Asia 2016 bicycle tour map from Garry McGivern Travelsonabike2. The map shows where Garry spent each night of his 2000-mile bike ride across India and Nepal. Behind each pin is a brief description of the day’s ride, along with the miles cycled for the day.
Garry’s original tour didn’t involve Nepal at all! Initially, he was planning to cycle around the south of India. But after discovering that he could now cross into Myanmar (Burma), he changed his plans. Instead, he decided to head east to Myanmar! Myanmar was one of the countries that Garry wanted to cycle through on his world tour in 2011, but at the time, it wasn’t permitted.
There were also one or two other changes to Garry’s route, which eventually saw Garry cycling to Nepal.
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To see if Garry’s away at the moment, visit the Where’s Garry
Bicycle Touring South Asia: Nepal, Kohalpur to Ghodaghodi
Cycling around South Asia, my latest bicycle touring update from Nepal, on Tuesday, the 15th November 2016. Kohalpur to Ghodaghodi. 67 miles. Well, that was a much better ride today. Although I never got quite as far as I wanted to!
It’s a much slower pace around here
It’s been a relatively flat ride, and I was cycling through the Bardia National Park for part of the day. I also crossed the Bardia River, where I saw some crocodiles basking in the sun along the banks and some turtles swimming in the water. There were also some pretty big fish that I could see from the bridge I was on!
A turtle
It was after crossing the Bardia River that I entered the Bardia National Park. As I entered, there was a police checkpoint, as there have been so many times along this road. It was as I crossed the checkpoint that I got stopped by one of the local guides asking me if I wanted to go into the park. There’s a 90% chance that you’ll see a tiger, he said! Unfortunately, I didn’t have time or else I would have. He did say to me, though, as I was leaving, to be careful and keep an eye out for the next ten miles, as a lot of wildlife crosses the road here. Including tigers! Great, as much as I would love to see one, not whilst I’m cycling!
Crocodile
Well, I obviously managed to survive that road, and I didn’t see any tigers. I did see deer and monkeys, however, and I must admit that every time I heard something move in the jungle, it made me jump, but whatever it was was more scared of me as I’d hear whatever it was scampering off into the jungle!
Monkeys!
After surviving the jungle road, I crossed another stretch of water, the river Karnali at Chisapani, where I decided to stop for a spot of lunch, which was the normal affair of rice, curry, dhal and some green veg.
One of the many checkpoints
Big Mistake
Anyway, 10 minutes down the road after having lunch, I started to get that feeling in my stomach that I might be seeing lunch a lot sooner than I had planned! And the more I continued on, the stronger the feeling got! The only trouble was now that I was in the most populated area I’d been in all day, with absolutely nowhere to go and do what I needed to do or rather had to do!
I continued on for a short while longer. But there really wasn’t any holding back; I just had to pull over to the side of the road and squat! Such a relief, I didn’t care that anybody was around. It was either that or I would have shit myself!
My lunch, which I saw a lot sooner than I would have liked!
Needless to say, I didn’t continue on for much longer; in fact, the first place I saw, I stopped at, and once I’d checked in, I immediately sat on the toilet for the next half hour!
Tour Information
It’s been years since I took this ride, but the memories (and the data) are all archived:
Subscribe to my blog and follow me as I continue to travel around on my bike. Plus, as a subscriber, you’ll be among the first to receive news and updates on future tours. If you’re enjoying the ride and want to fuel my next mile, you can always buy me a beer. And, of course, you can always follow me on social media: Facebook, Bluesky, Threads, X, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest. I’m also on Flickr, where you’ll find pictures from all my tours, along with regular photo updates that I generally publish each month.
If you want to find out if I’m away touring at the moment and check my location, visit the Where’s Garry page.
Bicycle Touring South Asia: Nepal, Lamahi to Kohalpur
Cycling around South Asia, my latest bicycle touring update from Nepal, on Monday, the 14th November 2016. Lamahi to Kohalpur. 68 miles. It’s been one of those days where I’ve been struggling all day! Don’t know why, it’s been a bit hilly but not really that bad! Still its makes the end of the day better and that beer taste even nicer!
My landlord from the guesthouse last night
Normal service was resumed with the traffic back on the East-West Highway; the strike was obviously off today! Mind you, the roads have still been fairly quiet and nothing like they were when I was near Kathmandu.
Misty start this morning
My ride today has been mainly through the jungle, and I keep seeing signs with tigers on, so I’m not sure whether they are around here or not! Best not hang around too long to find out! I did see some monkeys at the end of today, though!
Local houses
I see the chaos in India with the money situation is still just as bad, I’m hoping that when I cross back into India either Wednesday or Thursday that there will be some touts at the border so I can exchange some money with them, even though I know I’ll get ripped off but I don’t really have a choice as it seems that most ATM’s either have a long queue or are not working!
Cows!
Tour Information
It’s been years since I took this ride, but the memories (and the data) are all archived:
Subscribe to my blog and follow me as I continue to travel around on my bike. Plus, as a subscriber, you’ll be among the first to receive news and updates on future tours. If you’re enjoying the ride and want to fuel my next mile, you can always buy me a beer. And, of course, you can always follow me on social media: Facebook, Bluesky, Threads, X, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest. I’m also on Flickr, where you’ll find pictures from all my tours, along with regular photo updates that I generally publish each month.
If you want to find out if I’m away touring at the moment and check my location, visit the Where’s Garry page.
Bicycle Touring South Asia: Nepal, Butwel to Lamahi
Cycling around South Asia, my latest bicycle touring update from Nepal, on Sunday, the 13th November 2016. Butwel to Lamahi. 78 miles. Well, that was a ride with a difference today! In all the miles I’ve cycled in different countries, I’ve never experienced anything like it!
Staff from last night’s hotel
Bearing in mind, I’m on the main East-West Highway, the main road across Nepal. I’ve cycled for eight hours, and all I’ve seen all day is ten lorries. No cars, no busses and only a handful of motorbikes! It’s been eerily quiet. The only other people on the roads were other cyclists, local obviously, obviously (although I did meet another Brit on a bike heading towards Kathmandu) and the police and army! Apparently, there was a strike today. I don’t know what it’s about or how it works. But if it means the roads are going to be as quiet tomorrow as they have been today, let’s hope it continues!
The other traffic on the road today.
One Hill
It’s been a flat ride nearly all day, apart from some Pass I had to cross at 700 metres, and that’s where I met my fellow Brit on his way to Kathmandu. He’d been on the road for two years. He had started in England and cycled to Greece, where he caught a flight to India. I don’t think he had any major target or aim apart from he liked to go wherever he could get weed from and get stoned! Each to their own!
And the other traffic!
I’m staying at a nice little guesthouse tonight.
Tour Information
It’s been years since I took this ride, but the memories (and the data) are all archived:
Subscribe to my blog and follow me as I continue to travel around on my bike. Plus, as a subscriber, you’ll be among the first to receive news and updates on future tours. If you’re enjoying the ride and want to fuel my next mile, you can always buy me a beer. And, of course, you can always follow me on social media: Facebook, Bluesky, Threads, X, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest. I’m also on Flickr, where you’ll find pictures from all my tours, along with regular photo updates that I generally publish each month.
If you want to find out if I’m away touring at the moment and check my location, visit the Where’s Garry page.
