Beyond Kathmandu

Our ride through this Himalayan kingdom starts in fabled Kathmandu, where narrow streets preclude auto traffic is some areas and elephants still stroll downtown. After exploring some of the historic districts, we escape to the mountains of Daman Pass, where we bed down early to catch sunrise over the Himalayas ... a view that encompasses the full Himalayan Range from Everest in the east to Dhaulagiri in the west ... it just doesn't get any better ... unless you count the 35 mile all downhill descent from the pass to the Terai Plains.

The next leg of our journey, heads along the Terai Plains, which border India, Nepal's southerly neighbor. This area, the breadbasket for Nepal, is also the home of Chitwan National Park, where we will spend our next couple of evenings. And perhaps, during an optional elephant back trip into the park, you may spot rhino or the elusive tiger. We will also visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Lumbini, the birthplace of Siddhartha Gautama, who we know today as Lord Buddha.

Turning northward, we venture back towards the Himalayan foothills, pedaling first to the medieval town of Tansen, perched on the ridge overlooking the Kali Gandaki River. Then onto Pohkara, with its dramatic backdrop of the Annapurna Mountain Range, one of the most magnificent vistas in the world. We relax here for a day before flying back to Kathmandu.