To Manakamana: down the Prithivi Highway

April 16, 2016

Yesterday, the plan was to go to Trishuli for accommodation until we went through Battar and found a very nice room at Hotel Grand Ranjit. This saved us having to find the connecting road from Trishuli, instead leaving early from Battar we backtrack about 5 km to the junction of Ratmate road.

The air is still very hazy, the undulating road is relatively quiet for the first 20 km. As we cycle following the Trishuli River downstream, we see many suspension bridges across the river. When we stop for break we eat crackers and the last of the laughing cow cheese we bought in Kathmandu. A woman comes into the shop and buys cigarettes and a lighter. This has been a surprise seeing so many women smoking.

Then at Galchhi, the road connects us to the Prithivi Highway and joy ride turns to nightmare. This is one of those roads that makes you wonder why am I cycling this? There is no pleasure riding a busy busy road that requires concentration on the road taking precedence for safety over enjoying the scenery. There is a shoulder of sorts but that comes and goes with the need to constantly watch for obstacles such as parked motorcycles, bus or trucks, rocks used to block wheels of a truck to keep from rolling, pedestrians and trash. The shoulder itself has either a big ditch on one side or big holes or just disappears. The road surface is sometimes 2-3 inches higher than the shoulder. Patrick has read in other blogs of cyclists who say they would reconsider cycling this road, we agree. The problem is there is no alternative for loaded bikes. There are back roads that perhaps mountain bikes could navigate. Midday there was a quieter period when bus and trucks stopped for lunch.

We reach Malekhu mid morning. This is a quaint village with food stalls lining both sides selling fish. Other cyclists have stayed here, shops sometimes rent rooms above their stores. The decision is to go another 30 km rather than stay here. As we left town there was a nice looking hotel.

Mid afternoon we arrive at Manakamana Rising Resort after checking out a couple of other places, one a dump and another very expensive. There is a nice garden leading to the room, though only a cold shower, there's air conditioning and TV with English channels and a restaurant with decent snacks and a Thali for dinner.

Tomorrow on to Bandipur.

Abandoned footbridge over a tributary of the Trishuli River

Road construction blocks half the road for a little while.

The Trishuli River is popular for rafting, we see quite a few but the water level is low and the rapids don't look like much from above.

Along the Trishuli River. People prune braches with leaves off the trees to feed to their animals.

Today's ride: 79 km (49 miles)
Total: 15,795 km (9,809 miles)

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