Eastern Terai, Nepal to Indian Border
Photo,
Pictures of, Images, Picture
(May, 2011) |
Not all of Nepal is the Himalayas! The southern road to India crosses the
Terai plain, a long, flat and hot road. Due to some political strife, we
occasionally had the road to ourselves as the locals closed the highway to
all trucks, cars and motorbikes.
I have to turn this touring bicycle upside down and use the brake pads as guides
to true (straighten). Times like this, I'm glad I carry a spoke wrench and have
worked in a few bike shops in the past.
I had an increasingly loud clicking noise coming from the drive train.
I suspected the bottom bracket and took the crank and BB out. While cleaning,
I noticed that two of my small chain ring bolts were very loose. A bottom bracket tool is
seldom needed and a big thing to carry but hard to find in Nepal.
Darn! I broke my
kickstand
- and this one was my favorite. I will see if I can get a new one and
some other supplies sent to Darjeeling, India.
Numerous signs along the road warn cyclists of the danger of being run over by a
truck.
Bike tire and a stick: a classic toy around the world.
Looks like the Soviet Union built several bridges in this area. The sign
and the bridge were made well and lasted longer than the USSR.
Entrance to an eastern Nepali village near the border with India. It was
by far the best maintained structure in town.
Most villages have a central well where women and girls congregate to wash,
collect water and gossip.
Gretchen finally found a place to buy sweets. Nepali sweets are mostly based on
milk curd, palm sugar and nuts. To add that extra toe-curl of sweetness, they're
sometimes soaked in honey.
It's hard to keep a solid roof overhead when the torrential downpours easily
shred them to bits.
This mouse-sized cricket kept us company one night. Harmless, sure, but freaky
nonetheless.
An oxen cart made out of an old trailer bed. It's not uncommon to see carts with
wooden wheels.
Getting the bikes into tiny hotel rooms is a trick sometimes.
An extremely overcrowded Ferris Wheel, at least four people in each basket.
A very busy cattle auction. Interesting when you consider that Hindus don't eat
beef.
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