TRAVERSE 23
TRAVEL - NEPAL
LEIGH WILKINS
GO SLOWLY !
Impending danger . It was hard to say although a large road sign with red and black usually means so . It was written in Nepali ; I had no idea what it alluded to . Maybe it was something serious .
It was hard to image . We ’ d been on these roads for well over a week and they were some of the best in country . Sure some where nothing more than a rugged walking trail that lead somewhere into the mountains eventually finishing at a village where the locals looked at us like we had just teleported from a starship in high Earth orbit while others were well made sealed roads that allowed our grossly underpowered Royal Enfield Himalayans to reach dizzying speeds of around ninety kilometres per hour . Either way , a road in Nepal is a road , something that brings immense joy and something that needed to be explored .
The Himalayan is a bike that is often not one of choice yet here in
Nepal it is considered a high-tech machine that is only afforded to the financially wealthy or those that are serious about exploring the world , or at least the inner world that is Nepal . Pull up anywhere and generally a crowd will form within minutes , not the masses you ’ ll find elsewhere on the Indian subcontinent , no , in Nepal it is much more respectful , the older folk look on from a slight distance with an eye of respect while the young seek closer inspection , the ‘ large ’ bike drawing the initial intention before a barrage of questions , especially when they discover you are from Australia .
It ' s a common occurrence , for Australia has an emerging Nepalese community and both our nations share a love of cricket . It ’ s one of those special moments when the traveller realises that the world is much smaller than you ’ d imagine , when you discover that your conversation partner has a son who
TRAVERSE 23