We set out the early the next morning on what Brett shared would be the toughest leg of the whole trip. Wolfgang, our German rider with the nickname Lupo, let us know he’d be spending the remainder of the trip in the support vehicle. He’d hurt his wrist (it was later found to be broken) a couple days back while playing soccer with a group of kids in the courtyard of our guest house. It was a very good call, received well by the group. Lupo’s a great guy, super friendly with an excellent German sense of humor…IYKYK! Years back, he was a glider pilot on the German national two-man team so we shared stories of our “glory-days”. On the walk to our bikes, back across the long suspension bridge, I got to know John “the Elder”, a 76-year-old retired psychologist, who along with Warner, rode the Tibet trip just prior to our current adventure. Great guy, solid rider, originally from Connecticut, he currently lives in Detroit. He was a psychologist for the VA specializing in helping veterans who ride motorcycles. He retired from that gig in his early 60’s and picked up a teaching job at a university until it started to interfere with his motorcycle adventures.
Another beautiful day, a bit cooler with the increase in altitude, and about 75% dirt, even though we spent the entire time on the main “highway.” After lunch, we went through a guarded check point, then officially entered the Upper Mustang Valley. It was some challenging riding, made even more so by the opposing traffic which included some very large buses that you’d never see on terrain like this in the West. One of our riders struggled a bit. (We’d later learn he had a broken bone foot). His frustration was getting inside of his head and making him angry to boot. Reminded me a bit of the retired female combat nurse on a motorcycle tour of the Alps a decade earlier. That trip ended with a bad crash, a helicopter ride and an extended hospital stay. Brett kept a close eye on the situation and will intervene if it doesn’t improve. We arrived at our destination a few hours before our support truck which allowed several of us to take a “bonus ride” up some challenging terrain to a mountain lake with a view of Dhaulagiri, the 7th highest peak in the world, topping out at 26,795 feet. About six of us hit the trail and though clouds obscured the view, it was an absolute blast. Funny side-story. At the trailhead we came upon a local woman, her friend, and 4-year-old son who were walking home, which was at the end of the track we’d be riding. She asked Prabin if he’d take her son on the bike as he was getting tired and cranky. Prabin, of course, obliged. It couldn’t have been more cute; the kid was adorable and absolutely loved his motorcycle ride. Problem was, when Prabin got him to the destination, the child did not want to leave, he cried, and wrapped each of his hands tightly on the motorcycle’s mirrors in protest. Prabin decided to backtrack in order to find the boys mom back on the trail, where his young passenger reluctantly ended his adventure.
We checked into our digs, the Kalopani Guest House, changed into some warm and more comfortable attire, and headed to dinner at the lodge. It was a special meal, a local favorite called Dal Bhat. Dal (lentils) and Bhat (rice) is a staple for trekkers. It’s served in a large bowl where the ingredients are mixed with your hands and eaten the with the same. It was delicious, hearty and messy, and we chased it down with a tasty Nepali beer. Prabin told us of a local saying, which I later read on a souvenir T-shirt, “Dal Bhat Power. 24 Hour.” Nicely fueled, we turned in to rest up for another big day of mountain adventure.
