November

Week Thirty-Five: Happy Birthday, Bearded One

Week Thirty-Five: Happy Birthday, Bearded One

Success! We got Dan a birthday beer (or five). It was a close call, mind you. We encountered a few hurdles, but we got there in the end. Here’s what happened…

Week Thirty-Four: The Week We Visited 864 Temples

Week Thirty-Four: The Week We Visited 864 Temples

We gave the History Channel a run for its money this week, as we traversed centuries of history along the Gujarati coast. Usually we have to cycle hundreds of kilometres between sights we have pinpointed on the map. But this week, we got lucky. The last 376km has offered up eight-hundred-and-sixty-four temples, a few beaches, a fort, palace, mausoleum – and beer…

Week Thirty-Three: Hotels Aren’t Hotels

Week Thirty-Three: Hotels Aren’t Hotels

Project ‘Avoid The Sun’s Hottest Hours So We Don’t Get Ill Again’ got underway this week (we really need a better name). The plan is to be up and cycling at 6am, before the sunrises at 6.30am. That gives us seven-hours to pedal in the cooler hours, before it becomes unbearably hot at 1pm. Then we’d just call it a day. The sun sets again at 6pm, so it’s pointless going much further when it gets cool around 4pm. You won’t be surprised to learn that our perfect plan had some teething problems during the first week…

Week Thirty-Two: Welcome to India

Week Thirty-Two: Welcome to India

India. The land of colour, curries and endless selfies. As you know, our first few days here were spent cooped up on some sort of transport, so this week has been the first time that we truly felt like we had left Nepal and arrived in India. Wow. It’s been a sensory overload – and it’s only the beginning…

Week Thirty-One: The Taxman, A Truck Driver and Train Panic

Week Thirty-One: The Taxman, A Truck Driver and Train Panic

Bike problems are a given on a cycle tour, we get that. But our second cracked rim became something of a real pain in the ####. Not only did it force us to rent me a mountain bike for £140, leave the Annapurna Circuit early, and reluctantly order Dan a new wheel (third time is not a charm), we also had to collect the wheels in person from Kathmandu airport customs and pay a stinking VAT bill…