Nepal Day 6 - The view this morning…

Nepal Day 5 - Ride to Chitwan

With a very early start (breakfast at 0530) we left Kathmandu to ride to Chitwan which is South West of Kathmandu and very close to the border with India.  A very long and hot ride with some good roads, some dreadful roads, lots of road works and some appalling traffic….

But nevertheless we arrived and after a quick change at the hotel we were off to visit the wildlife centre with a canoe trip across the river and a land rover Safari.  

Once back to hotel it was time for a quick shower and off to the local cultural centre for a display of local dancing.

Tomorrow is ride to Limbini…  the roads are apparently even worse ……!!

Nepal Day 4 - meet the bikes

 This morning we got suited and booted and marched down the road like a Top Gun team to collect the bikes.  After that, it was off the petrol stop and then weave our way through the crowded street to reach the ring road.   CHAOS is the best to describe the traffic here… they come at you from all direction and they are not taking prisoners….  I hope to get a video tomorrow the show what I mean.

But we survived… and visited the Monkey Temple at the top of a very high hill overlooking Kathmandu.

Nepal Day 3 - a non-riding day

Today was a non-riding day as we planned to get here a day early.  So following a good breakfast it was off  to view our part of town (Thamel District). My wife was be proud of my 16,342 steps today !

We returned to the hotel at 1pm to meet up with the other two on the trip and had lunch…

Then off to view bikes we will be riding tomorrow.  In the main they have supplied us with Enfield Classics, one Enfield Meteor and a Honda 350 with only 2000 miles on the clock.   I volunteered to ride this one but intend to have a cabbie on an Enfield at some stage…

Must dash as we at meeting up at the Black Olive again for a meal and maybe some more County and Western music !?

Some more photos - some show the results of the 2015 earth quake…

Nepal at last - Nepal Day 2


Oh how I hate travelling on airplanes. I can't get comfortable, can't get any sleep and my back hurts….

Well that over for 10 days. No real problems with the flights, we got here and so did the luggage, what more could you ask for. I met up with Kona and Patrick at Dubai airport, and it was back onto another flight to Kathmandu.

The flight path into the Airport was wonderful, lots of hills and forests and then suddenly a plateau and thousands of houses… quite a sight.

We were met at the entrance by Steve and Major Ram of the tour company and whisked though the streets to our newly completed hotel (we are the first guests).

After unpacking, it was off for a ramble around the local area guided by Steve, change some money, get bottled water and buy a SIM card. Then into the local Black Olive Restaurant for a meal and a well earned beer.

I tried hard to remember to take more photos…

Good night from Kathmandu…

And I’m off … well nearly - Nepal Day 1

 And here I am, I caught the very early coach from Ringwood in order to avoid the reported long queue at Heathrow but the wasn’t one.  So, too early to check in my bags, so nothing for it but have a brew.

The flight to Dubai and then Kathmandu will just have to wait a few more hours…..

Overland Winter Warmer - February 2022

Having set off early on the Friday morning, just as the rain started! and by the time we got to Family Farm BP petrol station north of Oxford, we were totally soaked and very very cold.  A brief visit to Starbucks was not the best place to try and warm up (all hand driers were out of order)..

Once we arrived at the M40 the sun came out and we got to the event in Chipping Warden at about 10:30.   We pitched the tents and started to help unload the van, install the festoon lighting and help where ever we could.  

Before too long it was time for the great taste of a bowl of stew and a couple of pints…. Just what was needed as the temperature outside was dropping very quickly.  A cold night was to follow - good job I took the ex-Army Artic sleeping bag !! 

The following morning there was frost everywhere and I took advantage of the kitchen prepared hot and delicious sausage, egg and mushroom bun for breakfast.

There were some brilliant presentations during the day.  The day was only dampened by the news that a friend of 21 years had passed away over night - so sad.  We raised a glass or two to Colin Hitchcock… We had only visited him at the hospice on the previous Wednesday.

That evening the wind got stronger and the driving rain came in giving me a another restless nights sleep.  Then after assisting with some packing up of the festoon lighting etc,  we packed up our tents and hit the road home accompanied by the dreaded cross winds.

All in all a good event and it was great to meet up with some old friends

The Late Colin Hitchcock