Headng South

Today we began our trip back down the valley toward Pokhara however due to the nature of today's ride it was decided that I would sit out the first half of the day and rejoin the ride at the lunch stop back in Jomsom.  This morning's ride would take the group up to over 14,000 ft and the downhill was steep, narrow and rocky.  Instead I caught up on-line then boarded one of the two trucks taking our bags down the valley.  It was a fun, ride bouncing all over with Indian music playing. And then my truck got stuck crossing the river. We took off shoes and socks, pulled up the pants legs and waded out.  While they waited for the tractor that frequently tows stuck vehicles the other truck dropped me at the outskirts of town with my bike and I met the battle worn riders at the lunch stop.

We continued our ride to our next stop of Marpha. A vicious head wind picked up and the clouds rolled in turning part of our route over a particularly rocky section into a grey, dusty post-apocalyptic landscape. Marpha is known at the capital of apple country.  We had some free time so walked around the tiny town, visiting the monastery on the hill overlooking the rooftops.  That evening, with hot coals warming us under the dinning table, we had yak steak and apple pie for dinner. I also sampled the local apple brandy (not so great) and cider (very good).

Morning dawned cold and so began my longest ride.  By lunchtime I was ready to throw in the towel and get in one of the vehicles. However with encouragement from Paul and the other riders, I kept at it and managed the two hour downhill road ride. We passed breathtaking scenery and were in the deepest valley in the world between the world's 7th and 10th tallest mtns. With the non-stop ruts, bumps, rocks, and mud, I arrived at our next stop Tatopani completely exhausted but happy.  Tatopani means hot springs and they aren't kidding, they were hot but welcome for all the sore muscles.

The following morning was our final ride.  It was only two hours but after yesterday's ride, it hurt.  Our ride ended and we boarded a van for a three hour drive back to Pokhara.  This is Nepal so on narrow roads high above beautiful terraced valleys we bumped along dodging moving and stationary obstacles. We had to get out several times so the van wouldn't bottom out.  And now we are back in Pokhara. Laundry is being cleaned, we are warm, have wifi and other amenities.  It's sad that the trip is winding down but it feels good to be off the bike.

"On top of the world"

Yak steak in Marpha

Walking so the van can make it across.

Lower Mustang Valley

I write from Cafe Applebee's in Kagbeni, Mustang.  There probably won't be any legal issues with the name considering down the street is Yak donald's.  This may be a very rustic village of ~500, but there is entrepreneurship.  This is apple country ergo the naming of this cafe (which has internet when the cell phone tower works), and I've been promised we get to try local apple brandy at our next stop.

Because we have been sans internet there are a few days to catch up on.  Friday morning we boarded a small prop plane for the 30 minute flight to Pokhara. Our bikes were trucked 20 hrs to make the bumpy 400km drive.  Pokhara is lower and warmer than Kathmandu with a picturesque lake in the middle surrounded by the snowcapped Himalayas. It was a day off so the group scattered. We opted to be paddled across the lake and hike up to the World Peace Stupa with amazing views. The hike down was aided by a 13 yr old boy who found us wandering. Apparently he and his friends earn good tips guiding tourists up and down the forest paths.  A very charming kid, he definitely earned his tip.

Saturday early we caught an even tinier 14 seater plane to Jomsom.  And then we really felt like we had arrived. A very frontier type town where trekkers come for the Annapurna circuit.  From there we road what for me has been the most challenging day.  The altitude is no joke.  Between the riverbed rocks, the wind, and lack of oxygen, we had a difficult climb to the village of Pallayak.  Very remote with 200 people we had a tea break on the roof of a local farmers house.  The other highlight was the suspension bridge we crossed twice. Our ride ended at our guesthouse in Kagbeni.

Sunday we were faced with a 1000m climb up to the town of Muktinath where we had lunch. After yesterday's experience I went slowly, pushed my bike a lot and the  guides had arranged for one of them to take my bike if needed which happened twice.  On the way back I took the option of an easier route while the others chose the more challenging path.

On one last note, as warned, sleeping the first night was challenging. We both had trouble breathing and even after 10 hrs of sleep felt horrible in the morning. Fortunately the next night was much better.

Top of climb at Muktinath

Prayer wheels in Kagbeni

View up Mustang Valley from Kagbeni

Moving On

This morning in addition to getting ready for our day's ride, we had to have our bags ready to go since at the end of the ride we were transported directly to the next place we are staying.  It might have been the sharing of beers from where we're from including nepalese rice wine the night before or the culmination of travel, but I was not feeling so hot. Rally I did and we were off for another four hour ride with lots of steep ups (which means lots of walking for me) and some challenging but successful downs.

While enjoyable all in all, it was still a happy sight to see our vehicles waiting at the finish. Our bikes will start their long drive west while we fly to Pokhara tomorrow morning. We are spending the night in historic town of Bhaktapur full of ancient palaces and temples just outside of Kathmandu which is also closer to the airport.  We had a guided tour through Durbar Square and the tiny streets of the neighborhood around it.  After dinner at a nearby courtyard restuarant it was an early night in preparation for tomorrow's travel day.

Nyatapola Temple

Kathmandu Induction

After a short flight from Bangkok we are now settled in with our tour in Kathmandu. Arrival was fairly seamless and our guide was there to meet us along with a couple others arriving on another flight.  We set off in a jeep around the city towards our guest house perched high up on the hills to the north. The vehicle was appropriate given the ruts, potholes and roads so step that today our van had to let us off part way to hike up to the house.  But the hikes are worth it because the view over the city and valley are amazing.

We are 10 coming from  the US, Canada, Norway, and Australia with two Nepalese guides, both of whom, actually everyone except me, are accomplished riders.  We will be at this location for several days getting used to riding here and at elevation before moving on for higher rides.  We've been told altitude sickness should not be a problem because we'll always be sleeping at lower altitudes.

Today we had a shorter ride but it involved a long steep uphill and a crazy, difficult downhill, where I unashamedly walked a fair bit.  Paul faired well and had no troubles.  Afterward we ate at a Tibetan restaurant and had a tour of the UNESCO site the Boudhanath

Stupa. A beautiful day.

Stupa

Bangkok Weekend

Without an actual keyboard but a Kindle instead these entries will be shorter for now. All flights to our first destination went seamlessly. Luggage made the two transfers as well and there is nothing quite like seeing your name on a hotel pick-Up sign when arriving past midnight in a foreign airport.

After a long snooze we took a taxi in to Bangkok proper to our friends' fantastic apartment  just off the main drag of a popular (read busy) part of town.  They took us to a fantastic lunch, we rode the light rail, walked around a bit, took refuge at a beer pub, and finished the day with even better food at a restaurant housed in an old colonial style hotel tucked away on a back street.

Sunday morning has found us with various levels of jet leg (someone, not me, got about 3 hours sleep) enjoying Aunt Jemima pancakes from the boxes we brought over by request and watching the Red Sox make it into the World Series.  We'll see how the rest of the day will roll out.

Break from the game.

Learning Curve

So why this week of meetings?  Because there are so many moving parts to this program and these moving parts are spread across the world. Sometimes email and Skype calls do not have the same effect as putting people in the same room to present, discuss and have side conversations over coffee breaks and meals.

One corner of the resort

The first half of the week our program team presented information and received input/feedback from our partner research centers. Topics included current research portfolio, how to grow our research themes, how to monitor and evaluated progress, reporting requirements etc.  The second half of the week was a smaller group of researchers discussing a topic that has been new to me: aflatoxins.  Two days of discussing research gaps on how to prevent and treat crops contaminated with this fungus that is prolific in all sorts of crops: maize, peanuts, cassava, a whole bunch of grains, chilies, and spices.  It can get into the milk of animals who have consumed contaminated feed.  Besides causing liver disease and even death when consumed in high concentrations, a chief interest in developing countries is whether it causes stunting in children.  One way contamination is prevented - at least in the US for now - is by biocontrol where a competing but safe variety of the fungus is put on fields so that it out numbers and drives down the bad variety.  And the topic goes on and on and on.  Two days worth in this case.

Thus ended this week of non-stop information inputs.  Not all went in unfortunately and hopefully that portion that did, sticks.  On another note, I never did see the hippos come out of the water, but I'll end with this view of the path down to the lake.

Wildlife Excursion

Turns out the resort is bit bigger than I thought and backs up against Lake Naivasha.  After our second full day of sessions, two of which I led and am glad are out of the way, we trooped down to the lake to get into several 8-seater flat motor boats to do a bit of wild-life watching, or harassing as the case might be.

There was a diverse range of birds - which made me think my grandmother with her life-list would have really been impressed - and a spit of land called Crescent Island, was teaming with herds of animals.  Wildebeest,impala, zebras, pelicans, flamingos and others I didn't recognize.  Apparently if you visit the isle by land, there are giraffes and other large animals.  Along the shore on our side of the lake we saw hippos in the water.

Africa Light

I am spending the week in Kenya.  It perhaps sounds adventurous, and while maybe I should feel a bit guilty to be attending meetings at a posh resort, quite frankly, if you have to be tired and "on" for 5 days straight, having a beautiful room on a fancy property seems justified. Add that it feels a bit like a fancy jail, and the argument for justification grows.  I'm realizing that all of my experiences in Africa, both Kenya and JoBurg have involved gates, walls and guards.  But I digress.

To sum up, I flew with several colleagues which was a nice change.  We spent our first night in a very meager guesthouse in Nairobi.  So sparse in fact that other meeting attendees who stayed there before coming to Naivasha, requested to stay elsewhere when they go back to Nairobi.

This week we have back-to-back meetings, interspersed with side meetings since this is one of two times during the year that we can sit down and go over work plans, deliverables, budgets, timetables and other concerns.  There is an excursion planned for tomorrow when we are going to go see some wild life.  So while no picture worthy moments so far, there will likely be some tomorrow.

Requisite meeting photo