way, was so hot down near the Indian
border, we stopped to seek shade and
cold drinks. We watched the passing
parade for a while.
On the main road from India, this
is a very busy town. Rickshaws by
the dozen, transportation of every
kind; water buffalo pulling covered
wagons, motorbikes, buses and the
usual assortment of goats. It’s crazy,
locals selling fruit and drinks, worked
their way through the traffic. Cows
wandering aimlessly or just standing
in the middle of the road. It’s the
Hindu way, cows get right of way.
Another 20 kilometres or so, we
found the entrance road to the Chit-
wan Jungle Lodge and negotiated to
lock the bikes in a nearby building
while on safari. It all sounds like a
very old Phantom comic; transport
to the lodge deep in the jungle is via
a very old Landrover and dugout
canoe.
We enjoy a late lunch, our elephant
safari started at 6:00pm.
“Would Sahib like another serving
of buffalo steak?” asks the waiter.
“Sahib would,” I reply, it was great,
especially after our mainly vegetarian
meals on the trek. The afternoon was
spent under a grass umbrella around
the bar. Khukuri rum and cokes at
just AU$1.50. Now I know why the
British miss the days of the Raj.
The jungle is thick, and the grass is
higher than an elephant’s back. Tiger
footprints were seen, but alas, noth-
ing feline in the flesh. The following
day was one off the bikes as we went
on another elephant safari. The fol-
low day we run the gauntlet back to
Kathmandu in the opposite direction.
The trip back is a whole other
story. The day cooler, an enormous
traffic holdup, at least 100 trucks.
We had sort of worked out the traffic
rules and experienced overtaking five
wide. Steve had a flat rear tyre, just
as I put in the best passing move for
the whole ride and still more goats.
“You’ve never really ridden a bike
‘til you’ve ridden in Nepal,” laughed
Steve
There’s so much more that could
be left to your imagination after
all, you wouldn’t want to know
everything before you had a go your-
self, would you? SM
TRAVERSE 58
Stewie undertook this ride in 2001 well
before Nepal became a 'tourist' riders
destination. There's now a proliferation of
tour companies hiring bikes of all makes but
especially Royal Enfield.
He laughs there's now a law that tries to
prevent the overuse of the horn ... not sure
that it's working ...