Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging
70 KMs Trip Meter 11872
Saw off my dad at the Airport, on his way back home. what now? there was no plan at all. first thing went to get a map of Nepal roads. And spent some time looking at it and talking to a travel agent inquiring about road conditions. Still unsure of Flying to Lukla, cos i dont think i can do any trekking. Kinda wanted to stick to the road so thought of going to Kodari, Jiri to the east and then head west to pokhra. But it was already 12 noon and cant really get any where.
So thought of small ride around kathmandu. Bhaktapur and Nagarkot was for the day. Started with rain and knew cant really see any thing up there but its now or never. So headed out towards Bhaktapur. Man o man the traffice was a killer. Getting on to the kodari highway it was like a nightmare with lots of traffic and bad roads and rains. 15 kms later i get the deviation to Bhaktapur and now the road was small and traffic was a breather. Reach Bhaktapur and park my bike at the Durbar square entrance. Still raining but brave my cam and steel a few pix. It was pretty magnificent square and wondered how it would be in good old days. Get back onto the road to nagarkot. Its gets to single laned and starts to climb. It has to after all one is supposed to see mountain range from there. Rain still giving company. Missed taking quit a few pix cos of the rain.
At nagarkot i was directed 5 kms ahead for the view point. I was kinda not fully alert and was wondering in thoughts. The road was kinda slippery. A right curve was reverse banked and so kinda veered of to the center and yeah it happened. I see a red monster heading towards me from the curve. In reflex manage to go wide on the curve but the Tata's tires skidded on break and banded into my bike's right pannier and i was thrown off to the left. Jump back on to my feet and i seem to be ok. Bike seems to be ok except the cost of left front indicator. But the pannier got mangled. The guys from the tata pickup my bike and were happy that nothing happened to me or the bike and all the while i was cribbing about the pannier! Yeah I was lucky to get away with it with not even a sprain or scratch. Ofcoure i was in riding gear and laned on grass. They could not bring the pannier back to shape.
Really fraustrated, cos the pannier holds my cramster and i havent taken out the cramster from the pannier from 2 months! Saved me a lot of luggage lugging. When i said i would be heading to sankhu, i was told i would find mechs there to fix the pannier and they left. I know it was kinda mistake also. Any way will have to deal with it. went to the Nagarkot view point and yeah nothing to be seen but the clouds. Could hardly see the next mountain and i paid with they pannier for this.
Now get back to nagarkot and take the Sankhu route. This was like 4-5 kms shorter. Fair enough but its all offroad! i ride through hoping it would be road soon. Enquired and came to know it was offroad till sankhu 12 kms! But some how just went ahead. started with smooth slush on the down hill and then stones and gravel and many patches of stones packed for the path. This was getting nasty and also pretty isolated kinda going through forest. But the views around were good and peaceful unlike the busy highway which i took while coming. Was becoming a torcher and 2 kms to Sankha was blessed with black top. Rode ahead of mech shops thinking i would need a metal fabricators to do the job. But found none. Nearing Boudha, tried out a mech and agreed to fix it. It was big time hammering to get the pannier to the box shape. Cant remore the pannier and do that cos with the changed shape might not fit back to the screws. So the bike and the silencer had to take the brunt of all the hits. Even had to give a few kicks to get it back to the shape. Now it looks like a pannier and hammer it enough to make even the locks work. OK now back to functioning pannier albiet with battle scars. Lots of traffic in Boudha and sent of the main road to small roads and get back to the hotel by 6.30 pm and heading to kodari, Jiri tomm.
So thought of small ride around kathmandu. Bhaktapur and Nagarkot was for the day. Started with rain and knew cant really see any thing up there but its now or never. So headed out towards Bhaktapur. Man o man the traffice was a killer. Getting on to the kodari highway it was like a nightmare with lots of traffic and bad roads and rains. 15 kms later i get the deviation to Bhaktapur and now the road was small and traffic was a breather. Reach Bhaktapur and park my bike at the Durbar square entrance. Still raining but brave my cam and steel a few pix. It was pretty magnificent square and wondered how it would be in good old days. Get back onto the road to nagarkot. Its gets to single laned and starts to climb. It has to after all one is supposed to see mountain range from there. Rain still giving company. Missed taking quit a few pix cos of the rain.
At nagarkot i was directed 5 kms ahead for the view point. I was kinda not fully alert and was wondering in thoughts. The road was kinda slippery. A right curve was reverse banked and so kinda veered of to the center and yeah it happened. I see a red monster heading towards me from the curve. In reflex manage to go wide on the curve but the Tata's tires skidded on break and banded into my bike's right pannier and i was thrown off to the left. Jump back on to my feet and i seem to be ok. Bike seems to be ok except the cost of left front indicator. But the pannier got mangled. The guys from the tata pickup my bike and were happy that nothing happened to me or the bike and all the while i was cribbing about the pannier! Yeah I was lucky to get away with it with not even a sprain or scratch. Ofcoure i was in riding gear and laned on grass. They could not bring the pannier back to shape.
Really fraustrated, cos the pannier holds my cramster and i havent taken out the cramster from the pannier from 2 months! Saved me a lot of luggage lugging. When i said i would be heading to sankhu, i was told i would find mechs there to fix the pannier and they left. I know it was kinda mistake also. Any way will have to deal with it. went to the Nagarkot view point and yeah nothing to be seen but the clouds. Could hardly see the next mountain and i paid with they pannier for this.
Now get back to nagarkot and take the Sankhu route. This was like 4-5 kms shorter. Fair enough but its all offroad! i ride through hoping it would be road soon. Enquired and came to know it was offroad till sankhu 12 kms! But some how just went ahead. started with smooth slush on the down hill and then stones and gravel and many patches of stones packed for the path. This was getting nasty and also pretty isolated kinda going through forest. But the views around were good and peaceful unlike the busy highway which i took while coming. Was becoming a torcher and 2 kms to Sankha was blessed with black top. Rode ahead of mech shops thinking i would need a metal fabricators to do the job. But found none. Nearing Boudha, tried out a mech and agreed to fix it. It was big time hammering to get the pannier to the box shape. Cant remore the pannier and do that cos with the changed shape might not fit back to the screws. So the bike and the silencer had to take the brunt of all the hits. Even had to give a few kicks to get it back to the shape. Now it looks like a pannier and hammer it enough to make even the locks work. OK now back to functioning pannier albiet with battle scars. Lots of traffic in Boudha and sent of the main road to small roads and get back to the hotel by 6.30 pm and heading to kodari, Jiri tomm.
The spacious room at Hotel Yanki...
Bhaktapur entrance arch...
In Bhaktapur's Durbar square...
Color full kids playing soccer..
No more action shots... no sooner did a kid come closer for the pic rest of the troop followed him and action is out and posing is in.. hehe kids...
The road to Nagarkot...
Climbing way above Kathmandu..
And it happened the crash with the pickup... The mangled pannier took the brunt sparing me and the bike...
Nothing to view at Nagarkot view point... all for nothing...
Nagarkot Observatory...
Then i took the route back via Sankhu and this is y people dont normally take it!!
But the view was way bettor then the busy highway...
Pass few villages...
Truly back breaking ride for 12 kms!!
Then blessed with black top...
More rural houses...
Pannier being hammered back to shape!!
The damage...
The pannier kinda back to shape.. the locking mechanism still works!!!
A neat food court at Thamel of Khatmandu...
Colorful Thamel streets by night...
This is very polite and hardworking hotel owner Keshar, whom i befriended.
2 comments:
Glad that nothing major happened. Dont worry much about the pannier dude.. from the pics it looks pretty ok :-)
Ride on!!!
Yeah man. It looks good with battle scars and it working :)
Post a Comment