Today’s the day – time to get riding.

7:00 am. Hi Bev, Getting going. Will text during the day.

Up at a fairly leisurely 7:00 for the final packing of the panniers. Then loaded the bike and pushed it through the pedestrian-only streets to Sonam’s Kitchen for a good-bye breakfast. Too much stuff – the bike is heavy to push – but what to get rid of? Five shirts may be more than necessary but they don’t weigh much. I left behind my Lonely Planet (but I do have a copy on my Kindle). I am carrying no books – the Kindle, a last minute idea, was a good one. My heaviest stuff is the bike tools and I’ll need those.

A new bike, with a large load, made for a wobbly start but I soon got used to it although I don’t feel very manouverable. I pushed up the first few hills until I began to feel more comfortable as I took Tenzing Norgay Road out towards Ghum. Google maps doesn’t understand this route; it has Tenzing Norgay Road but it isn’t connected to Darjeeling.

Ripping wooden boards by hand; the person below spends the day eating sawdust!

The beginning of a trip four years in the making.

10:00 am. Breakfasted. On the road for half-an-hour. Can hardly push the bike up the hills. Heart pounding. Must be the altitude ;-) KBO, as Churchill would say.

The Ghum-Kurseong road came quickly enough and the ride up the gentle hill to Ghum was no problem; then, downhill on State Highway 12, out of Ghum. Full-on brakes and hair-pin bends.

I’m here. I think…

Into the trees and clouds. Pretty, peaceful surroundings without too much traffic – a jeep share-taxi or motorcycle every ten minutes or so, an occasional private car. The road surface is surprisingly good, smooth asphalt with few potholes.

13:00. Just gone through Sukya. Surprisingly busy main street but mainly pedestrians. Bell came in handy. Just stopped in the forest for a piece of cheese pie.

More trees and cloud. More up and down. Still wonderfully peaceful. Fun to be riding in these surroundings. Too bad about the line of garbage – snack wrappers mainly – along the side of the road.

Clouds rolling in…

15:15. Lots more forest in the clouds. Good road. Up and down, some of the up I can pedal, some not. Just passed the Nepali border crossing. Heading down towards Mirik now. Mainly down but I can see some pushing ahead. Looks like I might make it, jelly legs and all.

According to the map, the road wanders in and out of Nepal a few times but there is nothing to indicate this, apart from a few Indian army outposts and checkstops. I was not stopped or checked for anything, though. Passed a few viewpoints, where I had some tea; presumably, on a clear day, you can see the Himalayas, even Everest, from here. Not today though, in the swirling clouds. Too bad about the views but I don’t mind the relative cool for cycling.

Hairpin bends winding down to Mirik

That says Mirik – I’m sure of it!

Tea country

As the road dropped down, forest gave way to tea plantations. The last few kilometres were a bit of a struggle: weary legs and failing daylight. But Mirik, eventually. Rode through Mirik to Krishna Nagar, a little settlement at a large man-made lake, where I found a room. Painted bright yellow but comfortable. Made it!

Tired, sweaty and disreputable. Would you let him stay in your hotel?

44.6 km, or thereabouts. My cycle computer may need some calibrating for actual wheel circumference but it seems about right.