The Wobbling Sprocket

Today's ride turned out to be great one. It didn't start that way though. I left the Teen Taely and rode a couple k down a very rocky road before I realized that I had left my camera battery charging in the room. I decided to go back for it. I found and then headed out again hoping to quickly catch up with the group. Powering up a hill my chain broke so I tried to make a call…no service….so I thought OK, I will walk up the hills and coast down like the Indians do. That actually works pretty well. After about half an hour though, Dawa, our local guide came back to fetch me. No real problem.

The back road down from Rumtek is very steep and riding in a truck is actually much scarier than on a bike. Brakes tend to overheat and the pedal starts going to the floor. We took a half hour break to let the brakes cool off.

We eventually caught up with everyone at the bottom of the hill. We had a short vehicle transfer to Rangpo where we crossed out of Sikkim, had a hot lunch at a local hotel and then began the ride to Delo. We went up through Chiconna plantations. Chiconna tree bark is used in the mfr of quinine. The road was great and there was very very little traffic.

at breakfast at the Teen Taley. The had terrific food they grew in their large garden.

I had mechanicals while Keith had animals while trying to get out of the driveway of the Teen Taley.

Their were some great views coming down from Rumtek

This little girl was checking me out from a safe distance when we stopped to let the brakes cool off.

We decided to send our big bus the long way around....with good reason. Some of the roads looked like they could come down.

After climbing from from Rangpo, we stopped at a bangalow for tea and cookies. The setting was as spectacular as the coconut cookies.

The Delo Tourist Lodge

The view from the Delo. We could not see Kangchendzanga from here as it was hazy, but on a clear day you can....in one scene you have the river up to the top in view....8.000 meters of elevation. This is one of the few places where you can see that.

We didn't realize until the morning, but the Indian Festival went all night long with fireworks and drum beating. It didn't keep me up though, I slept through most of it.

Since it is only 27k to Rumtek, we left Gangtok late…9am. That gave us time to do various things. David and I went across the street for a 30 rupee shave (US$.60) which is one of the greatest values on the planet. Others went to visit The Bakery for a real cup of coffee and the ATM.

We took the back way out of Gangtok. I can't say it was great. There is traffic, pot holes and lots of switchbacks. It was damp as well. Once we crossed the river, though, things improved and we had a nice ride up to Rumtek. It is a fair climb. We arrived around 12:30pm at the Teen Taly Resort and had a wonderful lunch. The Resort is an Eco Garden and they grow their own food. I can't recommend it enough.

After lunch, some rode their bikes and some walked over for a tour of the Rumtek Monastery. It's an important Monastery with a lot of controversy and contention over who controls it. Apparently, a 1000 years of wealth were brought here from Tibet. There has never been a public accounting of what is here and what isn't.

After the Monastery tour, some of us rode more and others relaxed and explored around the resort.

It's dark outside now and no moon and no lights at all. I'm charging up my cell phone so I have some kind of light so I don't kill myself on the walkways here. I forgot to bring/buy a flashlight. I should know better.

We only have a couple more days of riding. Tomorrow we head to Delo just outside Kalimpong, where we spend a couple nights and then we descent down onto the plains again.

David getting a shave in Gangtok. A shave in India is one of the best deals in the world. $.50 or so.

Rumtek Monastery

This young monk was playing with a super ball in front of the monastery

On the way to school

View from my room at the Teen Taley Eco Lodge

Freddy and David rode their bikes to Rabongla while the rest of us took the bus.  Our bikes were all piled on the truck and we didn't extract them…easier to start in Rabongla.

On the way, we stopped at the large Borong Monastery where there are 900 monks in residence. It is quite an impressive place with a massive complex with the Monastery ringed by low single story residences. Inside there is a gigantic gold Buddha. There wasn't much happening while we were there. No chanting, studies or prayers. The monk were basically just hanging out. As you might imagine, one feels a tad bit conspicuous wondering around in bike attire in the midst of 900 monks.

We all pretty much misjudged how long it would take Freddy and David to bike to Rabongla. They covered the 20k in about an hour and a half. That was only half an hour slower than the bus ride. The road is the sort where biking it is a lot more pleasant than riding in a vehicle and almost as fast. I think next year we will simply all bike it. We might stay an extra day in Borong as well. There is a paper making place near by as well as the Monastery and it is a good spot to simply take in the splendor of th Himalayas with no one else around.

The 40 foot tall Buddha statue outside of Rabongla is still under construction. Projects, of an kind, in Sikkim are not completed quickly. There is little earth moving equipment and everything is done by hand….from hammering big rocks into gravel, to mixing cement, to heating up 55 gallon drums of tarover an open fire and spreading it over the road with old pots and pans. Labor is plentiful and there is a desire to put people to work.

From Rabongla we took the “low” road to Singtam. “Low” is a relative term. The road is chiseled into the side of the mountain. In some spots, the rock face is directly above you. If you'd like a cold shower, you simply stray under the stream of water flowing fromt them as you pass by. In a lot of places water is flowing over the road rather than under it. That has a lot to do with why the road disappear during the monsoon.

We had a packed lunch in Singtam right next to the new Teesta River Dam that is being built. It is huge undertaking (also moving very slowly). A bunch of gets gathered to watch us. They got a few sandwiches and a civics lesson from Maryvonne on the importance to the environment of disposing trash.

We all took the bus to Gangtok as we needed to take the main highway and it is too busy and dangerous to ride a bike.

We are staying at the Chumbi Residency. It has wifi in the lobby which is just good enough for Skype so if you haven't heard from someone that you expected to….stand by.

Fede has had an effect on us as we have all chosen to eat at Rasoin (she's vegan), the recommended “Pure Veg” restaurant. All the restaurants are either Pure Veg or Non-Veg. The latter seems a little overly broad to me. India, in general, is a good place to be a vegetarian.

Tomorrow is a rest day in Gangtok.

On the road to Gangtok

On the road to Gangtok

Some kids on the road to Gangtok