Tharali

Day 14

Ok so we left Kasar Devi around 12pm after fixing the back sprocket which has at least four broken teeth. The bike was causing us some problems at this point, and we were hoping this would solve the problems. It solved some of the problems, but as will become apparent, did not solve all of them. I asked the mechanic if the back brakes were ok, as they were screeching, and he said they were fine, and that the bike was in top shape. With this, we took off for Rishikish.

We knew we wouldnt make Rishikish in one day, as it is 270 kilometers away thru winding hilly roads. We decided on a two part excursion. The first 50 miles were pure hell, as the roads were 100% broken up into rocky asphalt, mud, and rocks. Apparently there was a bad landslide not too long ago. After this we ran out of gas, and were hoping to make the nearest gas station on reserve. Luckly the way was mostlydown hill, so I cruised on neutral thru idylic winding valleys, trying to make it to the nearest petrol dock. This part of the journey\ saw someof themost beautiful valleys known to man, with very nice roads, and small, quaint villages that probably hadnt changed ways since 1605, or somewhere around then.

We made the gas station in the nick of time, though I was concerned about the quality of the fuel. The attendent assured us that we were in good hands, though I had my doubts. After this we continued on, stopping for lunch in Kausani, a touristy outpost without any tourists. We were about 1700 meters up at this point. Refueled on both gas and food, we left and rode through more winding hills and valleys for the next four hours. At various points we saw little girls carrying bundles of hay on their heads largerthan twice their body sizes. Today was sunday, so the roads were quiet and free of the hellish oil tankers that emit black clouds that would make even the worst SUVS seem environment friendly. I dont think they have fuel emission regulations in India, of if they do, they definitely do not enforce them.

Eventually we reached great heights, at 2000 meters, and saw some opf the lovliest mountain ranges and small villages ever. We noticed that for the most part, boys and men sat around in groups drinking chai and smoking beadies, while the women did chores, carried bundles of hay and leaves, and were generally not as visible. Also, the men were very friendly, waving and smiling al the time, while the women were a bit serious. Maybe they resented the unfairness of this situation?

After a while the sun set and we started looking for a place to stay. Tharali was on the map as a larger village, and we got there just as the sun set. Picture a small valley nestled amongst giant hills, a river in between, a bridge connecting the two sides, and small innocent peoples all overthe place. Nobody spoke english nor where there any signs, but eventually we found a hotel and went to sleep early.

One thing we noticed was that in the very small villages, we're talking ten houses or so, before Tharali, the people seemed to be of a different religion than the typical hinduism, because they dressed in a different style, especially the women. They reminded me of those pictures in national geographic from some far flung place in serbia. The women milked cows and beheaded turkey, while boys pumped water from midievalwells. All in all a simple lifestyle that seems quite attractive, really. The folks werejust so gosh darn happy. It really seems like they could easily have passed the last century without even the slightest knowledge that two world wars were taking place in other parts of the world.

Day 15

In Tharali we woke up early and left. The bike was causing some problems at this point, mostly backfiring in higher gears, poor acceleration, and strange noises. Also the back brakes were kinda shot. After a long haul thru more broken roads, we finally reached a long stretch thru large mountains that just went up and up and up. This was strange as Rishikish is in a valley, so we knew eventually there would be a long descent. Alsothe weather increased at this point.

The last stretch saw major traffic and lots of pilgrims, as rishikish is a major pilgrimage center, being located on the Ganges. We finally reached rishikish and got a spot at the Swiss guesthouse, recommended by lonely planet. This place is where we're staying now, and it has everything on premises: yoga center, massage, restaurant, bookstore, laundry, and all we're paying ign 150 rups per night. Theres even shower with hot water, wow!