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Published: November 13th 2012
Biking to Lhuntse
Behind us you can see Lhuntse Dzong. Note how it is at the top of a very steep hill. This was not to be the 'flat bicycle ride' as described by our Bhutanese friends!Prologue
If something is steep, it is generally quite uphill or downhill. If something is flat, it is generally not very uphill or downhill. Simple, you’d think.
NOT to Bhutanese people. Bizarrely, for a mountainous Kingdom in the Himalayas,, many Bhutanese seem to be under the impression that they are living on a featureless, flat landscape. Let us demonstrate this through the following short re-enactment:
Scene 1: A hotel lobby in the Bhutanese town of Mongar.
Mel (looking over a map and talking to the hotel owner): "So, we are thinking of cycling from here up to Lhuentse tomorrow. However, in this incredibly mountainous terrain, we are quite concerned it may be very hilly."
Hotel owner: "No, not at all Madam. The road follows the river all the way – it is totally flat."
Mel: "Really? On our way in to town we came up past 15 switchbacks on the very steep hill – are you sure it is flat?"
Hotel owner: "Yes madam. You'd need a spirit level to detect any slope on this cycle ride. It is absolutely and totally flat. This will be a very easy cycle ride for you."
Hill up to Lhuntse
Sometimes gears don't go low enough! Even on the 'totally flat' cycle ride to Lhuntse, loaded down with heavy panniers, occasionally pedal power won't quite do it. Mel: "Well that is great news – we were worried that we would face another gruelling day of struggling up steep hills. This sounds like an absolute dream."
Scene 2: By the side of the road, in the village of Autsho, 45 km (half way) into the cycle ride.
Andy (on the phone): "Hello, is that Reidi, the Nebraskan teacher, working in Autsho Secondary School?"
Reidi (replying on the phone): "Hello! I am Reidi!"
Andy (on phone): "This may be a little bit of a surprise, and I know you haven't met us before, but we are in Autsho, and will be staying with you tonight."
Reidi (on phone): "Well it sounds fun to have some company, even if we have never met!"
Andy (on phone): "Yes, I’m sorry to impose ourselves on you, but we fear that we may never be able to walk again. Our legs have been put through a liquidiser, you see. My wife Mel can only make guttural groans, and were it not for the fact that she is banging her head on her bike handlebars, I think she would be dribbling. I fear that I may
The 'flat' Lhuntse valley
Big gorge, roaring river, long suspension bridges. All indicators of flat terrain - as described by our Bhutanese friends prior to our cycle ride! now be permanently cross-eyed, and I think my ears have started to bleed."
Reidi (still on phone): "Oh dear."
Andy (still on phone): "Yes, Oh Dear indeed. "
Mel (in the background): "Flawombamemblafla, scwoooffly waublemam."
Stage direction: Reidi floats down the hill like the angel that she is, and nurses A and M back to full strength through the medium of Druk 11000 extra strong beer. A and M then stay for an excellent TWO nights, and discover that Reidi is an absolute legend! Then they carry on the ‘Flat cycle ride’ (the remaining portion of which includes 1500m of altitude gain).
Post Note...The amazing BCF
The Bhutan Canada Foundation – the most friendly, robust and can-do people we have ever met. LEGENDS – all of them. Hopping from Reidi (US – Nebraska) in Autsho, we stayed with Ian and Vicky (Australian) in the far East of the country in Rangjung. We then hopped over to Martin and Terra (Canadian) in Jakar Bumthang.
All these guys live in really basic environments, and welcomed in us two (total strangers) to stay. Believe me, we would not have looked like the kinds of
Reidi in Autsho!
Reidi, the legend, saved us through the medium of strong beer and home-cooked food. This is Reidi on the suspension bridge opposite her little house. people you want to have to stay. For each stay, we arrived sweaty, tired, lacking good chat, and feeling slightly sorry for ourselves having had long and eventful journeys. There is a fair chance that the curious (and slightly rancid) snack which we found for lunch would still be stained on our T-shirts.
Anyway, these guys are legends. Reidi who is bubblier than a bubbly thing, was somehow oblivious to the fact that the one tap in the house she’s been living in for the last year generally didn’t supply water. Ian and Vicky had turned their house into a little bit of Australia and were totally oblivious to the fact that they had to dodge arrows in their walk over the village archery ground in their daily commute to work. Martin and Terra made us pizzas (yes! Pizzas!) in a country where no-one has ovens. All of these guys are living with few creature comforts, are up-beat about everything, passionate, and total celebrities in the villages where they live.
BCFers – we salute you!
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Rosie
non-member comment
Biking
What great cycling - I think you need to make it a bit more challenging, and cycle backwards, or carrying a large piano or something. xxxR