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DAY 4
The day started with a local boy putting his head into our tent and saying “good morning”. A cup of tea from Dinesh, the cook, followed shortly. We had camped next to the River Ravi.
Breakfast was toast and tea. We sat by the embers of the fire. Two local boys sat with us. They seemed to really enjoy the toast and jam too.
Today’s ride started with 15km up hill. I have to say, the first 3km were hell. The inside of my legs really hurt. I was concerned. Though after these 3kms, I started to feel better. Again the views got better. I actually feel I have run out of adjectives to describe how wonderful this place is. It simply is the coolest place on the planet….that I have been too!
The 15kms was constantly uphill and was very steep in places. The sun was very hot again. We were making our way to Nayagran. It was the last place in the valley. From there, there were settlements in the mountains accessible by foot only. Nayagran was amazing. The track just stopped and the only building was the Lakewale Temple. A wedding was taking place. We went into the temple to look. Ankur said it was ok to go in.
As we were looking the Pujari (priest) came up to Ian and I and offered us an apple and a walnut each. He then invited us to join him. We then sat with him and the elders. I had the groom’s grandfather to my right. It was just very special. Even as I type this, it brings back a tear to my eye. The Pujari peeled and sliced an apple and we all had a piece. We were invited to ask a question. I knew Ian had one as he had mentioned a year ago. “What was the meaning of life?” The Pujari started reciting from the sandscript and gave a sermon in answer to the question. Ian followed by asking, “How do you know when you’ve achieved it?” The Pujari had his answer which, again, Ankur translated for us. Then the Pujari asked us the same questions back. I already had a tear or two in my eyes and just said to Ian “this is very special” and he looked round also with tears in his eyes. During all this, the ladies in the wedding party had been sitting together singing sounds.
Finally we said our goodbyes and headed back to our bikes. I felt incredibly privileged to have been part of something so special. As we got on our bikes, the group of ladies had stopped singing to watch us head off back down the valley.
The run back to Holi was pretty much down hill and we both felt we had earned it having cycled up it earlier! It was going down that we realised how steep it was. On the way we stopped for lunch and afterwards I dozed off in the sun.
I got my second wind in the afternoon. It was the first time I was ahead of Ian. He tired a little which was a first for him. Our team stopped shortly after for their lunch and we were given instructions not to go too fast otherwise we would miss our camping spot. They eventually caught up with us 5 kms passed our stop!
I had lost my phone signal a couple of days earlier, but I knew the next village was ok. The driver then took me further along the valley so I could email yesterday’s blog to Michele with a couple of photographs. Ian found this highly amusing. Mountain biking in the Himalayas and then getting the car to drive until I got a phone signal.
Ankur had found a site to camp by the river. The site was actually on a dry section of the River Rivi riverbed. It’s a fast flowing river. Ian was very concerned. It just needed a rainfall further in the mountains and we could be washed away. We therefore camped higher up overlooking the river in amongst the trees. Stunning.
I returned to the river later on to wash my cycling tops and shorts. To travel light, I had to do one wash at some point and this was it. I mused over the TV washing powder adverts that claim ‘white even at 30c’. Well the water was 5c and I was using soap. The clothes came up clean….enough!
By the campfire that evening, we chatted and had dinner.
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Breathtaking views in the Himalayan Valley