Well after Marijke was reading some funny stories of a ciclist , who cicled in India, we where a little bit more convinced that our decision of quiting our "India cycling Tour" was the right one.
INDIA = I Never Do It Again
No offenses.
Anyway, we met two days ago a couple of cyclist from France, very nice people, the cycled from China on a tandem bycicle, they suffered but they are doing very well, Yoyo (Johan) is very experience cyclist and Andoline, first time, but very brave. They are doing very well. Today they left for Leh, they will do the 5 passes! afetr that they are going to visit Alchi and Lamayuru, then back home after 11 months of adventure!
Congartulations friends, Marijke and I wish you the best and a safe journey. See you in France!
Au Vento!
Monday, June 23, 2008
Saturday, June 21, 2008
A sad decision
After doing a trekking, the hampta Pass trekking in 4 days, we decide that we wanted to go to Tailand as soon as we can, we want climbing!
The Hampta Pass is 4 127 metres, we hiked on two beautiful valleys, always acompained by sheperds, amazing how these people move from one valley to another, many times on steep snow patches, crossing rivers on top of humungus snow bridges, with goats and sheeps. Definetly nice experience. What need to be improved is the way to do the things here, the company we hired was ok, but they definetly need to improved service, food, logistics and transportation.
Finally I decided to sell my bicycle, the decision of ending our cycling trip was taken, so I found a buyer, yesterday I sold my beautiful bicycle to an Indian guy, who, I assume will apreciate that bicycle. So my bicycle will stay in India, in this beautiful location call Manali.
Thanks to my two wheel lady for the nice moments on the road and be with me all the time. Definetly a sad decision.
The Hampta Pass is 4 127 metres, we hiked on two beautiful valleys, always acompained by sheperds, amazing how these people move from one valley to another, many times on steep snow patches, crossing rivers on top of humungus snow bridges, with goats and sheeps. Definetly nice experience. What need to be improved is the way to do the things here, the company we hired was ok, but they definetly need to improved service, food, logistics and transportation.
Finally I decided to sell my bicycle, the decision of ending our cycling trip was taken, so I found a buyer, yesterday I sold my beautiful bicycle to an Indian guy, who, I assume will apreciate that bicycle. So my bicycle will stay in India, in this beautiful location call Manali.
Thanks to my two wheel lady for the nice moments on the road and be with me all the time. Definetly a sad decision.
Leh - Manali road
After the bad night we had at Korzak, camping area, at Tso Moriri, we decided to take off from that area next morning as early as we can, trying to get a lift from somebody. A group of indian tourist, very nicley, offer us to take us back to Leh.
On our arrival to Leh we decide to go to a nice Guest House call, Oriental Guest House, excellent place to chill out, but we decided to "fly away" from Leh ASAP,to manali, 480kms away, went to the agency of friends, Discovery ladakh, the good energy was with us, we'd got a jeep with three canadians, super cheap. The trip? 18 hours my friends, crossing 5 passes, one with more than 5000 metres, was nice and spectacular at the beggining, but when as we reached the Rhotang la (Pass) near Manali, big traffic of trucks, fog, bad road codition and very danegrous, with part of the road almost falling apart, so I can imagine how bicycling this road would be, We calculate, 10 to 12 days to climb all 5 passes, but no guaranty that we can complete all of the road because of the conditions of the road. More than one time the road was under a river.
So basically that was the end of our bicycle trip. As we reached Manali we decide to take it easy, do some trekking, climbing etc... we are doing that right now!
On our arrival to Leh we decide to go to a nice Guest House call, Oriental Guest House, excellent place to chill out, but we decided to "fly away" from Leh ASAP,to manali, 480kms away, went to the agency of friends, Discovery ladakh, the good energy was with us, we'd got a jeep with three canadians, super cheap. The trip? 18 hours my friends, crossing 5 passes, one with more than 5000 metres, was nice and spectacular at the beggining, but when as we reached the Rhotang la (Pass) near Manali, big traffic of trucks, fog, bad road codition and very danegrous, with part of the road almost falling apart, so I can imagine how bicycling this road would be, We calculate, 10 to 12 days to climb all 5 passes, but no guaranty that we can complete all of the road because of the conditions of the road. More than one time the road was under a river.
So basically that was the end of our bicycle trip. As we reached Manali we decide to take it easy, do some trekking, climbing etc... we are doing that right now!
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Monday, June 9, 2008
The adventure Continued
We said goodbye to Kargil at 730am, our next destination would be Mulbek, a small village, like many. That day we cycled like 54 kms. we decide to get a good place to pitch our tent, after looking for 30 minutes without success, we decide to ask at the police station if we could set our tent nearby. After 15 minutes they decide that we could pitch the tent infront of their main office. So it be. Marijke that day started to be ill on her stomach very badly, next day se was in bad shape, we spend all day at that location waiting for her to be recovered. On the third day we hired a Jeep to take us to Lamayuru, 60k aprox. away from Mulbek, Marijke was'nt in good shape to cycle 60kms that day.
Lamayuru it's a small village, beautiful, with one of the most beautiful and well conserved Monasteries in Ladakh. We decide to spend two days there visiting the place, talking to the people, resting and eating well. Marijke was ready to cycle again...
We left Lamayuru at 7am that day, I forgot to tell that the day after we met 5 polish cycling on the opposite direction, that means towards Kargil, but they where cycling very light, spending nights at guest houses and hotels and eating at restaurants, they didn't have much time. So our next destination would be Alchi, another nice old town, with beautiful Monasteries, but honestly, the poeple there it wasn't as friendly as in other places, don't missunderstand me, they are nice in general, but we felt that we where the foreigners came from Mars, etc.. strange feeling, our bycicles recall more the people attention, so after lunch we decide to camp out of town, next to the exit road (Alchi is located 4 kms out of the main road to Leh).
Alchi - Leh, very nice trip, but really long, beautiful canyons,peaks everywhere, like almost all the trip so far. The arrival at Leh was not that good, uphill full of smoking trucks, people, dirty place, so we where desperately looking for the "nice"down town, no info at any place.... we were tired and really wanted toget a place to stay. Finally we reached a place owned by muslims, was OK, we spend in Leh 4 days, trying to combine something, like rock climbing and mountaineering, but really, sometimes this people don't have any sense of good service or just service, so we decide to quit to our attempt to do something through an aganecy, we took our bikes and cycled to the Tso Moriri lake, 220 kms away from Leh.
We started biking from Upshi, a small village 60 kms away from Leh, on that way we avoid the trucks and crowds on the road. By the way, 19 kms from Leh there is very nice village call Tikse, with its monastery and old town, really worth it to visited.
Upshi - nowhere Near Kiari. 56kms
Kiari - Sumdo, few kms, after this beautiful small village, on which Tibetan refugges lived. Since we haven't had enough food that morning, our stomachs, at least mine, needed food, so we take the dirty road to Sumdo, looking for a small store or something, after buying some biscuits and noodles, we ask where we could have some chai, "At school" the woman said, so we went there... sorprise! the teachers, specially two of them recieved us in very good english, offered us chai, wheat, then ask for a donation, for the school on which there ar 63 tibetan refugee kids, we geve them some money and then they invite us to see some handicraft stuff, we spend like 1 hour at their room watching nice things, and be offered tibetan tea, butter, milk and salt, we drank like 1 liter each, at least we felt that, we eat tibetan homemade bread, was nice and of course we boughtb few things... we said goodbye and thanks for everything. Our next destination Tso Moriri. This day we cycled 60 or more kms. reaching 4900 metres, the altitude level of the lake.
Marijke had headache for the last 3 -4 hours, we had a regular night.
The lake is amazing, along the way we photographed marmots, yaks, hinalayan horses, wild ass, etc... beautiful and quite place.
Lamayuru it's a small village, beautiful, with one of the most beautiful and well conserved Monasteries in Ladakh. We decide to spend two days there visiting the place, talking to the people, resting and eating well. Marijke was ready to cycle again...
We left Lamayuru at 7am that day, I forgot to tell that the day after we met 5 polish cycling on the opposite direction, that means towards Kargil, but they where cycling very light, spending nights at guest houses and hotels and eating at restaurants, they didn't have much time. So our next destination would be Alchi, another nice old town, with beautiful Monasteries, but honestly, the poeple there it wasn't as friendly as in other places, don't missunderstand me, they are nice in general, but we felt that we where the foreigners came from Mars, etc.. strange feeling, our bycicles recall more the people attention, so after lunch we decide to camp out of town, next to the exit road (Alchi is located 4 kms out of the main road to Leh).
Alchi - Leh, very nice trip, but really long, beautiful canyons,peaks everywhere, like almost all the trip so far. The arrival at Leh was not that good, uphill full of smoking trucks, people, dirty place, so we where desperately looking for the "nice"down town, no info at any place.... we were tired and really wanted toget a place to stay. Finally we reached a place owned by muslims, was OK, we spend in Leh 4 days, trying to combine something, like rock climbing and mountaineering, but really, sometimes this people don't have any sense of good service or just service, so we decide to quit to our attempt to do something through an aganecy, we took our bikes and cycled to the Tso Moriri lake, 220 kms away from Leh.
We started biking from Upshi, a small village 60 kms away from Leh, on that way we avoid the trucks and crowds on the road. By the way, 19 kms from Leh there is very nice village call Tikse, with its monastery and old town, really worth it to visited.
Upshi - nowhere Near Kiari. 56kms
Kiari - Sumdo, few kms, after this beautiful small village, on which Tibetan refugges lived. Since we haven't had enough food that morning, our stomachs, at least mine, needed food, so we take the dirty road to Sumdo, looking for a small store or something, after buying some biscuits and noodles, we ask where we could have some chai, "At school" the woman said, so we went there... sorprise! the teachers, specially two of them recieved us in very good english, offered us chai, wheat, then ask for a donation, for the school on which there ar 63 tibetan refugee kids, we geve them some money and then they invite us to see some handicraft stuff, we spend like 1 hour at their room watching nice things, and be offered tibetan tea, butter, milk and salt, we drank like 1 liter each, at least we felt that, we eat tibetan homemade bread, was nice and of course we boughtb few things... we said goodbye and thanks for everything. Our next destination Tso Moriri. This day we cycled 60 or more kms. reaching 4900 metres, the altitude level of the lake.
Marijke had headache for the last 3 -4 hours, we had a regular night.
The lake is amazing, along the way we photographed marmots, yaks, hinalayan horses, wild ass, etc... beautiful and quite place.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
WE ARE TIRED...BUT HAPPY
Well my friends, after our last camping, our good friend, Joel from Switzerland. left early in the morning, Marijke and I were just take it easy that morning. Went through many different thoughts, ghosts, etc... finally we started, 1030am, a little late. Next destination would be Kargil, an almost 100% muslim town, and very famous because on 1999 Kargil was involved in a war with Pakistan "The Kargil War". Actually this busy comercial town its very close to the check point or border line with Pakistan, there are military bases everywhere! On our arrivel to Kargil we went to have lunch, my desire to have noodle and not Dal and Chapati, was very big, a chinese rest. was infront of where we "parked" our bicycles. To plates of noodles!!! yupi I was happy.
We went to a hotel call Caravan, on top a hill, was ok, we spend two days there, cleaning bikes and resting. Kargil it's a very important city, it's in between Srinagar and Leh, commerce here it;s amazing.
We went to a hotel call Caravan, on top a hill, was ok, we spend two days there, cleaning bikes and resting. Kargil it's a very important city, it's in between Srinagar and Leh, commerce here it;s amazing.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
On the road
On may 15th we take off to Srinagar in Kashmir to start our bicycle trip from there. We stayed at Dal lake on one of the House Boats, two days very nice place, but we had moved two times from one of the inside boat rooms to the owners bedroom and then to a small "shack" next to the common bathroom. We said " it's ok, no problem" but the old man wanted to charge us as if we where sleeping in one of the boats, "No Way Jose", so for 700 rupees we stayed two nights and three days, not bad. Plus few more rupees for meals.
On may 17th we started our peddaling journey, for, literally dragging the trailer was a "tough" experience, unstable and heavy, the firts up hill I mean, serious up hill, my legs exploted and I almost had a heart attach, super heavy, the front of my bicycle just lifted up, all the waight was behind. Marijke took the climbing rope and I was lighter. Many more things will come after I learnd the leasson on how load the B. This day by 3pm the rain started to fall very baddly, so we reached a Military Police station on the road, the offered us their small hut and gave us food and one of them talked to the comander in charge of the whole division that if we could stay that night there. guess what, not only , after an interview with some officers about safety, we where accepted, they gave us a big bedroom with bathroom and gave us food, thye commander in charge said that tourist like us where Gods for them, so we where treated like that, we where impressed. Next morning, 630 am coffee and tea. After farewell and thanks protocols, we started our second day on our vehicles.
18th May we got to a small location call Sonamarg, was a climb uphill, we where happy. The town is nice except for the all the noise, and amount of people around offering adventure and the amount of people buyin it!
When we get to the main bazaar, only one street, we where deciding where to eat, etc... logistics for the moment, and a guy approach us very happy, another cyclist, solo cyclist from Switzerland, his name is Joel and it's been on the road for 15 months! he left Sw. with his bycicle! incredible, he has time and has no worries in life, he said. That night we slept inside the shop of a very nice man, Joel slept at the backside of the store
and Marijke and I on the front, on top of thebig table - chair this man used to show his products (T-shirts, Lunghi, etc..) Bathroom? no way, outside where ever you can. We say good by to our nice friend and everybody there and we started cycling for the first time with a thrid person towards the infamous Zoji- La (3529 mts Pass), very steep. Honestly this day was so far the worse for me, every 50 metres I had to stop take breath and started again, I had very bad time doing it. I think was my second day dragging my trailer and my breakfast was only a small portion of rice, I felt extremly weak! marijke and joel where doing ok, they waited for me everytime, I felt very frustrated! Once we got to the summit, a big militar camp recieved us, we had to registerd, the officers and soldiers, etc.. where gattered around us, taking pictures of Marijke with bycicles. They offered tea , Coffee as a big avalanche of questions. We where tired. We asked for a plece where we can pitched the tents. After 1.5 hours the reply , "NO POSSIBLE" so we had to cycled 10 k more until we found a friendly place, that would be our small paradise for that night. Marijke and I didn't carry fuel for cooking so we had cold stuff for food. Joel was cooking his noodles. That night we slept like "rocks". Next morning, we saw at the other side of the river beautiful marmots, we were happy. That road was wet. cold and muddy, with big walls of snow on each side, the militar and civilean trucks crossed us like crazy. This day we reached a small town call Drass, where we had lunch, but camping few kms. after this town.
On may 17th we started our peddaling journey, for, literally dragging the trailer was a "tough" experience, unstable and heavy, the firts up hill I mean, serious up hill, my legs exploted and I almost had a heart attach, super heavy, the front of my bicycle just lifted up, all the waight was behind. Marijke took the climbing rope and I was lighter. Many more things will come after I learnd the leasson on how load the B. This day by 3pm the rain started to fall very baddly, so we reached a Military Police station on the road, the offered us their small hut and gave us food and one of them talked to the comander in charge of the whole division that if we could stay that night there. guess what, not only , after an interview with some officers about safety, we where accepted, they gave us a big bedroom with bathroom and gave us food, thye commander in charge said that tourist like us where Gods for them, so we where treated like that, we where impressed. Next morning, 630 am coffee and tea. After farewell and thanks protocols, we started our second day on our vehicles.
18th May we got to a small location call Sonamarg, was a climb uphill, we where happy. The town is nice except for the all the noise, and amount of people around offering adventure and the amount of people buyin it!
When we get to the main bazaar, only one street, we where deciding where to eat, etc... logistics for the moment, and a guy approach us very happy, another cyclist, solo cyclist from Switzerland, his name is Joel and it's been on the road for 15 months! he left Sw. with his bycicle! incredible, he has time and has no worries in life, he said. That night we slept inside the shop of a very nice man, Joel slept at the backside of the store
and Marijke and I on the front, on top of thebig table - chair this man used to show his products (T-shirts, Lunghi, etc..) Bathroom? no way, outside where ever you can. We say good by to our nice friend and everybody there and we started cycling for the first time with a thrid person towards the infamous Zoji- La (3529 mts Pass), very steep. Honestly this day was so far the worse for me, every 50 metres I had to stop take breath and started again, I had very bad time doing it. I think was my second day dragging my trailer and my breakfast was only a small portion of rice, I felt extremly weak! marijke and joel where doing ok, they waited for me everytime, I felt very frustrated! Once we got to the summit, a big militar camp recieved us, we had to registerd, the officers and soldiers, etc.. where gattered around us, taking pictures of Marijke with bycicles. They offered tea , Coffee as a big avalanche of questions. We where tired. We asked for a plece where we can pitched the tents. After 1.5 hours the reply , "NO POSSIBLE" so we had to cycled 10 k more until we found a friendly place, that would be our small paradise for that night. Marijke and I didn't carry fuel for cooking so we had cold stuff for food. Joel was cooking his noodles. That night we slept like "rocks". Next morning, we saw at the other side of the river beautiful marmots, we were happy. That road was wet. cold and muddy, with big walls of snow on each side, the militar and civilean trucks crossed us like crazy. This day we reached a small town call Drass, where we had lunch, but camping few kms. after this town.
The Bangalore -Jaipur - Delhi flight odissee
Julley (yule) my friends, finally we make it to sitdown with some calm to send you news on our trip.
After few days in Bangalore hanging out with friends, here there, we went for a climbing trip on a location call Ramanagra, it is a sacred place with temples. It is a 3 hour drive trip from Bangalore, our great friend Sachin, went with us, so we arrived by night at the base of the area, we pitched the tent. I was in between Sachin and Marijke, withou sleeping Bag and matress, just like this, slept with shorts, facing up, can't barely move. At 545pm wake up, had some bananas and biscuits, and go to the base of the rock, perfect granite. 630 am we were climbing. The day was relatevly short, by 11am the high temperatures literally kick us out of the place. So by 1pm we where on the route having lunch. The traffic jam to get into Bangalore.... no comments!
Few days later, we take our flight to Delhi with my dear friend Ravi, so taking off at 945am, on flight the pilot make an announsment: " No possible land at Delhi airport. big sand storm in process, we are going to divers towards Jaipur airport"! Bla, bla, bla. By the time we had reached Jaipur City (airport) the sand storm arrived there too. 15 minutes of fuel left, so the pilot had to land in Jaipur, under "Emergency land"!!! People pukin, feeling bad, etc... we were at the very tail of the plane, the three of us where wondering whats going on here! finally we had take off from Jaipur after 2 hours sitting there (you have to remember that 1 day before our emergency landing 7 bombs where blasts in Pink City, Jaipur) we where a little nervous!
Finally Delhi , good meal and back to our small place to rest.
After few days in Bangalore hanging out with friends, here there, we went for a climbing trip on a location call Ramanagra, it is a sacred place with temples. It is a 3 hour drive trip from Bangalore, our great friend Sachin, went with us, so we arrived by night at the base of the area, we pitched the tent. I was in between Sachin and Marijke, withou sleeping Bag and matress, just like this, slept with shorts, facing up, can't barely move. At 545pm wake up, had some bananas and biscuits, and go to the base of the rock, perfect granite. 630 am we were climbing. The day was relatevly short, by 11am the high temperatures literally kick us out of the place. So by 1pm we where on the route having lunch. The traffic jam to get into Bangalore.... no comments!
Few days later, we take our flight to Delhi with my dear friend Ravi, so taking off at 945am, on flight the pilot make an announsment: " No possible land at Delhi airport. big sand storm in process, we are going to divers towards Jaipur airport"! Bla, bla, bla. By the time we had reached Jaipur City (airport) the sand storm arrived there too. 15 minutes of fuel left, so the pilot had to land in Jaipur, under "Emergency land"!!! People pukin, feeling bad, etc... we were at the very tail of the plane, the three of us where wondering whats going on here! finally we had take off from Jaipur after 2 hours sitting there (you have to remember that 1 day before our emergency landing 7 bombs where blasts in Pink City, Jaipur) we where a little nervous!
Finally Delhi , good meal and back to our small place to rest.
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