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Seasons Greetings Robert!
I hope all is well with you and that you are enjoying the holiday season.
I have just returned from a couple tours: India and Laos. I love doing the tours, but it is always nice to come home as well. It's not taken me long though to start seriously thinking about the next one: Tour d' Indochine. It's coming up quickly in February.
Our brand new tour, Sikkim, now has a date: October xx- xx . The Sikkim tour will definitely have a split personality. We will stay in really nice places, but the riding itself is hard, hard, hard. It's the Himalayas. Big mountains. I'm not talking undulations. I'm talking vertical. Despite the difficulty of the terrain, our accommodations in many places will be Raj era hunting lodges and palaces. If you are going to tackle this one, I think it's only appropriate that there be great digs in which to recover. For those interested, there also will be an optional 5-day trek at the end of the cycling tour. There will by yaks to carry food and gear.
Since it is December and I need to entertain myself for a month or two before heading back to Asia, Far and Away Cycling is sponsoring a picture contest. Post your favorite picture to the F&A Facebook page.
Uploading your pic makes you eligible to win (randomly selected) a Far and Away Cycling Lao Jersey (or a different one, if we don't have your size).
Best,
Bob Thompson
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Our Latest Tour: Sikkim
Tiny Sikkim, sandwiched between Nepal and Bhutan, was a separate country up until 1975 and it It still feels that way. You need a special permit to pass the border checkpoint. Even though it is now part of India, the people of Sikkim are Himalayan and the culture is closer to Nepalese than Indian.
The terrain is spectacular with steep, snow-covered peaks towering over lush green valleys full of blooming rhododendrons. Sikkim is home to the world's 3rd highest mountain, 29,000 foot Mt Kangchendzonga and is often referred to as The Last Shangri-La.
Towns are, for the most part, perched on the sides or directly on top of
mountains. Roads are carved precariously into mountainsides. Landslides are not uncommon. When it rains, water rushes off the sides of the mountains and frequently over the roads. Public transportation is primarily by 4 wheel drive jeep.
What to bring: Fitness, a spirit of adventure, and a good bike with lots of gears!
More info.
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F&A Photo Contest
A picture is worth a thousand words....and a shot at a Far and Away Cycling Jersey.
Just post your favorite picture to the Far and Away Cycling Fan Page. Yeah, it would be kind of nice if it had something to do with cycling, bike tours, travel, etc., but we will also take that great shot of your brand new bouncing baby, your dog, your cat....or whatever.
They all count. The winner will be selected at random. You have a couple weeks. We will select the winner on, say.... New Year's day.
I'm not eligible, nor is Chantal. Everyone else is. He doesn't know it yet, but I am posting the above picture for Adrian Downey. Chantal and I met Adrian, who is from England, in Sikkim where he was biking solo. Adrian was the ONLY touring cyclist we met in Sikkim. I think the picture is great. Good luck, Adrian.
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