A Scenic Journey Along the Sindhuli Highway: The Kamala River Experience
As we set out on the Sindhuli Highway, the spectacular views of the Himalayas took our breath away. The narrow road required patience, but we found ourselves getting irritated with the sluggish vehicles that we couldn’t overtake. Along the way, there were many places for rest beside the highway. We even crossed the mirror wall without stopping as traffic was high.
The heat was intense as we neared Bardibas, and we searched for a waterfall or river to cool off. Unfortunately, we were unable to find such a place, but then we came across the Kamala River. We hadn’t planned to stay at this location, but the beauty of the river was too much to resist.
We asked the locals if it was okay to set up camp along the riverbank and they suggested we go a few kilometers off the highway to an ashram where there was an even more beautiful site, higher up and with less crowd and noise. We decided to take their advice and grabbed a few chilled beers at a local tavern before heading to the ashram.
Upon arrival at the village, we were on the lookout for groceries and were told there were many shops. With luck, we found a shop and bought rice, eggs (as there was no meat), and some other snacks for the night. We then came to the riverbank and set up camp. We made fire with the wood remains washed along the shore.
We thought of not carrying water as we thought we’d use the river water. We cooked our rice and curry and started to eat, only to find out how stupid we could be for not filtering the river water. The food was all crunchy with sand and we couldn’t eat a bit of it. Instead, we boiled eggs and had them.
After dinner, we got inside the tent and enjoyed a peaceful and beautiful night under the stars. Despite the sand in our food, the beauty of the river and the peaceful night made it all worth it. Next time, we made sure to filter the river water before using it for cooking or drinking.
Journey to Dharan: A Mix of Delights and Disappointed
When I woke up to the sound of birds chirping and the quacking of geese flying overhead, I knew it was going to be a great day. After freshening up, I fetched some filtered water from the river, made coffee, and boiled some eggs for breakfast. It became hot as soon as the sun came up, so we hurriedly packed our belongings, which took us nearly an hour.
As soon as we crossed the Koshi Bridge, we went to a staff hotel for the best dal bhat. I was pleasantly surprised by the food’s excellent taste and affordable price. India was just a stone’s throw away. We had intended to camp, but as soon as we crossed Itahari, it began to rain, ruining our plans. We had to consider booking a hotel in a hurry. Finding a hotel was challenging in the rain, and the one we did find was not very good. The renowned Tongba and Dharane Bungur ko sekuwa, which we had high hopes for, both fell short.
We walked around the streets of Dharan in search of food and ended up having veg momos from a street stall. We also walked around Ghantaghar and the tower in hopes of finding a good place to eat but decided to settle for beer and sekuwa which was just okay.
our plans to have fun in Dharan were ultimately disappointing. The rain did us badly, and it was a struggle to find a good hotel and delicious food. But, that’s the beauty of traveling, you never know what to expect and it’s all part of the adventure.
The journey began with plans to hit the road as soon as we woke up, but we ended up waiting for the hotel owner to open the gate. We stopped for breakfast and enjoyed some samosa pakauda and chiya. The ride was non-stop with occasional strolls in the forest beside the highway. We hoped to reach Ilam, but our pace was slow due to speed bumps every 100 meters on the highway as it was being widened.
As we left the Terai region and entered a hilly area, we stopped for lunch and had momo. Unfortunately, there were no cold drinks available, so we ended up having punte beer with chatpate and some other snacks instead of a proper lunch.
Being the Bhai Tika day of Tihar and seeing our bikes loaded with camping gear, the owner didi said “Bhai Haru Tihar ta ramialo gari manaunu bha raicha” and we agreed and continued on our journey. As we gained more altitude, the weather turned cool and it started getting dark. In hopes of reaching Sri Antu or even Kanyam before daybreak, we rushed.
We finally reached Kanyam nearing dusk, but the whole town was shut down due to Bhai Tika and us reaching after most of the places closed. There were no grocery shops in sight, only hotels where we had no intention of staying. This day we were to sleep with no good food. It was already dark and finding a grocery shop was the most difficult. With frowned faces for not finding any other food, we were told after we had given hope that we’d find a shop.
We were astounded to find a hidden, village-style shop and there we bought what we needed for the night. With food and water for the night, we camped beside the road which ran through the tea gardens which needed a bit of cleaning though. We were lucky to find huge logs laid there from which we could peel the bark and burn it as firewood. There were lots of plastic bottles, cups, and others we could burn.
As the night was closing in, it was getting more chilly. Having spent a few hours beside the fire, we went inside and it was done for the day. Despite the challenges we faced, we were grateful for the beautiful scenery and the unique experiences we encountered on our journey.
From the cold of Ilam to the cozy warmth of Kamala: The ride back home
We were in the easternmost part of Nepal, where the cold morning air greeted us as the sun had not yet risen. From our campsite, we could see the beautiful views of Sri Antu and even some Indian territories. The trip had been a success as we had reached our destination, Ilam, and all that remained was to return home safely.
As we sipped on our coffee and watched the increasing traffic on the highway, we thought of packing up our gear and getting ready for the ride back. The journey was non-stop, with only occasional breaks in between. We stopped for lunch in Birtamode, and it was the usual ride through forests and towns.
We made a stop at the Koshi bridge again to soak in the beautiful visuals of the vast amount of water that flowed through there. However, our trip took a slight detour as my bike started to act up. Luckily, we reached a workshop before it failed us and by the time daybreak was nearing, we reached Bandipur, the same place where we had camped two nights earlier.
This time, we decided to buy chicken and other groceries from the bazaar, as we did not find food to our liking during our earlier stay. However, we also encountered a problem with the water. We had sand in our food the previous time and decided to carry water from the village nearby. When we asked for water at a house, we found out that drinking water was scarce in this region. Nevertheless, they gave us a water-filled bottle and we were grateful for it.
With delicacies on our plate this time and with occasional sips of beer beside a fire bigger than any other day, under the moonlit sky, with the wilderness echoing in the background, this was a night to remember. Despite the challenges and issues we faced on our journey, we were grateful for the beautiful scenery and the unique experiences we encountered on our journey.
From adventure to homecoming: Farewell to the east
This day was the last of our journey. All that was left was to reach home, which was just a few hour’s ride away. Having rushed throughout our trip, we decided to take it easy on this day. We freshened up, made coffee, and boiled a dozen eggs that we had bought the day before for breakfast and lunch.
The morning was different from the others. We could hear Bhajans playing at an ashram from afar, and people started coming to the opposite bank of the river. Some were on tractors, blaring typical Terai songs. In no time, the bank was full of people coming to take a bath, some to do puja, and some for a picnic. It then came to mind that tomorrow was Chatt Puja, and this might have been a preparation for that.
As the sun rose from the horizon, it became hot. Before leaving, we decided to have a bath and cool ourselves in the water before hitting the road. We didn’t want to take the Sindhuli highway as we were very annoyed the last time we took that route. Instead, we opted for the Nijgadh-Hetauda highway.
It was a non-stop ride. We stopped to buy water at Amlekhganj and saw a live accident that had taken the life of a person riding a bike. It made us realize that life could leave you at any moment, and nothing is certain. It taught us to be more careful.
Our bikes were running low on petrol and we found a pump that was only giving 3 liters each, with a huge line to wait in. Instead of getting stuck on the road with no fuel, we waited in line and filled up, which gave us a boost of a few kilometers. We ran out of fuel as we came closer to Kulekhani.
We had thought of staying there for the night but decided not to as Kathmandu was not much further away. We thought we would find fuel at a pump near Sisneri, but that too failed us. The manager barely managed to give us half a liter for both of us. We ran as fast as we could, not knowing where the bikes would get stuck. With a stroke of luck, we reached Dakshinkali and finally fueled our tanks. Only then were we relieved that we had made it home safe and sound.
Bijay and I separated at Machhapokhari Chowk. I reached home and thus ended our east Nepal camping ride for Tihar. It was a journey filled with adventure, lessons, and memories that we will cherish forever.