David and Nan, and 12 other people (including David’s childhood friend and avid + strong biker Danny Seligson, with KE Adventures, did an 11 day, 530 mile bike ride through the Himalayas – -west through East on the only road that crosses the tiny kingdom of Bhutan. (bordered by India on East, West and South (Nepal nearby) and China/Tibet on North.). (Oct 13-Oct 27. 2007; visiting Hyderabad India for business for several days thereafter). Some places we went have only been open to Westerners for 4 years; none over 20 years. VERY limited tourism; King/government regulates by charging a high fee per day to tourists.The country was amazingly beautiful – -mountains and river gorges literally everywhere; the people phenomenally friendly (with no exaggeration, we must have said ‘hello’ and ‘good afternoon’ to at least 350 people each day, from tiny children to old grandpas); and incredibly hard biking- -the first day we climbed 22 miles straight up on our bikes, gaining 5500 feet (from 7300 to 12500 feet – Bhutan’s highest road point); one day we DE-scended for 56 miles straight (that’s tough on your body too), around tens of tiny hairpin turns, around which might come a herd of cows or a truck), past monkeys, waterfalls, and smiling people. 70 percent of the country is tree covered (beautiful verdant green)(King’s goal is to keep 60% minimum vegetation covered, for erosion control in this very steep country, with a monsoon season). Overall our total ascent was 50,586 feet, and our descent, 59,715 feet, according to the website of the organization with which we traveled. A truly amazing,unforgettable experience (as my body keeps reminding me, today, our first day back).The King is benevolent – -and handpainted signs abound everywhere with slogans like: “Small families are happy families,” “Gross national happiness is more important than gross national product” (there is even a stamp that says that.). Many houses, not rich but gorgeous – multi-story white stone or brick; lovely painted carvings on top of each; top narrow floor below roof open for hay and crop drying; chili peppers picked green and drying red lay all over the roofs. few shacky houses; some small, plain; NO beggars; physically beautiful light brown people with black hair and very sweet smiles. Traditional dress is required by law to be worn by men and women at work and at school (King is very big on maintaining national identity in this small kingdom surrounded by many countries that have had separatist and conquest real problems). We saw men and women, so dressed, all over doing road maintenance work, manually pouring hot coals on road and scaping them. Men carrying babieson their back. Whole families out in the middle of nowhere doing road work. And people waving and calling out hello up and down the road, and vertically up and down the hills. An AMAZING place!We flew past Mt. Everest on the way to Bhutan, and could see it from the airplane window.Below are most of the text messages I sent out during that time. I didn’t start saving them until after the first several days, and some days we had no cell reception (2 evenings that we camped out; and one where the valley had no electricity, only solar energy and a generator at the hotel). Architecture was amazingly beautiful, as were prayer flags flapping in the wind around every corner it seemed. A trip of a lifetime!! VERY hard biking, but worth the amazing beauty and incredible people.Sent: Oct 18, 2007 4:53 AMSubject: Another gorgeous day complete with…Another gorgeous day complete with cows in roads, monkeys at a waterfall + giant fertility penises painted on buildings. TORTUROUS 14 mile 2400 ft climb, after which david + I wimped out and took bus instead of 31 mile ride descent down bumpy single-lane road. Tomorrow supposedly much harder still. For now still in old charming simple hotels. Going to oldest dzong/monastery now. Nan/momTo: 203-641-3341Sent: Oct 18, 2007 6:59 AMSubject: Kids r playing soccer with cows…Kids r playing soccer with cows wandering thru their field! Love, momxxooxxooxxooxxooTo: 203 641-3310Sent: Oct 18, 2007 7:01 AMSubject: At high pass today saw range of…At high pass today saw range of three 7000 meter Himalayan peaks! Love, Mom xxooxxooxxooxxooSent: Oct 20, 2007 5:13 AMSubject: Needless to say,Needless to say, beautiful weather puts a great cast on everything. Today was fantastic –biked thru incredible mtn gorges, alongside rivers, lined by the ubiquitous cows, bordered by ther occasional waterfall with monkeys alongside. I biked only 36 miles + abt 2200 ft gain; david hung on for 48 miles + 6600 (!) Ft gain. ( He looked spent!). Our hotel is solar powered (the electricity that came soon ago was removed cuz it seemed to interfere with the migration of the black cranes). So is solar + generator powered so all lights out at 9:30 pm. Little wood stoves heat ea room, incredible view –rooms wd be a billion $ if Hideaway Reports included. Amazing views + people on this country, Love, nanNan M BirdwhistellTo: 17039430476Sent: Oct 20, 2007 5:17 AMSubject: Yesterday we had no reception –so…Yesterday we had no reception –so i just re-sent that text msg. Today we went up only abt 1000 ft or so (twice) – but down for 37 miles. So — i guess u know what that means tomorrow — 19 mile 4000 ft climb! (Tomorrow i will definitely be in the bus some). Country is amazingly beautiful –every single inch. Luckily (very!) all sun so far! After tomorrow, we r camping for 3 nights. Ugh, nanNan M BirdwhistellTo: 203-641-3341Sent: Oct 20, 2007 8:15 PMSubject: Do many cows mean good cheese,Do many cows mean good cheese, u ask. Cheese is always melted on vegetables, so hard to tell. Occasionally have to slalom the bike thru cow poop. My favorite was the pretty teenage girl, herding her cows down the road, talking on her cell phone –not looking where cows were going at all, cows totally scattered across the road. She looked up so startled to find me, nearly colliding with them. NanSent: Oct 20, 2007 8:38 PMSubject: The landscape is really the theme…The landscape is really the theme –gigantic lush fully vegetated (treed)mtns as fa as u can see, biking along deep river-filled gorges, terraced landscapes growing grains, checker-boarded rice fields, amazingly friendly people along this 1 road thru the mtn –it is no exaggeration to say we must say ”hi’ at least 350 times a day to tiny children and grandpas alike (very beautiful peiple), prayer flags waving EVERYWHERE, chortens/stupas built to Buddha everywhere. Cows just insert themselves with great frequency. Other theme –VERY VERY VERY hard biking –straight up,up, up for thousands of feet and many miles, and then down down down for an equal amt –yesterday for 37 miles! Gotta run, nan (PS I HAVE started taking bus over some SO incredibly, long, endless straight up stretches –just no point being miserable. I have never done less than 40 miles on a day tho. Love, nanNan M BirdwhistellTo: 203 641-3310Sent: Oct 21, 2007 8:20 PMSubject: Another tough biking day ahead and…Another tough biking day ahead and we will be camping out at 10,000 ft tonight. BRRRR!! The farther east we go, the more rudimentary things get. Next hotel is called ‘basic lodge’ and one more camping night after that. Suspect end to electricity, cel cnxn and texts for sevl day. Probably wont hear frm us for a while, love, nanNan M BirdwhistellSent: Oct 23, 2007 7:11 AMSubject: Watching kids soccer game from…Watching kids soccer game from hotel window (complete with referees) – thousands of feet drop so must lose lots of balls. 57 mile straight downhil today — only did 1/2 cuz very foggy + cold in beginning. Of course, big uphills too. Camped last night –cold but fun. 3 tough days ahead — 1 more camping night. Love, nanNan M BirdwhistellSent: Oct 24, 2007 6:49 AMSubject: Another long but good day in…Another long but good day in bhutan. Biked my farthest today — 50 miles –like always, tons of up up up and down down. (Up to 8030 ft, down to 1900 ft, now at 3700 ft, 20 miles of hairpin turns, 2 flat tires). Beautiful painted wooden gates ushered us into the eastern most village on the road in bhutan, few tourists make it this far, most basic but charming–like all villages terraced into cliffs, plunging thousands of feet to river below. Turning south tomorrow towards india. 2 more very hard days to come –tomorrow eve camping so wont hear from us. David good. 1 flat. Fell on his ass, nanNan M BirdwhistellSent: Oct 25, 2007 7:43 AMSubject: U cant believe where cell phones…U cant believe where cell phones work. We r camping out now (in middle of nowhere –so no lodging), at ard 8000 ft, in the yard of a beautiful, small temple. We had the great good fortune to be here as they r saying evening prayers. I can hear the music frm outside still now. We went in and watched, as 5 red-robed monks-in-training, from age 5 to ard 22, chanted for over an hr, sitting on the floor in a row, all th time blowing 10 foot long thin horns, conch shells, banging cymbols and striking 3 vertically hung drums. Every square inch of the small temple is covered with brilliantly colored drawings and carvings, mostly of buddha’s life –but also of really scarey looking male + female protective deities (abt 12 ft high) with many small skulls on their heads, warding off evil spirits. Truly mind-blowing –and all of the time totally surrounded by huge mtn after huge mtn. Almost full moon tonight.Nan M BirdwhistellSent: Oct 26, 2007 7:14 AMSubject: Yea! Biking over + I lived!Yea! Biking over + I lived! Biked 61 miles today (up to 8000 feet –multiple times –down to. abt 500 ft. Both David + I feel crippled after todays workout + I wonder whether I will be able to even walk by tomorrow. Staying in (literally) stinky border town right by India–right by Assam (in India, which has been having separatist problems lately), in only un-charming hotel, across from the public toilet (‘use of toilet/urine+ stool 2.5 cents, washing/bathing 10 cents). Bhutan beautiful –but not here! Off to india tomorrow where david will do business, nanThat’s all. Falling asleep. Amazing trip! NanNan M Birdwhistell
