Wacky Races

Quite a bit has happened recently here in Kathmandu. Whilst tinkering with my bike, for a change, I was approached by Marc and Carlos (a Spaniard on his way to Sydney on his Honda Varadero which I had previously spotted in Rishikesh). We managed to organise with Eagle Air a box building session at 9am the next day with the bikes to be shipped out on the 27th November at 2pm. We could fly out at 9am the same day, before the bikes which was not an ideal solution, but a solution none the less, and we trusted the manager thanks to his previous experience at shipping bikes.

To celebrate we went out and got drunk.

When we staggered out of the bar later that night we were greeted by quite a few cycle rickshaw drivers who wanted to ensure that we were safely delivered to our hotels. I decided to take advantage of this opportunity and organised a race around the block with the loser paying the price of 100 Rs to each rider.

About 10 rickshaw riders turned up wanting to take part in the competition (wanting to take our money). Somehow I managed to organise the competitors into some semblance of a start line and we each chose our desired steed.

Mine was a 60 year old man who had decided to decorate his rickshaw with an open umbrella, not the most streamlined of choices. I think he had also been smoking something something.

The race was off before the bystander I had chosen to start us off had any clue as to what was going on.

It was an intense race during which we reached some dizzying speeds.

Marc and Carlos both took the lead early and left me far behind. During the fray I ended up pushing for half of the course and lost my leatherman. Thankfully a kindhearted policeman, who had probably seen this sport before, found it and returned it to me afterwards.

One of the rickshaw peddlers lost his shoe. I don't think any policemen picked it up.

Carlos won after an intense battle during which Marc was seen to physically attack his opponents steed. Typical German.

I ended up paying. I'm still not sure why since I ended up doing most of the work.

I encourage this sport to appear at the Commonwealth games in Delhi in 2010.

Afterwards Marc and I discussed the race over a kebab then went and drank more beer with a drunk Finish guy who was convinced that Burma was possible to travel through. We didn't believe him.

I had to ask a policeman how to get back to my hostel and a rickshaw driver followed me all the way back demanding 50 Rupees.

It was an exciting night.

I tried to upload the video here but the internet here is a bit pants.

This morning we met the agent at 9:30 to get the bikes measured for the crates and to book our flights.

Afterwards we managed to find a restaurant which had bacon! They didn't have a clue what a full English breakfast was so I had to order 4 separate plates of bacon, sausage, egg, beans and toast. There is a God in Kathmandu who knows how to cure hangovers!

Marc has gone back to Pokhara to sort out some things he's having made there and Carlos and I will head East to Jiri to see Mount Everest tomorrow before returning for our customs clearance on the 26th.