A stunning sunrise and a 15km run to kick-start my first day in Bangkok. Then Wat Arun, aka the Temple of Dawn, the most elegant pagoda and an iconic landmark of Thailand, and Wat Pho, home of the massive 46 meter long golden reclining Buddha.
Thailand
My bike needed some fixing after the airline mishandled the box. I walked into a bike shop in a suburb of Bangkok, and what happened next was just magic.
The shop was swamped and told me that it would take a day to fix. Just when I was going to turn around, someone from the shop stopped me and asked in broken English, “You… do… Indipac?” I said yeah! His face lit up and he said, “I follow dot. Your stories… good.” He said he is training and wants to do PBP next year and Indipac in 2020.
Saying that, he spoke to the bike shop guys, and they immediately mounted my bike on a stand and fixed it within 20 minutes. When they refused to take money for the repair, I bought some accessories to support them.
Indipac “unexpected kindness” still follows. Thailand and its people are amazing! Don’t even get me started on the food.
Insanely humid. I felt like I was drowning, and a 16% grade didn’t help. Muddy trails make me happy, and the forest rangers were super friendly. After a hilly, humid run, the best meal to devour cost $1.30 USD, and then the best papaya salad.
I took the hard route to the falls, in deep woods, covered in leeches and cobwebs. How was I supposed to cross? It was scary, especially after seeing the crocodile warning sign. One more crossing! Where were the falls?
Wat Mahathat, Ayutthaya: the Buddha head in a banyan tree. An iconic location and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I had seen this image several times in guide books and postcards, but seeing it in real life was unreal. There are so many stories about how it came about, but no one knows for sure.
You know you are eating authentic Thai when a Thai guy looks at your plate and says “wth is that”. Lots of dead creatures from the ocean on that plate. Lots!
Then my bike got a makeover. It looked brand new: its first full clean and tune-up after 11,000km. Oh, the adventures we have been on together! Many more to come.
Nepal
Namaste Kathmandu. The Swayambhunath Stupa.
It was Indra Jatra, and everyone was waiting for the Kumari, the child goddess.
I had to factor in the time to pull leeches off: the joy of trail running in a tropical monsoon forest. And baby goat love in Nepal.
Bhutan
Flying to the land of the Thunder Dragon. I rode my bike from Thimphu to Paro, and ran up to the Tiger’s Nest.
Yet another dream come true day. Google search for Bhutan and this is the first image you will see: Taktsang Lhakhang, Bhutan’s most iconic landmark and heritage site. The name Taktsang translates to “The Tiger’s Nest”. The temple is perched on a cliff face 900 meters above the Paro Valley. No trip to Bhutan would be complete without a visit to this epic heritage site.
It was completely still except for the prayer flags fluttering very gently. It was surreal and peaceful. My first sunset in Bhutan was totally fire, and it was totally worth running back to the campsite in complete darkness after witnessing a stunning sunset at the Tiger’s Nest.
Sea of mountains. The land of the Thunder Dragon never fails to deliver.
While the steep climb would make your lungs scream, the jaw-dropping views from the top would totally take your breath away. This is the view from the top of the Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten, which stands regally on the hill above the Punakha valley. Makes you wonder what kind of magical place this is.
Then the Druk Path run. A monastery was my home for the night. Thimphu, and the takin, Bhutan’s national animal. And my trail companion, a dog.
This monk and his puppy were inseparable. He called his puppy “Bulky” because the puppy was the chubbiest of the litter, and he took such good care of it.
Bhutanese people are among the nicest, kindest people I have ever met. They are so kind, not just to fellow humans but to all living creatures. This is a very special land, and we all have something to learn from Bhutanese people.
Tales from Bhutan
What kind of kindness is this! I had heard about the hospitality and kindness of Bhutanese people, but my experience began even before I landed in Bhutan.
I showed up at Kathmandu airport with my bike and backpack, with a ticket I bought just 24 hours before. I am lucky with my Indian passport in that I don’t have to pay the $300 USD a day permit fee to enter Bhutan.
That’s when I met Tashi Loday in the waiting lounge, returning home from a business trip in Nepal. One of the nicest, kindest people I have ever met, and my best friend now. We had a great time sharing stories from the open road.
Soon after I landed in Bhutan, I was going through the visa formalities, and as soon as I stepped into Bhutan I was greeted by Tashi. The first thing he said was, “Let’s go home.”
What happened next was just pure magic. While I was at the airport I had no idea where I was going to eat and sleep, and fast forward four hours, I was having a great time over the most authentic Bhutanese meal with an amazing family who treated me as one of their own.
Tashi, Sonam, Damcho Kiki, Baby Delzong and Nunu: thanks so much for your kindness and hospitality! Love you all so much, and can’t wait to be back.
Uncertainty makes you vulnerable, but that’s what makes your travel full of amazing memories.
Monk mode in Bhutan. While sauntering around the hills of Bhutan, I passed a monastery where all the monks were lining up for their evening chai. One of them saw me and invited me to join them. Saying that, he ran to his room to grab me a cup.
We went on a long walk, and other monks joined me. My question to them was, “Why did you want to become a monk?” Their answers were diverse and surprising and interesting.
Again, it made me think: what kind of kindness is this! I left the monastery with four awesome friends who treated me like one of their own.
Boudhanath
A throwback to Kathmandu. It’s always buzzing around Boudhanath Stupa. It’s full of tourists, but you will also see plenty of devotees lighting butter lamps, spinning prayer wheels, burning incense and walking around the stupa. At 36m high, it’s one of the biggest stupas in South Asia. A must-see in Kathmandu.
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