed up out of Pokara I picked up many guest riders, the young
and the old, that were walking on the shoulder of the road to help me keep
up with Ramchandra and Garryck. Some of them had strong legs and others
were pretty much dead weight--a common problem with some of the older
guest riders. Usually they get the picture without having to say much.
Our sweat dripping off our bodies is usually enough indication that it's
time for them to continue their on their merry way by foot.

About the time we broke out of the clouds Garryck's rig waste stopped to
let me catch up when a motorcycle with two riders pulled up alongside.
At first we thought that they were just pulling up to say "hi", but as it
turned out, one of the riders Mudan, who had ridden for a short 1 KM ride
earlier in the morning on my bike from the bakery to the bike shop had
heard from some of the guys at the shop what we were up to and about the
misfortune of Santos growing too ill to ride. He quickly asked permission
from his parents to come ride with us and after granted his wish he gave
us a chase in an effort to catch up and take the place of Santos on my
bike. It was actually his motorcycle and the driver was his friend. His
friend rode alongside of us for a few kilometers to do some filming. We
were all in awe that this guy Mudan actually pulled off this chase and was
serious about joining on such short notice. We were all ecstatic!

Mudan was now my guest rider. He's a 23 year old guy who sported a Rasta
sweater, jeans and an equally light backpack as Ramchandra. He's a
college student studying economics and was off on holiday conveniently.
He's super laid back, soft spoken at times and other times full of broken
English when trying to make his point or tell a funny story. He was not
quite as strong as Ramchandra so we still trailed behind a bit, but at
least I had someone to talk to. He was eager to teach me about the local
sights, the language, food, history and culture of Nepal. A stellar guest
rider!

We had a beautiful first day of touring the quiet back roads of Nepal.
Every hour or so I felt like I should pinch myself to make sure I was not
dreaming. The gentle climbs and descents, the green trees and flowers all
over the place, cute villages with kids yelling "Bye Bye" at the top of
their lungs were just the beginning of the thrill of riding this scenery
in the company of two native Nepalese guys. For Garryck and I, it was our
dream come true. Our vision of Peace Pedalers had materialized and we
were living it. You could not get the smile off our face with a crowbar!
We were on top of the world!

We arrived in a small village with only one lodge in it and landed a room
with four beds- perfect for allowing us to continue our intimate
interaction with our new Nepalese friends. After another amazing meal of
Dhal Bhat, the rice and bean staple of Nepal, we all hit the hay early
after a card game since the first day back in the saddle doing 80KM of
hilly terrain took a toll on our bodies.

It was a bit of a rude awakening for Garryck that first morning on the
road. The toilet was on the first floor, and after answering the call of
nature, Garryck stepped into the front room that acted as both the
reception and dining area. In the dim light of the morning Garryck made
out five guys dressed in regular street clothes and cradling FAL assault
rifles. Real life Maoist terrorists eating breakfast at our hotel!
Garryck didn't want to arouse any alarm so he just kinda stood there with
a stupid grin on his face for a few minutes before returning upstairs to
tell the rest that there were Maoists in our mist. They were still there
finishing their breakfast when we all went back downstairs. We tried to
act natural, but it wasn't such an easy thing to do; thoughts of what
would happen if a military or police unit were to come rolling into town
were dancing the jig on the floorboards of our brains.

After the shock of seeing Maoists at our breakfast table and sweating up
the three-hour climb to Tansen, we were all looking forward to the long
downhill to Butwal. It was a glorious downhill section: not too steep
and the turns not so tight. The bikes seemed to effortlessly glide
through the turns with minimal attention to braking. There was also very
little traffic on the road to distract from the beautiful surroundings.
We were nearing the end of the descent when it all went wrong for me and
Mudan.

Garryck and Ramchandra were about 100 yards behind us, with a bus in
between us, when we took our first crash over 7 months on the road. At
that time, Ramchandra and Garryck were laughing at a guy who had his head
stuck out the window expelling the contents of his lunch down the side of
the bus. When Garryck looked back to the road he caught the slow-motion
crash in full view. The bike slid for a ways on the right-side Vaude
panniers (bags that attach to bicycle racks) and we both took a couple of
rolls. What stuck out the most to Garryck was the bright greenish-yellow
guavas that rolled out of one of our bags, and on down the street and into
the gutter. As soon as the shock wore off, which must have been in
milliseconds, next came the horrifying reality that we had crashed with a
bus following closely behind them at the time, and Mudan wasn't wearing a
helmet. As luck would have it, so to speak - it's hard to say that any
crash involves luck - that the crash occurred in a section of windy and
rough road, and the bus wasn't traveling very fast, thus allowing it to
stop before it made mincemeat out of Mudan and I.

The crash was the result of a small rock. I knew I hit the rock, but what
I didn't know was that I hit it with enough force to cause the tube to get
pinched between the tire and the rim, commonly known as a "pinch-flat".
Before I became aware that his tire was going flat I began making a
banking turn around the next corner. Without air in the tube, the tire
rolled off the side of the rim, causing the bike to go down in the
opposite direction. Truth is it was a great crash! Only damage was some
mere flesh wounds on our arms and a small bump and cut on Mudon's head.
No worries. We threw some iodine on them, patched up about 6 holes in two
tubes, and were off and rolling again. Of course, we took it much slower
to make sure it did not happen again as the road continued to deteriorate
as we lost altitude and got closer to the river.

By the time we rolled into Butwal, our final destination for the day, both
the dwindling light and the growling in our stomachs told us that it was
getting late. We landed a cheap hotel for 3 bucks for four people, had a
huge meal of Dhal Bhat, patched up our wounds at the local hospital for
free, and hit the hay after another beautiful and very action packed day.

Our third day we headed west on the Mahendra Highway and we had expected
the traffic to pick up. To our surprise, likely due to the large Maoist
activity out west, we practically had the road to ourselves. This allowed
us to often ride side by side, chat frequently, and have a care free, 100
KM ride that day with some unexpected climbs totally about 3,500 vertical
feet. It was a tough day in the saddle, but one filled with wonderful
sights ranging from small villages on the flats to glorious mountains with
the fall season changing the leaves into striking hues.

That evening we spent the night in a town that was considered to be a
major target for the Maoists. The army had a major checkpoint on the
town-side of the bridge, and there were undercover police roaming the
streets (Garryck talked with one who was preparing for another stressful
night of unknown activity). There was an imposed seven o'clock curfew
that meant that everyone had to be off the streets, and all businesses had
to have their doors shut. We went to sleep that night half expecting to
be woken up by explosions and gunfire. The Maoists never came, and we all
slept well. There was a relieved look on the soldier's faces in the
morning. Night must be a stressful time for them.

Our fourth day turned out to be a long one and we set the Peace Pedalers
record for the longest day of touring in 7 months at 140KM to a town
called Kulipur. The last hour of riding we did a power session after some
greasy samosas with Garryck and Ramchandra leading the draft pack. We
averaged 34 KM/hr for an hour straight. Wild ride!

During our five days on the road to Bardia, we crossed a few bridges
displaying their Maoist calling cards: bomb craters that left gapping
holes, preventing large vehicles from crossing. None of us had seen a
real-life bomb crater before, and the true danger that they represented
didn't fully register in our brains. We stopped to take photos of them
like they were just another photo opportunity for tourists.

We finally made it to Bardia after 5 unforgettable days of touring with
our Nepali friends. We ate the food of the Nepali folks, I learned gobs
of new Nepali phrases, we witnessed the subtle differences between our
Nepali friends and us, and it was by far the best tour of our lives.

Now Bardia National Park is a 100 square kilometer wildlife reserve that
is normally packed with tourists. Due to the current political situation,
we only saw one other tourist, a guy Mark from England. We scored big
time by meeting a laid back hotel manager Sundeep who was desperate to
fill up his hotel with a few guests. For a buck a night he gave us two
private bungalows that would have set you back 50 bucks this time last
year. They were true Nepali style with thatch roofs, mud walls, and
concrete floors but comfortable beds, nice bathrooms, garden, great food,
and just a few steps from the river for swimming and park for wildlife
viewing.

I forgot to mention that neither Ramchandra or Mudan had ever been to this
part of their own country, so this was as exacting for them as it was for
us. The truth is that they can't afford vacations like us fortunate
westerners. When we asked them to join us they originally declined due to
lack of funds. But when we offered to pay for their food, lodging and bus
back to Pokhara, they were thrilled. It's a full-on win-win situation.
We all get to vacation together, and because they are with us they make
sure we get the "Nepali Price" for food and lodging. So the fact that we
are "treating" them to a free vacation equates to the same cost, more or
less, than we would have spent going at it alone! For 10-15 dollars a day
we had food, lodging, snacks, drinks and fun for four people. Yep, the
dream is not only realized, but it is coming true exactly as we
envisioned!

Bardia Park was an opportunity to get off our sore butts and relax a bit.
We rode 480 KM in 5 days, which is quite a bit on hilly terrain with
loaded bikes. The first day we did as close to nothing as possible: swim
in the local rivers, play some soccer with the locals, relax in the
Hennessy Hammock, visit the crocodile farm, play with a baby leopard
(gotta see those pictures!), write, read, eat, and take naps.

Our second day in the park Garryck wanted to chill out but Mudan,
Ramchandra, and myself were up for a guided jungle walk to search out some
rhinos, tigers and elephants. It was the end of the season so the
likelihood of seeing them was slim. But just to go into nature for a full
day with a few cool Nepali guys was enough to get me off my wallet and
take the boys out into the park. We were able to see hordes of deer,
boar, and tons of "evidence" of this wildlife. We saw fresh tiger paws,
rhino prints and elephant dung so the adventure for us all of hunting them
down, and the mild fear of what would happen if we did find them, was
enough fun for us!

No, we did not see any of those exotic animals but our spirits were still
high. And just as we were winding our day down we saw a guy riding an
elephant and he hooked us up big time and let us hop on it and took us for
a ride across the river. The look on Mudan and Ramshandra's face was like
no other. We had a blast on that huge elephant!

So our last day of touring with our Nepali friends was another 100 KM ride
with a stop over in a small game reserve where we got to get up close and
personal with the last remaining Blackbucks on planet earth. There are
only 78 left and they are truly a beautiful creature! We stopped in a
town that was around nineteen kilometers from the hotels in Bardia
National Park to get some samosas to go where we learned that just one day
before that some police were attacked and killed by an unknown number of
Maoists at about the same time we sat there. As we sat and ate some
snacks, all of our eyes scanned the streets, watching the soldiers who had
taken up sentry positions, hoping, praying, that nothing would happen.
Lucky for us, it was life as usual, as if nothing had occurred, increasing
our disbelief that while we were playfully riding elephants, enjoying a
peaceful day in the park, a small skirmish in which lives were lost had
erupted within such close proximity.

We arrived in the boarder town of Nepalganj in early evening and enjoyed a
nice final meal with our friends. We had all grown close over the 8 days
together, and I had begun to call them both my little brother in Nepalese.
We knew our adventure together was growing closer and closer to completion
so each moment was precious this last night of eating, chatting, and
laughing.

After a solid night sleep we put the boys on a 5:30 AM bus to Pokhara
after a nice hug goodbye and pedaled into the early morning darkness with
rickshaw drivers and other bicycle riders heading to work. We were on our
way to India and would soon be crossing over the boarder for new and
unique adventures.

Our time in Nepal was truly magical. It delivered everything we could
have asked for and more. Get out and experience the Magic of Nepal and
you'll see for yourself!

I sign off now from Agra, India where I type on my PDA overlooking the Taj
Mahal at sunset, listening to the blaring Muslim chanting from the
speakers outside the Taj Mahal. We are getting ready to pedal into
Rajasthan with our first two guest riders, Rajkumar from Madras, India and
his fiancée from Switzerland Nadine. We are off to a great start!

Got plans for new years? It does not get much better than white sandy
beaches, palm trees, warm water, excellent music, international party
goers...Goa is calling!!!

Please accept our worldwide invitation to ride! See ya somewhere in the
world!