Derek Jennings
Mission Impossible

Experience an account of the attempt to conquer the Himalayas while riding a bicycle from Nepal to Tibet and China

Easter Sunday April 19th
Kathmandu

Woke feeling better but still have Diarrhoea, managed muesli with rarebit, for breakfast and spent the morning riding out to King Tribhuvan memorial ground and then to Swayambhunath Temple, yet another incredible sight, the courtyard was a marketplace and amongst it people carrying out their various homages and devotions in the many shrines.

Monkeys roamed the Temple grounds. Doug is now suffering from a lung infection brought on by his sinus problem-coughing and bringing up phlegm which is wearing him down, he has taken Keflex and asked H.R. Service for advice and been given the name of a clinic. Took a siesta after lunch which included a Coke and cinnamon roll. At the Ambassador hotel there was still no luck with the Visa! Doug was laying down when I got back, but we later went to eat at San Francisco Pizza. Some interesting observations come to mind as I write. This afternoon I was offered a pendant of inlaid Yak bone outside the temple for 250r. Not willing to pay that much the vendor swiftly knocked down the asking price in stages to 75r! and I still didn’t buy it! (it must be a con!). Brickworks around the valley are numerous and a common sight. Doctor Doug has diagnosed his problem as possibly Pneumonia, T.B or Emphasemia, but Dr Jennings second opinion is bronchitis! The shops are well stocked, with carpets, thin cotton clothing, Ghurka knives, religious symbols, prayer wheels, and plenty of machine embroidered symbols on clothes done to order! I’ve come to the decision that my diarrhoea problem was caused by the spaghetti bolognese at the Italian last night, probably the meat it contained was suspect. You just ought to see the way butchering is carried out and how it is sold! (in the streets and covered in flies!)

Plenty of Freaks around too! young Westerners wandering the East, also to be found in Bali, Goa, and Kabul I understand! Spoke in the garden tonight with a elderly Frenchman, had lived a long time in Thai, he said his name was API, Tibetan for “old man”. I said I must join the club, he replied “you do have time!” The spitting here is common although I’m led to believe it’s worse in China! Bicycle hire is a booming trade, used by most visitors.

Easter Monday April 20th
Kathmandu

Feel better this morning, but have developed a sore throat and a little phlegm. Doug is no better so he’s off to the clinic. Doug only took tea for breakfast, but I managed two poached eggs and brown roll and butter. I checked out the Indian Embassy as Ladakh now seems our only option and a visa will be necessary. But I didn’t even get to the office, it was too crowded!, they said “come back tomorrow EARLY”. The clinic diagnosed Dougs’ problem as bronchitis! and prescribed ampicillin capsules and ventolin. Still no reply from Beijing! Doug done some washing for me today, even my underpants! he sure is trying. I think Helen must have had a word with him! Took lunch at Le Bistro – veg au gratin, then strolled the bazaar. Doug bought a pendant and I a T shirt, embroidered with the eye of Buddha and the words – Everest Tibet Expedition 1987. Walking the bazaars is a pretty exhausting business, It’s dusty, and narrow streets contain piles of garbage. People are on foot, bicycle, car, or rickshaw and accosted every inch of the way for a sale by street vendors amid the noise from bells and horns. Shopkeepers sweep the trash from their shopfronts raising more dust then damp it down with scoops of water. Rubbish is not collected and remains in heaps in the street and is scavenged and excreted on by dogs (lots of them) and cows ducks and crows!, it looks vile and must contain every known germ! Yet among all this mess some Asian women manage to look and dress most beautifully.

Our room at Himal Cottage is on the 1st floor, one of three rooms opening on to a open balcony containing a toilet and wash handbasin and two cane chairs. The room is basic, just two hard wooden bench type beds with a small table between. We do have electricity and hot showers are available. I’ve now developed a cold with a slight cough so it’s a final Codiene for a peaceful night – I hope I get one Noticed a couple of lizards on the ceiling tonight!!

Tuesday April 21st
Kathmandu

After breakfast returned to the India Embassy to apply for our visas and having got there found we needed three photos each! so it was back to the Thamel district to get more. On our return the scene was unbelievable! Inside the main gate at a guardhouse about 100 different nationalities crowded around a grilled window all confused about the necessary proceedures. We were all given a number (ours was 49) to indicate the order in which we would be attended to. It didn’t seem to matter what number we were it turned out to be a free for all!!

1⁄2 hours later they told those above No.60 to go and come back tomorrow. I got to the window at 11.20 only to be told I needed a letter of recommendation from the British Consulate, and in 1⁄2 hour I was back to complete the business by 12 o’clock and still had to wait another hour to pay 680 rupees. Not Americans though! they get a discount, Doug only had to pay 620 rupees. This whole affair was so frustrating! (collect passports tomorrow they said!) I felt we would never be able to move anywhere and the best we could do was “Forget it”. Anything we might be able to achieve now will fall so far short of our initial ambitions that we’ll always remember it as a complete disaster.

Heard today that Chitwan National Park is closed for 10 days because the King is tiger shooting. Of course they’ve told nobody so everyone is still going. We’ve also been told our letters home are doomed! apparently it is wise to get the stamp franked before posting (we didn’t) and the postal guys tear them off if they’re clean to use again.

Got a letter off to Helen this afternoon and watched it franked! changed money in the street, 50 dollars cash for 1,200 rupees. Spent the rest of the day making half hearted attempts to get more information about India. Doug bought a couple of maps from a German guy and his wife who we spoke to in the garden before calling it a day and taking a Codeine to prevent the cough troubling me in the night.

Wednesday 22nd April
Kathmandu

We both got up this morning feeling very depressed, although neither said much, we knew today we were going to try and cancel our return air tickets from Beijing and return from Dehli instead, which would sound the death knell on TIBET! On our way we called at the Ambassador hotel who told us they had not heard from Beijing about the Visa. So we could do no more than go to Marco Polo Travel and check on the possibility of flying home from Dehli and a flight was booked for May 27th. The manager once again repeated his 75 dollar visa offer so we said OK go ahead! but later he told us that because we had already started Embassy proceedures he could not interfere and would do nothing. I was ready to EXPLODE!! We have just spent 10 days chasing our tails and are right back where we started. We only needed the right information at the right time and we would be on our way to Lhasa. Instead the whole attempt is closed completely, I wonder if Ladakh will provide an opening?

I collected my T shirt, 750 rupees plus 40 for extra embroidery which was a good deal. They are so skilful and work with such old foot treadle machines. Plenty of shops specialise here. We bought a Lonely Planet guide book on Ladakh and Kashmir for 135 rupees and sold our China and Tibet ones for 150 rupees. (one more nail in the coffin!). Doug’s been checking out carpet prices and shipping costs (seems a bit crazy to me) but he doesn’t think so! He’s already bought Terri a necklace with one blue stone, claw mounted for 600 rupees.

The prices are always doubtful, though you never know! plus the fact as we have such a long way to go I’m wondering if we shall come across many more beautiful things? A thunderstorm late this afternoon continued into the evening as we went in search of a meal. At the El Parador restaurant the proprietor was talkative and liked his job.we got lots of local information. He told us a porter could earn 30 rupees a day, a chef 1,000 rupees a month, Kerosene cost 30 rupees – 5ltr. We had one of our best meals in Kathmandu – cheese and onion pie, chocolate cake, and free coffee. He talked most of the time about his special menus and health giving and hygenic cooking – price 101 rupees, good value!! Tomorrow the only thing to do is tidy up outstanding jobs ie collect visas, get oil for the cooking stove and phone Helen and Terri, I wonder what they’ll think?

Thursday 23rd April
Kathmandu

Nice sunny morning. Spent an hour in the garden with bread and cheese for breakfast then took ourselves off to the Ambassador hotel to find they’d had no reply for us. We collect our air tickets this afternoon for a Pan Am flight to Frankfurt from Dehli on May 27th. Nice to know that I will be home 6 days earlier than expected although it won’t feel quite the same whilst we’re pedalling round India, I might just as well be home anyway! Doug rang Terri at 11am and WOW! he found she was pregnant. Things just don’t stop happening!!

Most of them not the way you expect, and this one falls in that category. I did ask Doug how he felt about swanning around with me for the next 4 weeks and he said he felt like doing it for another 12 months! I phoned Helen after lunch, and got excited about that. It was good to talk and I was so glad I got through. (250 rupees for 3 minutes). I found it hard to hide my disappointment over the travel delays but I’m glad Helen now knows exactly what we’re doing. I have collected the Indian visa and the air tickets to get us home from Dehli. So it’s away in the morning to Ladakh and “Little Tibet”. Went back to the El Parador restaurant, for supper and spoke to two Swedish and American couples. A nice meal again and good company. Engaged the mosquitoes in battle again before getting to bed tonight at 10.30.

Friday 24 th April
Kathmandu

Ate breakfast at El Parador, American style, he also filled the gas bottles for us and gave us cooking oil. Packed and got away at 9.30 and left Kathmandu round the ring road heading towards Pokhara by 10.30. It was hot and dusty and after about l1 ⁄2 hours we were out of the valley and into the mountains following the river Trisuli all day. The road climbed from the river and back again with regular monotony and was travelled by many trucks creating a dust. Terraced farming, rice paddy fields and banana trees are common and a beautiful mauve blossom on one tree stood out! (I believe it is Jacaranda). We rode through small and large communities about every 10km, some had electricity so cold Coke was at hand, we had 3 during the day (2 cold). Everyone was friendly, the children in particular, they were delighted calling “Hello-Goodbye” and ‘Namaste’ all day. It was very hot, Doug reckoned it could be a 100! There was a water stand pipe in some places and a couple of times we done the “Tour de France” act and stood or crouched under them.

We’d done 100km by 6 o’clock, but they were long hard miles on broken paved roads and Mugling Bazaar ended the day. A large village, some hotels and we picked the best looking! 60 rupees for a double room, common bathroom. Felt a bit shattered, so did Doug, so we convinced ourselves we deserved a comfortable bed for the night, a shower, a meal and things will improve by morning! Noise was a feature of this place! heavy transport everywhere, busy main street, no electricity although the place was wired for it. Got to bed at 9 very hot and tired but could not relax.

Saturday 25th April
Mugling Bazaar

Woke and was away by 6.30 to make a start before the heat attacked! Hardest day yet! I’m having trouble disciplining myself to write the diary – I’m so exhausted! Reached Naranghaya for breakfast, at 9 o’clock having covered 34km. Bank was shut. so we carried on, very hilly roads and had to stop for a Coke and rest many times. Slowed to a crawl in the heat and made camp about 5 o’clock down by a running stream and no spectators! Was joined by two Danes, Lars and Ingar in a Land Rover, what a stroke of luck! we cooked and she cooked so we had two dinners and numerous cups of tea. We sat and talked and got to bed at 9 – having covered 85km today.

Sunday 26th April
Somewhere in Nepal ?

Up at 5.30, only cold rice and bananas to eat and didn’t get away until 7.15 and we climbed for a couple of hours over a small range, just as well it was cloudy, I don’t think I would have made it in the heat! Even so I was in bottom gear most of the time. A little rest at the top gave me a time to catch up on the writing which I just couldn’t face yesterday.

A long descent led on to flat plains, the sun got up by 11 o’clock and I was flagging again – a two Coke stop, a stand pipe shower and it was into Bhutwal by 1 o’clock. A bank in town did not do foreign exchange as we had hoped, so we had a real problem! – no money, no shelter!! I could go no further, I was dehydrating, so we desperately looked for any sort of shelter. Found it in a highways camp but it was hard to make ourselves understood. One of the engineers changed 10 dollars for us so we can now pay for our room and food. But our problem now is, can we hold out on our last remaining currency to get us out of Nepal.

The route we want contains no foreign exchange, so it’s a gamble! This town has several banks but none deal in change. This is a complete surprise, we didn’t expect trouble. It took me an hour to get back thinking straight, even at this early stage I didn’t think I was getting on very well and wondered just what to do for the best! Doug was coping better although he worried aloud! and got a bit excited at times. Mainly about my lack of speed!! and the natives failure to be positive and give us a direct answer. Rajiv the engineer got us a meal and later we were invited to Rajivs’ colleagues house. He was a electrical contractor. Both of them changed dollar notes for us Rajiv 10 and his friend 20. So once again the old “Jennings luck” come to our assistance again – it almost looked at one time as if we were going to have to dive for the Indian border at Bhairawa to get money. Instead we have been invited to Rajivs workplace 125km away tomorrow, if we can make it! We can stay there and plan our next move. So it’s an early start in the morning then stop riding during the midday. It’s essential that I use the day to its full advantage.