Nepal by Bus

The bus ride from Rishikesh, India to Pokhara, Nepal was an epic journey. 

50 hours door-to-door. Rishikesh to Hardiwar with a kayak on top of a rickshaw.  8 hour trip to Mahendranagar (actually to the Indian border town), arrived at 2:00am to a shack with a TV pumping Bollywood music videos. Grabbed a few hrs of sleep on a yoga mat on the bag rack, up at 4:00am to a lot more people and much face-emptying and teeth cleaning going on at the sistern pump next to/onto me.  Packed our shit and for 1,100 rupees the 5 of us rented a horse-drawn carriage for the 15 km no mans land and through the border officialities. Few more hours of sleep and a meal at a guesthouse in Mahendranagar, then onto the next bus for a 22 hour marathon to Pokhara.

Traveling by bus in this part of the world is an incredible way to travel. It's cheap, buses can get you everywhere, and you will for sure have some full-on experiences along the way. We had everything from goats on the bus to a delay while they cleared a landslide over the road. Don't expect to be very comfortable, but that too is part of the experience.

Lifestyling in Rishikesh

Finally managed to get the visa situation handled, and after the usual multi-day flight epic that traveling halfway around the world entails, I've spent the last 2 weeks in Rishikesh, getting acclimated and paddling the Ganga (Ganges) river every day. Here's a typical lap on the Ganga - pure Class Fun boating:

That was all well and good, until the government froze all 1000 & 500 rupee notes. Overnight, I was broke. Here we are a week-and-a-half later, and things have not improved very much. ATMs, when they have cash, have insane lines, and I have not been able to get enough money to do much of anything. Luckily, the wonderful folks at Expeditions India helped me out in a BIG way with a place to crash and the ability to cook meals instead of going out. Without their generosity, this would have been a real crisis instead of just a headache. If you ever want to do any type of river trip, trek, or outdoorsy adventure in India, start by contacting them.

The original plan was to travel around India for the next few months, but having no access to cash seriously limits what is possible. My problems are minor comparatively, I really feel for the small business owners and rural Indians who are feeling this the most. However, that doesn't change the fact that staying here is basically impossible without access to funds. So, we are heading to Nepal tomorrow to get out of dodge, and hopefully back to a place where my money is accessible. Until then, keep the shiny side down!

#gearmeout #tsugalifestyle

Russell Forkin'

Spent this weekend at the Russell Fork Rendezvous, watching the racers fire it up and of course partying like crazy in the woods. It's such a fun event, check it out!

Here's a quick video showing a few laps of the larger rapids.

Music: "Shoulder Closures" by Gunnar Olsen
#gearmeout #tsugalifestyle

Waiting on India

I've been channeling my inner Bill Murray these days, specifically his character from Groundhog Day.

I submitted an application for a 10-year Indian tourist visa on September 21st, and since then have been matching wits daily with what is easily the toughest bureaucracy I've ever encountered. Coming from someone who used to write multi-million dollar contracts and navigate corporate procurement departments for a living, I know a thing or two about impenetrable bureaucracies and the Indians take the cake.

After spending an entire month emailing and calling their helpdesk every day, I finally had to bite the bullet and drove to Atlanta to sort it out. Within 5 minutes of walking in, they had my packet out and it hadn't even been opened, despite me being told it was in process for the past month. In fact, it turns out that they needed me to submit a new application due to a small technical error. The lady literally handed me my passport and said, "Ok, now you hand it back to me and I will include it in your new application," and did so with a straight face. This is complete insanity, but at least handling it in person seems to have moved things along. The issue is really that I'm completely at their mercy and while they are taking their sweet time, I don't have a passport and am burning through my savings.

Luckily, it's a beautiful time to be stuck in the Southland, so I have been camping out and enjoying the fall color. Below is a little taste of the views to be had around the South this time of year; this one is Linville Falls, NC.

North Fork Feather, Tobin Section

Had a ball lapping this beauty earlier in the summer. I can only imagine how fun it would be during Feather Fest, hopefully I can make it out there another time. Check it out!