To Bhairawaha: Into Nepal

April 4, 2016

"Welcome to Nepal" the border guard says as we push our bikes to the immigration office. "Are Nepali people quieter than the Indians?" Patrick jokes and the guard has a big grin. The process for a visa on arrival and the entry stamp to Nepal was smooth. Unlike leaving India.

Not much different today from previous days cycling with the same landscape and traffic, the roads are surprisingly good. About 25kms from the border to Nepal, Rachel took a spill after a bike in front of Patrick just stopped in front of him. Patrick stopped to avoid him, Rachel tried to avoid hitting Patrick directly but the front pannier bag of Rachel's hit Patrick's rear bag and Rachel was off her bike in the middle of the road. Bruised right shoulder, bruised right hip and rib, and later her left wrist started hurting.

Then starting about 15kms from the border the road is lined with parked trucks waiting. So many trucks passed us in such a big hurry, only to wait at the border. Typical chaos at the border, we ignore a man shouting at us to stop, having been shouted at all day, we've learned to tune out the noise. He chases past Rachel trying to catch up with Patrick, then stops and waits for Rachel to pass by him with the motion and shouting "stamp". We finally understand that we missed India Immigration Office. No wonder, it was a sign and office on the right side of the road and we didn't see because of the traffic. Finally, an exit stamp for India in the passports, we make our way to the Nepalese Immigration office and quickly on our way.

A few more kilometers into town of Bhairawaha on a wide boulevard and a separate lane marked for bikes and bike rickshaws, though a few cars also were using this lane. Before finding the Glaskow Hotel mentioned in the Rough Guide, we stop at an ATM for Nepal rupees. ATMs have really changed border crossings, no longer are people waiting on both sides of the border to exchange money. There is a better exchange rate in Nepal, 100ruprees equals 1USD. The next task when coming into a new country is setting up a sim card for the tablet. The electronics now available along with the internet and social media has also changed the way we get information and keep in contact with home. No longer mail at Poste Resantes every two months. Later we go to another hotel for dinner of vegetable noodles and a chicken sizzler.

We were last in Nepal in 2007 ending the Asian part of that trip in Kathmandu after starting in Bali through SE Asia, China and Tibet. Now we are 279kms from returning to Kathmandu and connecting the dot.

And there it rests. Front wheel broke off taking a turn. Truck in the middle of the road at day-break.

Crossing some garbage filled marshes / river. Guys are fishing and pulling our some big catfish that are being sold at the roadside.

A 15km long queue of trucks waiting to get into Nepal.

The India Immigration sign is on the right side of the road and we do not see it because of all the traffic. The guy chases us for at least one hundred meters shouting "stop, stop", but we are so tired of being shouted and honked at that we ingore him. He is just trying to be helpful though and guides us back to the office.

Today's ride: 103 km (64 miles)
Total: 15,333 km (9,522 miles)

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