Back to Kathmandu

 

We’re done with the Bikes at least for now. Time to pack up and head home to the wet soggy ground of Surrey. I wonder how I’ll feel when I jump on a bike again and climb one of the Surrey ‘alps’…will they feel like molehills for a while? The early morning is misty but smells of woodsmoke. 

Last night Phil and Chris tested the depth of the Long Island iced tea barrel and are paying the price today.  Neither of them are looking too sparkly.  I’m feeling a little more chipper but definitely not out of the woods yet. Black tea and more beige food. Meh.

We pack up the trucks with our luggage and bikes.  It’s always a mix of joy to finish an event coupled with some sadness to split the group up when it’s time to go home. We take a few group photos, say our goodbyes and that’s it…sort of. I thank Anup our doctor for looking after me so well over the past few days. He has been very kind.

The support crew get the joy of the 8-9 hour road trip back whilst we jump on a short 30 minute flight. Lumbini airport is a few miles down the road and we take a minibus down the ‘dual carriageway’ This actually more like a Quadruple carriageway as people just drive/ride/cycle any direction they like on either carriageway.  It’s truly astonishing how they seem to miss each other.  You can see just about anything travelling on a motorbike here as it seems to have replaced the pack animal. We turn off the multiple carriageway up the rubble track to Lumbini International Airport’. 

Back in the madness of downtown Kathmandu, we traverse the city to the international guesthouse. We settle down to some lunch whilst we wait for the luggage and bikes to appear. The restaurant is decorating for a man and wrapping tinsel round some trees and struggling to reach the top branches. Roel our trusty Dutch giant is enlisted for the topping off ceremony.

Kathmandu is the place to shop if you want to buy knock-off sports and leisure equipment.  Most of the main outdoor brands are being openly sold at silly prices and the quality is pretty good.  I need to lighten my carry on bag by a few kg, so I buy a huge North Face bumbag which looks and feels genuine but given I spent £5 on it and got ripped off, it can’t be. This prompts a stampede from the rest of the group who go out and buy more. And you can also buy these rather fetching hand knit hats too.  

Next morning, we get picked up at 6am for the flight home to our loved ones.  

So that’s it.  This trip is done.




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