Nepal
 Kathmandu - Varanasi : March 27 to April 10, 2007
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Nepal

After Katmandou, we decided to visit the city of Pokhara. This place is the destination number 1 of the tourists and is the starting point for the expeditions in the national park of the Annapurna. The place is not well organized because it’s far away from the main town. Everything is just too expensive. On the other hand, we meet a great couple cyclist, Claude and Nathalie. It is the second bike tour for Claude, he already done a big one 6 years ago (www.yaksite.org), but for Nathalie it’s the first one.

Our plan after Pokhara was to follow the border of India by Nepalese side to avoid the traffic in India in the Uttar Pradesh province. Finally, after two days of bicycles, we decided to cross directly in India because we were too curious to discover this mysterious.

We finally crossed at the border town name Sunauli April 6, 07 in the morning time. The country has the colors of Nepal, but my god….it is so polluted. It is also very hot and we always have the impression to have a lack of air. In the cities and when the time to exit it, the traffic is as incredible dangerous.We regret that we didn’t have a camera to be able to shoot all these moment. It is the chaos and each driver success to find his place there. The Indian are also very nice and cordial. Contrary to our fears, all are very respectful. On the other hand, they are so curious! In two minutes, we get so many people around us that create a traffic jam. It is very funny and typical of the country. It is necessary to laugh about it and to tempt to act as if we were alone in our bubble.

In Ayodhia, we decided to let our bicycles to the Guest house and take the train to visit Varanasi. The price of a train ticket is ridiculously low (56 rupee = 1.30 $) to travel for a distance of 200 km…… in 5 hours. It was too hot to ride until there. The goal, going to the point A to the point B without any zigzag.

It is in Varanasi than we can watch people taking a bath in the Ganga River or see the cremation ceremonies. They do a big ceremony besides de holy river and prepare de body to be burn. Went the body is all consume, they deposit the ashes in the sacred river. Varanasi offer around 85 different temples and so many festivals. During our visit they have a music festival in a temple name monkey temple.