Sept 26, Bhardia Wildlife Resort to Kohalpur:  73km, 108M up, 374M end. 

A flat fairly easy ride, some wind against, but quite hot and humid, with a very nice hotel at the end.

Sept 27, Lohalpur to Bhalubang:  143km, 878m up, 516M end.

A harder ride, fair bit of wind against.  Into a very modest hotel.  No hot water for a shower, but the cold wasn’t very cold.  But the beer was colder - excellent!

I don’t usually criticize the local drivers, they have their local rules that work for them, we shouldn’t bring our “rules” from home and expect them to apply here.  Most of the drivers are very good, yes, they hustle and yes they pass much closer than we are used to, but they are thoughtful and very good.  Most of the cars are good and the vast majority of heavy trucks are very considerate, almost always giving a honk and wave.  Most of the motorcycles either slow and talk to me (where you from, where you going), or at the least give a short honk and a big thumbs up and smile.

But the bus drivers are absolute idiots and I say that without reservation.  Three incidents today: the first was an accident where a bus hit a small truck (just around the corner in front of me) - the good news - no one was badly hurt, but the small truck was totalled.  The second incident happened right in front of me - a bus forced a motorcycle to hit (and kill) a dog, the motorcycle then ended up off the road down a bank and luckily into bushes.  The motorcycle driver was OK, not sure about his bike.  The third incident involved a bus forcing me fully off the road, not the first time.

A few pics from the last couple of days:

First reference to our destination, Kathmandu

Nice hotel tonight

My Tuktuk driver riding back from town