Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging
127 KMs...
Got up with lot of question in mind as to what now. Am i heading back to Pheuntsholing? am i staying here one more day? Putting them i aside saw a bit of Gajani movie. Had a lazy breakfast and got ready by 10 to do one more recce round to know the situation of road block. When i reach there, no waiting vehicles to be found!! The road has opened an hour ago. Damn what am i doing here now?!! If only i had been a bit proactive. Any way rush to room. Takes time collecting all the things strewn across the room. Its cold too and some time to wear the gear. Finally its as late as 11.30 by the time i start. Sheet i may not be able to get in time to Thimpu to extend the permits. This permit business sux. Why cant they give all at once at Pheuntsholing.
The start was horrible. The road work going on and a fresh layer of stones spread evenly on the mud road. Bike rolling side to side on the small stones. Its looks cloudy as well dunno when it will start raining. With thought balancing act after some time gifted with tarmac for some time. Not much of the views can be seen thanks to the cloud. Sunlight is also at a premium. I pass by narrow precarious looking road in the landslide territory. I also pass by the landslide which had caused the blocked. A slide of like 20 feet in width right a strategic curve had taken a tipper along with it. The worker near by explained where the tipper had gone and that one person's body is still missing. And one of the person's body was recovered in pieces! Man! Dangerous highway it is.
Unrelenting bad roads, cloudy weather not much of the mountains can be seen and threat of rain was not looking like a pleasurable ride. When i crossed over to another mountain, where the road widening work had not begun, was some relief. With old aging road and greenery either side. was even gifted with Sunlight for some time in between. couple of permit check posts. The road gets very narrow running up and down the mountains. But vehicles driving aggressively. My roots horn coming in handy. Loosing best of the views to the clouds. Now this is sick loosing the best parts of the ride. Here the GPS fone started behaving wayword showing speeds of 850-1000 kmph!! lost the track for some of the curvy sections. Had a bit of mood off as the GPS was not working now.
At around 3.30 some 40 kms to Thimpu the road becomes awesome awesome and awesome two laned twisties. This is the bested tightest wide twisties i rode. Couldnt get proper picture of it. Stop by at hotel which had a parking so big that a plane could land!! Hot veg momos. Super taste for my hungry self. Still not the exitement i expected nearing Thimpu, kinda depressed. yeah it was cos of lack of Sunlight. Felt like the whole day i was riding in the evening!
Entered city by 5 PM. Checked the Lonely planet for figuring out the Hotel and Hotel Tandin it is. Found it soon and checked in at 550 expensive. Thought lonely planet said 350. Immediately left to check out the 'Takin', the national animal of Bhutan. Ask my way around and do quite some climb. Good that people understand Hindi in Bhutan. With the threat of rain finally found the Takin reserve and sure enough spotted. They are not much posers and all they do is put their head inside the food bin and keep eating! There was a hole in the fence trough which i put the cam and took a couple of shots. It looked like a cross between a cow and a goat. Seemed quite a gentle animal. On the way back saw the evening growing on the city with lights appearing. Stopped for some evening shots of the city from the above.
On the way back saw a temple perched high above the hill and after running around still could not find it. Actually there is no road i had to park my bike and climb up stairs. Half way through it started raining. So i rain down to the bike to get the rain gear. By the time i was in them, the rain stopped! Man this is the second time. Again i ride across the town to come the hotel cos of the one and like an idiot get into the hotel in a rain suit! with the rain pants making the swishing sound as i walk by.
Any way went in search of the Discotheque which was mentioned in the Lonely planet. Bought a soft material cap as it was very cold and cold not let my head take it. As i reach the Disco it was closed! They are closed on Thursdays it seems. Strange habbits. As i walk back befriend a cop asking directions for immigration office and RSTA. He even guided me to Cyber cafe. What luck the cafe had broadband and i did a few quick updates. Was 10 when it was over and went over to my hotel for dinner and peg. But its closed! crap now i have to make do with food from a small hotel across the street. It was good but not very relaxing ambiance.
Tomm i plan to stay in Thimpu instead of paro. City looks good. But its going to be tight as i also have to get the permit. Taktshat Geomba and Chelela and back to Thimpu with the sort of weather condition around looks very tough. Lets see how it goes!.
The start was horrible. The road work going on and a fresh layer of stones spread evenly on the mud road. Bike rolling side to side on the small stones. Its looks cloudy as well dunno when it will start raining. With thought balancing act after some time gifted with tarmac for some time. Not much of the views can be seen thanks to the cloud. Sunlight is also at a premium. I pass by narrow precarious looking road in the landslide territory. I also pass by the landslide which had caused the blocked. A slide of like 20 feet in width right a strategic curve had taken a tipper along with it. The worker near by explained where the tipper had gone and that one person's body is still missing. And one of the person's body was recovered in pieces! Man! Dangerous highway it is.
Unrelenting bad roads, cloudy weather not much of the mountains can be seen and threat of rain was not looking like a pleasurable ride. When i crossed over to another mountain, where the road widening work had not begun, was some relief. With old aging road and greenery either side. was even gifted with Sunlight for some time in between. couple of permit check posts. The road gets very narrow running up and down the mountains. But vehicles driving aggressively. My roots horn coming in handy. Loosing best of the views to the clouds. Now this is sick loosing the best parts of the ride. Here the GPS fone started behaving wayword showing speeds of 850-1000 kmph!! lost the track for some of the curvy sections. Had a bit of mood off as the GPS was not working now.
At around 3.30 some 40 kms to Thimpu the road becomes awesome awesome and awesome two laned twisties. This is the bested tightest wide twisties i rode. Couldnt get proper picture of it. Stop by at hotel which had a parking so big that a plane could land!! Hot veg momos. Super taste for my hungry self. Still not the exitement i expected nearing Thimpu, kinda depressed. yeah it was cos of lack of Sunlight. Felt like the whole day i was riding in the evening!
Entered city by 5 PM. Checked the Lonely planet for figuring out the Hotel and Hotel Tandin it is. Found it soon and checked in at 550 expensive. Thought lonely planet said 350. Immediately left to check out the 'Takin', the national animal of Bhutan. Ask my way around and do quite some climb. Good that people understand Hindi in Bhutan. With the threat of rain finally found the Takin reserve and sure enough spotted. They are not much posers and all they do is put their head inside the food bin and keep eating! There was a hole in the fence trough which i put the cam and took a couple of shots. It looked like a cross between a cow and a goat. Seemed quite a gentle animal. On the way back saw the evening growing on the city with lights appearing. Stopped for some evening shots of the city from the above.
On the way back saw a temple perched high above the hill and after running around still could not find it. Actually there is no road i had to park my bike and climb up stairs. Half way through it started raining. So i rain down to the bike to get the rain gear. By the time i was in them, the rain stopped! Man this is the second time. Again i ride across the town to come the hotel cos of the one and like an idiot get into the hotel in a rain suit! with the rain pants making the swishing sound as i walk by.
Any way went in search of the Discotheque which was mentioned in the Lonely planet. Bought a soft material cap as it was very cold and cold not let my head take it. As i reach the Disco it was closed! They are closed on Thursdays it seems. Strange habbits. As i walk back befriend a cop asking directions for immigration office and RSTA. He even guided me to Cyber cafe. What luck the cafe had broadband and i did a few quick updates. Was 10 when it was over and went over to my hotel for dinner and peg. But its closed! crap now i have to make do with food from a small hotel across the street. It was good but not very relaxing ambiance.
Tomm i plan to stay in Thimpu instead of paro. City looks good. But its going to be tight as i also have to get the permit. Taktshat Geomba and Chelela and back to Thimpu with the sort of weather condition around looks very tough. Lets see how it goes!.
Getting away from the hold up. The top right room was mine...
Gravel road for quite some time...
The Gedu town from the other side...
Some smooth roads...
Cant see much of the mountains...
This was not the main landslide..
In the land slide area....
This was the landslide that caused the hold up for 2 days!...
Stopped to take the pic of the rock that had fallen. Just as i was putting back the cam a truck from behind me crossed the rock and stood left to allow a opposing truck. I crossed the rock and stood behind the truck. Since there was no space the truck all of a sudden started backing with the workers behind shouting. Luckily my bike was on and i was in gear, in a reflex i went more left and ahead wee before the truck hit me... Phew! My mistake should not be in the blind spot of the monsters!
The road left behind....
All that is a single road that i rode through....
Some posing time...
Getting deep into the hills nearing Thimpu...
Yummy hot momos just when i was damn hungry....
This hotel had a really really huge parking lot!
The last 42 kms to Thimphu was on this Awesome road...
Roads inside Thimpu...
Going to see the Takins
Some evening shots on the way back...
The main street Norzin Lam at night...
4 comments:
Wow!!!
Finally......
I can read thro the frustu moments in Gedu :)
BOL on the permit extension
Good going.
I'm slowly starting to get jealous now :)
that evening shot is tempting!
yo pkmo eating momo!!!
keep a mini umbrella man..it helps to walk around in rain!
the night time pics are awesome...
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