Driving a Tacoma around the world

Another great post, thank you!

 

Another amazing entry and area conquered. Your dash is interesting too. Temp of 104 in Fahrenheit, Odometer of 206474 in Kilometers and the check engine light is on. Interesting mix. Any thoughts on the check engine light?

 

For sure. The check engine light is the result of a miscommunication in Morocco where they put gazoil in the fuel tank. I quickly realized it was diesel. So one bank of O2 sensors are plugged. I've run multiple O2 sensor cleaners through the system with no lock. I guess I should just buy new O2 sensors

 

What an epic trip!!!

 

Sri Lanka

Pilgrims dressed in white coming to visit an ancient Buddhist stupa (building to house an important religious relic) at Anuradhapura

A small island nation of the southern coast of India, Sri Lanka held a mystique for us and we were eager to visit. It was cost prohibitive to try to ship the truck there but flights from Mumbai were relatively cheap and since we thought we would never again be so conveniently positioned to visit the country, we should go.

We did our research on the highlights (mostly reading Lonely Planet and Googling), and chose an eleven day route to take them all in. As we starting to look into rental cars, we discovered it was actually cheaper to hire a car and driver than drive yourself. No problem, Andy was ready for a break after a month driving in India. We booked a driver through an online agency called Digital Tourism and hired a driver for $60 a day which included gas and his accommodations and food.


Our eleven day, 1300km route through Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is developing its tourism infrastructure and is a comfortable and easy place to visit. Hotels and food are reasonably priced and there is a range of choices from budget to high end. We chose the mid range route and the hotels were lovely. We pre-booked all our hotels on Booking.com and the average was about $50 a night for the two of us, including a hearty breakfast. Our total cost for an eleven day trip for the two of us was $2400 (not including airfare). The highest cost was our driver followed by hotels at $500 and then tours and cultural site fees for about $500. There is definitely a tiered system with cultural sites charging a premium for foreigners as are hotels and restaurants designed for tourists. A savvy budget traveler could definitely spend a lot less.


Roof top view over Colombo

For a small country, Sri Lanka has an incredible range of experiences to offer tourists. With ancient Buddhist temples, including eight Unesco World Heritage sites, jungle, mountains, beautiful sandy beaches, and national parks with a range of wildlife it has something for everyone. It is the only country other than Botswana that we have had the thrill of running into wild elephants walking down the road.

We landed in the capital Colombo, and the next morning set off with our driver Dhammika. With decades of experience in the tourism industry, he was knowledgeable, gently making suggestions for improving our experience, informative about local customs and culture and really enjoyable to be with 6-8 hours a day.


Andy with our driver and guide, Dhammika

Day One - Colombo to Anaradhapura, 200 km and 4.5 hrs


Roadside monkey

Our first cultural site to visit was Anaradhapura, the center of the early rulers of the country for 1000’s of years beginning in 360 BC. The ruins sprawl over acres with temples, stupas, and statues of Buddha. Buddhism started in Sri Lanka in about 250 BC in Anaradhapura and today Buddhism is the official religion of the country. Sri Lanka is the oldest continuously Buddhist nation in the world and you could see and feel people’s faith in the culture..


Ancient stupa at Anuradhapura


Wandering the streets of Anaradhapura, ruins interspersed with villages


Statue of Buddha, in the first version of this photo Dawn was standing with her back to the statue but then we found out it is considered disrespectful in Sri Lanka to stand with your back to a statue of Buddha


Buddhist stupa


Stopping by a roadside Hindu temple


Statue of Ganesh, Hindu god of wisdom and new beginnings

Today Sri Lanka is peaceful and the predominantly Buddhist Sinhalese people live harmoniously alongside the Hindu Tamil people. But the civil war following independence from the British was not that long ago. In what is becoming a sadly familiar story, colonization caused rifts between the island ethnic groups and war ensued after independence. The majority Sinhalese came into power following independence and the renaming of the country from Ceylon to Sri Lanka. Under British rule, the Tamil people had become strong English speakers and were overrepresented in universities and public sector jobs which caused resentment with the Sinhalese. There was also fear that the Tamil ties to India (many traced their heritage back to South India) could lead to being culturally overtaken by their large neighbor.

During the 1970’s the Sinhalese political leaders passed laws favoring Sinhalese for admission to universities and government jobs and the ethnic civil war was born. The Tamil Tigers were formed - advocating for an independent Tamil state. By 1983 things had escalated and the Tigers ambushed and killed 13 Sinhalese soldiers which was followed by a reprisal resulting in the death of almost 3000 Tamil people. The civil war lasted a total of 25 years and claimed 100,000 lives, finally ending in 2009.

We had memories of hearing about the war on our local news sources and had a vague idea of the countries troubles. We had a sense that in the past Sri Lanka had been a “dangerous place.” But we appreciated learning more about what actually happened and the root causes. In fact the country felt extraordinarily safe, people were hard working and welcoming.


Our favorite Sri Lankan breakfast, hoppers (bowl shaped crepes, sometimes with an egg), coconut sambu and lentil dal

Day 2 - Anuradhapura to Sigiriya, 75km and 1.5hrs


Village ox cart

Along the way Dhammika asked if we would like to visit a local village and be shown how traditional food is prepared. We agreed, thinking it sounded like fun.


So we were loaded in an ox cart


Taken through the rice paddies


Then on a boat across a lake


Then to our hostess’s home where she showed us how she cooks


Pounding rice to make rice flour


Sifting out the hulls


Weaving palm fronds for the roof


It was a lovely visit


Young man giving his elephant a bath


Dawn visited an artist to buy a local mask

The village of Sigiriya was tucked into the jungle with the highlight being Sigiriya rock - an important cultural and spiritual place for the Sri Lankan people.


Sigiriya or Lion Rock towering over the village

It was a relatively warm and muggy afternoon so we decided to climb the smaller, Pidurangola Rock that day and save the bigger Sigiriya rock for the cooler early morning. It was a steep climb up Pidurangola Rock but worth it for the statues along the way and the amazing views across the valley to Sigiriya Rock.


Giant sleeping Buddha statue along the trail


View across to Sigiriya Rock from Pidurangola Rock


Green valley below

Early the next morning we made our way up Sigiriya Rock (also known as Lion Rock). The trail was well traveled and actually less steep than the Pidurangola trail of the night before.


Ancient ruins at the base of Sigiriya Rock


Steep staircase up the rock face, carved lion’s paws at the base


Fortress ruins on top of the rock dating back to the late 5th century


Appreciating the beautiful lion’s paw


Spiral staircase up to gorgeous frescoes, no pictures allowed but worth the journey


Back down through the garden below

Day Three - Sigiriya to Polonnaruwa - roundtrip 50 km and 1 hr each way (layover night in Sigiriya)


Roadside elephant sighting! The first time we had seen wild elephants alongside the road since being in Botswana.

Polonnnaruwa was the second ancient capital, established when Anuradhapura was abandoned after repeated raids by the South Indians. In general, we appreciated the sites at Polonnaruwa more, probably because they were newer they were more intact and impressive. The city was the center of the Sinhalese Kingdom from 1017 to 1232.


Carved statue believed to be of King Parakramabahu who oversaw the expansion of the new Sinhalese capital, Polonnnaruwa in the 12th century








Ruins of the royal palace








Dawn is always entranced by statues of Buddha











We figured out no turning our back on Buddha but this time unfortunately Dawn is accidentally sitting on the offering table. Eventually we will get it right.


Enjoying the majestic carvings


The whole site is covered with fascinating carvings and statues

After a day of cultural enlightenment we returned to Sigiriya for a second night. This was our only layover night. For most people planning a trip to Sri Lanka we would recommend extending the time and doing more layovers. As usual, we were working toward a tight timeline (this time to cross Tibet with a group of fellow overlanders) so we shortened our trip. We were also feeling a little conflicted, on the one hand being driven every day, completely cared for, staying and nice hotels and eating every meal in a restaurant was amazingly relaxing. On the other hand, it felt counter to the way we had committed ourselves to traveling the world, doing it on our own, making our own way, sleeping in our own vehicle and cooking our own food. But we managed to get over the conflict and enjoy the sheer luxury of the experience for eleven days.


Relaxing dinner and card games in a village restaurant


Garden view from our hotel breakfast area

Day Four - Sigiriya to Kandy, 136 km and 3.5hrs


Another roadside elephant!


Along the way we stopped at the amazing Buddhist rock temple at Dambulla


The largest cave temple complex in Sri Lanka


Dating back to the 5th century BC


Over 150 statues of Buddha





Also along the way, with Dhammika’s help we stopped off to take a free spice and herbal medicine tour. It was fascinating and informative - also free (tip based).


Free spice tour - Sri Lanka is known for spices and tea

Kandy was a beautiful town, built alongside a forested lake. The main attraction is the Temple of the Tooth - the palace where Sri Lanka’s most holy relic is housed - Buddha’s tooth.


Views across Kandy lake, lined with colonial buildings and Buddhist temples


Palace of the Tooth - where the most important relic in Sri Lanka, one of Buddha’s teeth is housed

Dawn also talked Andy into attending a cultural performance featuring the traditional music and dance of Sri Lanka. The variety of dances, music, costumes and masks made for an entertaining hour.


Dawn managed to talk Andy into going to a traditional song and dance performance


Traditional mask dance








Day Five - Kandy to Sri Pada (or Adam’s Peak) 67km and 2 hours

Andy was on a mission to buy some ebony from a licensed source for his woodworking artist friend Oliver. So first thing in the morning, Dhammika helped us track down a woodshop which was able to sell us some. Then we were on our way to the town at the base of Sri Pada (translates to Sacred Footprint) also known as Adam’s Peak in the Christian world. We planned to climb the peak the next morning.


Visiting a village woodworking shop


Artist at work


Village at the base of Sri Pada, view of the peak from our hotel balcony


Afternoon walk in a tea plantation


Evening view of Sri Pada

Day Six - Sri Pada to Horton’s Plain, 60km and 3 hours (slow road)

The pilgrims’ tradition is to set off at about 3am to reach the top of the sacred mountain for sunrise. But we are just not that hardy so we left at about 6am. One of the most popular pilgrimage sites in Sri Lanka, the peak is well set up for a lot of traffic. Most of the climb is on steep concrete steps (5500 of them) and the way is lined with tea and snack shops.


The peak gets larger as we get closer


Entrance gate to official trail


And the steps began . . .


And continued - 5500 total to the top


Shrine at the top encasing the golden footprint of, depending on your religious beliefs, Adam’s footprint where he first landed after being expelled from the Garden of Eden, or Buddha’s footprint, or Shiva’s

It was exhausting and hard on the knees but we felt a huge sense of accomplishment, returning to our hotel by midday to continue our journey.

Day Seven - Horton’s Plain to Ella, 45 km in 2.5 hours

Our next stop was the highland Horton’s Plain National Park. It was very a very different landscape from what we had seen so far in Sri Lanka - wide sweeping views. Once again we set out early in the morning for our hike.


View across Horton’s Plains National Park


Our goal was to hike the World’s End loop - a nice easy mostly flat 9km loop trail. A welcome break after our 11,000 step climb the day before.


Setting off on the hike to World’s End





Detour to a waterfall


Made it to World’s End, sheer cliff with a 4,000 foot drop off


View across the valley

We were happy to have done the hike, it was a great way to stretch our sore muscles and a beautiful new landscape to explore.


Stopping at another roadside Hindu temple

Day Eight - Ella to Uda Walawe National Park, 124km in 3 hours


Huge breakfast provided by our hotel in Ella - breakfast was almost always included in the hotel price

Ella was a sweet mountain town, lots of cafes and shops and well set up for tourists. Dhammika had the suggestion that we visit 9 Arch Bridge, an iconic bridge for the local train so we drove and then walked up a steep mountain track to check it out.


It was Sunday so many of the people in the local village joined the tourists


Infront of the iconic Nine Arch Bridge


Then the train comes! Lots of cheering and waving


Visiting the giant Buddha carvings at Buduruwagala, dating back to the 10th century





Along the way Dhammika asked us if we wanted to try local food, he took us to a village kitchen with women serving up tasty plates of curry and vegetables - $2 for three people - so much better than the tourist fare


And we sampled delicious lentil dumplings


This may look like a touron moment but this roadside wild elephant was actually behind some electric wire strung up to prevent them from wandering into the road

Day Nine - Uda Walawe to Mirissa, 104 km 2.5 hrs

The next morning we woke early to go on a safari in Uda Walawe National Park - known for elephants. Another benefit of traveling with a driver is that he was easily able to book these experiences in advance for us - we have never had it so easy.


The elephants did not disappoint!


They were plentiful and fascinating





Even spotted a wild boar


Visiting the Elephant Transit Center where orphaned and injured young elephants are raised, rehabilitated then released into the wild

Our next stop was the beachside town of Mirissa. The beaches were gorgeous - white sand with crystal blue water. But we were a little dismayed by the number of tourists on the beach. Dawn managed to find a solo beach walk away from the bars and restaurants - but it was not a long one.


Dawn found a remote beach walk


Main area of Mirissa Beach, beautiful white sand but tons of tourists!


We took advantage of the amenities and had our first beachside cocktail in four years

Day 10 - Mirissa to Colombo, 60km and 1.5 hrs


We stopped off at beautiful Galle Fort which looked like a fun place to explore but the heavens opened up and dumped on us and we were soaking wet in 20 mins so ran back to the warmth of Dhammika’s car


Wandering the streets of the capital, Colombo


Beautiful mosque in the old town

Day 11 - Fly back to Mumbai

That was our time in Sri Lanka. Many thanks to Dhammika who made the trip so much better than if we had done it on our own. If anyone is interested in contacting him as a driver his number on WhatsApp is +94 77 329 0722 It was a different travel experience, a bit of a splurge for us but worth it. Soon we will get back to more overlanding stories, Nepal and Tibet are coming up. Thank you for reading!

 

Wow.

 

I know, right. This is incredible!

 

Hey just wanted to let everybody know that we've edited our Sri Lanka post. It now has captions for the photos, somehow they disappeared

 

Bhutan


View across the valley to Tiger’s Nest Monastery (Paro Taktsang)

Bhutan is a country that was shrouded in mystery for us. A remote kingdom nestled in the Himalayas, it only opened to tourism in the 1970’s. Very aware of their position surrounded by India and China, two huge and powerful neighbors, the people of Bhutan are fiercely protective of their strong cultural traditions. Outside media was not allowed in the country until 1999. With less than 800,000 people, the kingdom relies on selling hydro-electric power to fuel its economy. They forbid climbing the Himalayan range between themselves and China preferring to keep a strong geographic and mental barrier between themselves and the giant in the north who has encroached on their borders in the recent past.

As it is a Buddhist nation, visiting and understanding Bhutan required a deep dive into religious history, visiting ancient temples and learning how the faith is built into the fabric of Bhutanese culture.


Straight of the plane, meeting up with our guide Karma and visiting our first Buddhist monastery


Everywhere in Bhutan we saw these small clay stupas, called tsatsas. Made with the ashes of deceased loved ones mixed in the clay, they are created as a form of remembrance and to generate merit for the deceased's better rebirth. They are usually placed in larger stupas or at sacred sites.

Bhutan had some of the most exquisite and unique architecture of anywhere we had been. Intricate wood work, with detailed and colorful painting adorned every building from simple homes and markets to magnificent temples and monasteries


Buddhist stupa - a building which houses an important religious relic. Stupas can be elaborate like this one or simple rock and brick structures. We learned the proper way to visit, walking three times clockwise around the building.


Entrance gate to the giant seated Buddha on the hill above the capital, Thimphu


Posing with the giant Buddha - in Bhutan they did not follow the same courtesy as in Sri Lanka - it was OK to pose with your back to Buddha. We are wearing our white scarves gifted to us upon arrival by our guide, Karma.

Our visit to Bhutan was short - a mere five days- mostly for financial reasons. Tourism is highly regulated and very expensive. On top of normal expenses there is a government fee of $100 USD per person per day. And you are required to travel with a guide. Likely we could have found a cheaper option with a larger tour group, but we signed up for a short private tour with a guide and driver. Our total cost was just under $3000 - $1000 in tourism tax, then $400 a day for guide, driver, accommodations, food and entrance fees. In the end we enjoyed our time with our guide and learned a lot more than we would have in our normal way of traveling on our own. It was a strange and luxurious experience being driven from place to place without having to think or navigate next steps.


Our five day mini-tour of Bhutan


Takin - the national animal of Bhutan and unique to its high mountain regions - we saw them visiting a national reserve for their preservation.


To us it looked like a cross between a buffalo and a yak, this was a small one, some of the males were fully as big as a full grown buffalo

A mountainous nation, Bhutan’s population primarily lives in a series of valleys. Each valley is typically protected by an ancient fort or dzong. These fortified buildings provided a dual purpose - a monastery for the region’s religious leaders and an administrative center for the government.

Bhutan is officially a kingdom and pictures, posters and billboards of their much revered family of monarchs are a common sight. King Jigme Khesar Namgyei Wangchuck and his wife have three young children. Our guide explained that he had great admiration for the king who dispersed payments from his personal accounts to unemployed people during COVID and is implementing a vision for the future of Bhutan which involves building infrastructure to encourage business development with its southern neighbors. There is also a prime minister appointed by the King. The prime minister leads the executive branch of the government and typically is the leader of the party who wins the most electoral votes in parliament.


One of the oldest dzongs on the hill above Thimphu - Druk Wangditse Lhakhang

One of the most common words seen throughout Bhutan - druk - means dragon. The Bhutanese name for the country - Druk Yul - translates as “land of the thunder dragon.” Stories about ogres, dragons and evil spirits being conquered by Buddhist heroes are woven into the national folklore.


Beautifully painted prayer wheels were a common site


Sunlight hitting the gorgeous painted woodwork


Watching the national sport - archery


Our driver and guide - dressed in the traditional clothing of Bhutan

Traditions felt strong in Bhutan. Even in the two big cities, Thimphu and Paro, most of the people were wearing the beautiful traditional clothing and fabrics of the country. At temples and stupas, worshippers circled the buildings with prayer beads and personal prayer wheels, chanting mantras. Families with young children and groups of teenagers prayed in the shrines.


More beautiful architecture - and always the mountains behind


Site of 108 stupas. The number 108 is important in Buddhism as it represents the number of earthly desires or passions that Buddhists strive to overcome on their path to enlightenment. These stupas were built to commemorate the lives of Bhutanese soldiers lost in fighting rebels from India in 2003.


Small caves built for contemplation


Traditional village home. Despite being a very modest country, it was common to see phallic symbols painted on walls - representing a desire for fertility.


Running into a snake on a trail across a rice paddy - we later figured out it was harmless


The decoration on the homes was just exquisite, even on the more recently constructed houses


Artist at work on traditional religious painting


More fertility painting


Dawn could not stop taking photos of the painted wood


Prayer wheels at the fertility temple Chimi Lhakhang (Andy is not hoping for more children). An important pilgrimage site, Buddhist families from all over the world come to pray for children. Our guide Karma, showed us the book of thank you notes from grateful parents.

The insides of the temples and shrines were incredibly ornate but no photos were allowed. Common sights were gold statues of Buddhas and other historical figures - Ugyen Wangchuck, the man who united the tribes of Bhutan in the late 19th century and Guru Padmasambhava, the man who brought Buddhism from Tibet in the 8th century. Often there would be at least one or sometimes many monks chanting mantras and offering blessings. Our guide Karma explained that every temple contained three elements representing mind, body and speech. The mind was represented by statues of Buddha, the body was the temple building and the speech was the shelves of books with printed mantras and prayers.


Punakha Dzong - one of the largest fortresses, still actively housing both a monastery and government administrative offices, constructed in 1637.


Entrance with paintings depicting important Buddhist stories


Dawn still taking those pictures!





And Karma took one for us too


Going for a walk along what used to be the national highway connecting Thimphu and Paro. The paved highway was only completed in 1962.


As part of our tour package we requested budget accommodations. Even the budget levels hotel were lovely.

As part of our tour we visited the two biggest cities in Bhutan - Thimphu, the capital, and Paro where the international airport is. Both towns were pleasant to walk with lots of tourist shopping activities, featuring local arts and paintings, statues and carvings related to Buddhism. Thimphu was larger and more modern, Paro was smaller and felt more traditional. Both cities felt completely safe for tourists and had a relaxed atmosphere. Despite the rows of souvenir shops, there was no hard core sales tactics.


Kyichu Lhakhang one of the oldest temples in Bhutan, built in the 7th century - outside Paro


Prayer wheels outside Kyichu Lhakhang


Inner courtyard of the temple


Spinning the giant prayer wheel


Ringpung Dzong on the hill above Paro


Climbing the steps to the head religious and government administrative offices of the Paro region. Karma is wearing his white sash depicting him as a “common man” as opposed to a religious or government official.


Detailed painting of the Buddhist “wheel of life” depicting the six realms of beings in Buddhism - the bottom three, not so good, the top three something to strive for. Human beings and enlightened ones are in the top half, animals and evil spirits in the bottom.


Inner courtyard of Ringpung Dzong





Our final day in Bhutal we climbed the hill to Tiger’s Nest monastery, or Paro Taktsang. One of the most iconic sights and holiest religious centers in the country, it was worth the work to get there.


First views across the hill


Getting closer!

As was the custom, no photos were allowed inside but Karma pointed out the significance of the various shrines and temple rooms and told us the stories behind the creation of the monastery, bringing it to life. The story goes that Guru Padmasambhava brought Buddhism to Tibet here, flying on the back of a tigress and landing here to meditate and conquer the ogre terrorizing the valley


Also on our last day, we asked to go to a local restaurant instead of the tourist centered restaurants we had been going to. It was a unique experience but a little challenging for Andy who hates vegetables. Sometimes there is a reason tourist restaurants serve different food to tourists.


Beautiful door in Paro


Our last hotel in Paro

Well that was our second journey without the truck this month - rare for us. Bhutan makes it almost impossible to bring a foreign vehicle in (we know an Australian couple who managed it but they later found out they should not have been allowed) and the requirement for a guide made the decision to fly in and out easy. It was one of our most expensive countries, but in our brief visit we did feel like we got a good sense of the culture, geography and history of the country. Back to the truck now, planning some trekking in Nepal.

Thank you for reading!

 

So cool to visit there. On my first camping trip in Arkansas, we met a couple in the Ozarks that eventually got married and did their honeymoon trip in Bhutan. They talked about the guide requirement and did a similar trip.

For you and others following along, we just watched a movie set in Bhutan that hits on some of the culture and history while poking some fun at western/outside culture. Really good movie -- The Monk and the Gun.

 

Thanks for the heads up! We are going to watch the movie tonight.

 

It was a great movie! Thanks! Especially fun for us because there were so many little quirks in the movie that we recognized only because we had been there

 

Seriously. I love my truck. The 3.5 needs rpms to be happy. Give her revs and she will treat you right.

 

Its definitely a different animal when you get above 3,500 rpm. It's almost like it has old-fashioned turbo thrust in the upper rpms. Except I try to shift it at 2,500 rpm. since we've left Europe and its super highways, our mpg has averaged between 14 and 15. One two-tank average was actually over 16!

 

Nepal


View of the Annapurna range from our hike

When we first set off on our journey to “drive around the world,” five years ago, many people asked which country we were most looking forward to. Nepal was one of those most anticipated countries. Our impression of this mountainous country was that it was remote and rugged with spectacular mountains - some of the most famous in the world, Mt. Everest, Annapurna . . . That was all true and the Himalayas are incredible. What also surprised us was the beauty of the deeply spiritual culture, the fascinating and ethnically diverse people of the mountain villages, and the beautifully built religious and medieval shrines and temples throughout the cities and countryside. The capital, Kathmandu was an intriguing city, a mixture of old and new, each neighborhood with its distinctive atmosphere and feel and we loved aimlessly wandering the back alleyways.


Our three week route in Nepal - only 400 miles in the truck

We are both happiest out on the trail and in the mountains and hiking in Nepal was fulfilling a lifelong dream. Even though we are now in our 60’s and not up to some of the most challenging trails, we carved out time to get out there and soak up the views. And found that we could actually do more than we thought. We plan to return some day and trek some more! Nepal goes to the top of our list of countries to come back to.


Maya Devi Temple - built over the birth place of Buddha

Nepal is predominantly Hindu - with a little over 80% of the people practicing Hinduism, and over 8% Buddhist. But the temples and shrines to both religious existed side by side and symbols of both were everywhere - billboards, storefronts, paintings on people’s homes. Our favorite and common bumper sticker was “Buddha was born in Nepal.” Our first stop over the border was visiting Lumbini, the town where Buddha was born and the Maya Devi temple built over the site of his mother’s village home where she gave birth to him.


Even though we had left India, still requests for photos with Indian tourists


Many Buddhist countries had beautiful monasteries nearby - this is the Cambodian one.


Monks on pilgrimage


Back to wild camping!

We left Lumbini to head for Kathmandu. We were dealing with some complicated travel logistics, needing to get our visas and permits to cross Tibet and China and also trying to squeeze in a trip to Bhutan and go trekking.


Heading into the mountains


Roads in Nepal were often single lane

Unfortunately we quickly found that roads in Nepal were generally atrocious. Many sections are under construction, roads are frequented by large container trucks and crazy passenger buses, and the paving that currently exists is crumbling into axle breaking potholes. The drive from the border to Kathmandu was agonizing - 300km taking close to twelve hours. But finally we made it and began planning our trek in the foothills of the Annapurna region.

We do not carry backpacking gear in the truck so first we headed into Kathmandu’s Thamel area where the small streets are lined with outdoor stores selling every kind of new and used, genuine and knock off gear imaginable. The shop keepers were informative and honest, telling us that their gear prominently branded with famous names like Northface and Osprey were actually made in local factories.


Making sure the sleeping bag will fit Andy -two lightweight goosedown sleeping bags for $40. We never used them but it was probably a good safety idea to carry them.


Two “name brand” backpacks for $24

Researching trekking logistics in Nepal was not easy and some information online was conflicting and confusing. We heard that we had to apply for permits through a guide service, that we needed a TIMS (Trekking Information Management System) card which took several days to secure in addition to regional permits. We contacted a recommended guide agency about a three day trek and were quoted $600 each for fees, guiding, accommodations and permits. In sticker shock, we decided to see what we could do on our own.

We went to the Tourist Information Center in Kathmandu to find out about permits and in 20 mins had our Annapurna regional permits and were told we did not need the TIMS. Total cost for the Annapurna permits was $22 each.

Given our time constraints with meeting up with our guided group for Tibet and flying to Bhutan, we opted to fly roundtrip out of Kathmandu to Pokhara, the jumping off point for hiking in the Annapurna region. Roundtrip tickets for the 20 minute flight cost $100 each and saved us 1200 km roundtrip on back jarring roads. We left the truck behind at Yeti Overland, a popular and friendly overland campsite and shop near the Kathmandu airport. The Kathmandu airport was friendly and easy to navigate, we showed up 90 minutes prior to our departure time and they smiled and just put us on an earlier flight.


Andy taking advantage of Yeti Overland Camp’s shop area to take care of maintenance - changing the oil.


Lakeside view in Pokhara


The jumping off point for the Annapurna region, Pokhara also had its share of outdoor equipment stores.


Momos! Our favorite Nepalese food - steamed or fried dumplings with flavorful fillings.

Below we give a detailed breakdown of the five day hike we chose - very easy for any hiker - in case it is helpful to others. It is worth saying that we were almost the only hikers we ran into who did not have a guide with them. For us, the choice to go without a guide was mostly a personal preference - we enjoy the challenge of figuring out routes and logistics on our own. With decades of backpacking experience, we embraced the fun of the slightly unknown. We are quite sure that we could have found a guided service for less than the original quote, but that was not the point for us. For us, the adventure of being on our own, at our own pace with quiet and peace along the trail was the most important criteria. But we would also say that there are a lot of good reasons to choose to go with the guide, most importantly supporting the industry and the people who make their living guiding tourists. The guides we ran into were knowledgeable and interesting and we are sure we would have learned a lot from them. But below is a route that is easily accomplished by anyone with some basic trail finding skills. (Most of the trails were well sign posted.)


Pokhara storefront which coordinates shared jeeps to hiking trails


Heading off through the village to the trail

Day One - Bhiratani to Ulleri, 5 miles, 3700’ elevation

We disembarked from our 45 minute jeep ride, had our Annapurna permits stamped in at the trailhead and set off. Initially we were surprised at how developed the trail was - much of it was stone steps winding through mountain villages.


Not everyone using the trail was a recreational hiker


Lots of steep paving stone trail


Villages in the region were painted brilliant blue and white


Suspension bridges were also common


And most commonly, stone steps, thousands of them


Made it to our first tea house for lunch


We purchased these in Kathmandu for $2 and carried refillable water bottles that we filled at guest house taps. No problems at all!


Ulleri guest house - we could stay free if we agreed to have dinner and breakfast there - no problem


Our private room - even a private bathroom attached


Artist selling her wares along the way

We were impressed with the considerable infrastructure on the first day of hiking but also a little dismayed to see roads being built into the villages along the trail. We spoke to guides who explained that they were losing segments of hiking trail on the Annapurna circuit as people were able to come farther in by vehicle, on the upside it made getting supplies much easier for the local villages, but hikers were starting to take jeeps farther in and bypass tea houses dependent on them for business.

Day 2 - Ulleri to Ghorepani - 5 miles and 2800’ elevation gain








Rhododendron trees in bloom in the background


Poon Hill


Ghorepani village





View from our guesthouse window - outdoor toilets and laundry, but also those mountains!

Day 3 - Ghorepani to Poon Hill - 1000’ elevation gain, then to Banthati, total 7 miles and 2000’ elevation loss

This was our early morning - up and out at 5am to hike 45 minutes up Poon Hill for the sunrise over Annapurna. It was worth it! Although they had just punched a road in to town so that people could arrive in jeeps and hike to the summit - greatly increasing the numbers at the top of the hill.


Made it up to Poon Hill to see the sunrise over Annapurna. 10th highest in the world at 26,545’. Second most dangerous to climb


Beautiful Dhaulagiri 26,795’; seventh highest





This is what we live for!





And the tea house breakfast with local bread to fuel us after the early morning climb


We got way beyond the point where vehicles came so supplies were brought in by horse, donkey and people with huge packs.


Full days of hiking with this view in the background


Our last morning this was our teeth brushing view . . . .goodbye to Annapurna


Breakfast view after our last night on the trail. Distant view of the sacred and therefore unclimbed Fish Tail mountain. Also known as Machhapuchare

Day 4 - Banthati to Ghandruk - 7 miles


Dawn breaking out the poles for the downhill steps


People work hard supplying themselves and the tourists in this region


At the end of the day we popped out in Ghandruk - a traditional village with gravel road access. Our first real hot shower!


Traditional stone mountain home

Day 5 - walk out of Ghandruk to road, locals heading to the bus


Heading down the village trail to the morning bus stop

We made our way out to the road and opted for a shared jeep with a local family. Two hours later we were back in Pokhara at the airport. Since we were three hours early for our flight back to Kathmandu, they just smiled and put us on an earlier flight.

Repeatedly people asked us “what no guide?” but they were just curious. No one who checked our regional Annapurna hiking permits was concerned. It seems that the TIMS is still technically required but they are not currently issuing them or enforcing the requirement so you are free to trek on your own if you have your regional permit.

In general, the costs are reasonable. Guest houses ranged from free to $20 with the average being $7 for a night. For the two of us including the permits, jeep trips to and from trail heads, guest houses and 3 hot meals a day (breakfast always included with the accommodations) it cost $240 for four nights on the trail. The hike is a treasured memory for us.

We always said we would get to Nepal before we were unable to hike and we made it. Aging on the road is no joke, sometimes we feel it more than others. We are both facing a decline in physical fitness that comes with age and try to balance our desire for youthful adventure with pragmatism. Sometimes we realize we are in denial and have to turn back from a physical adventure, but this time it worked out for us!

So we returned to Kathmandu, ready to meet up with our son, Trevor who had been hiking in the Mt. Everest region and explore the city before crossing into Tibet.


One of the three Durbar squares in Kathmandu - filled with ancient temples

We did not do a good job cataloging each temple and site in Kathmandu. We visited all three medieval Durbar Squares and they were fascinating but they felt over touristed. Somehow for us the joy was in the wandering the neighborhood where people were living in ancient buildings, selling fruit from elaborately carved storefronts and appreciating the sense of history. We walked for miles with the soundtrack of Bob Seger’s 80’s soundtrack “Kathmandu” running through our heads - marveling at intricately carved doors, witnessing the people praying at temples, gasping in delight as we turned a corner and saw another ancient building tucked away in an intersection clogged with motorcycles.


Round any street corner you can come upon an ancient temple tucked in among the apartment buildings











The doors were amazing - always one of our favorites








Lovely couple we ran into on one of our evening strolls


Dawn at work at Yeti Overland camp











Enjoying our Free Walking Tour with local guide Shiva


Old Silk Road market intersection, these days walkers compete with motorcycles and scooters


Everything is for sale in the street markets








Beautiful old building damaged in the 2015 earthquake








Climbing the steps to “Monkey Temple” (Swoyambhu Mahachaitya) overlooking Kathmandu


The namesake posing for a photo


Beautiful Buddhist stupa


Posing with our guide Shiva - an excellent tour


Still collecting masks around the world, Dawn purchased one of Ganesh














We could - and did - wander the tiny streets for hours, so many fascinating buildings and sights to see





Well that is our photographic journal of Kathmandu. Satiated with the city - for now - we loaded up our son, Trevor and started making our way to the border with Tibet where we were schedule to join a group of overlanders to cross with a guide (required).


Heading up to the border with Tibet


It was a seriously slow road


But of course beautiful too

Nepal was way too little and way too brief. We know we only scratched the surface and hope to return for more trekking (maybe after Dawn replaces her knees?) Thanks for reading, next up, another lifelong dream - Tibet.

 

Hey, just everyone a heads up. We edited the Nepal post. This time it has captions for the photos. The software platform we use has a bug and it likes to drop the captions after we finish posting.

 

Really inspiring travels. Thank you for taking the time to publish these.

 

Crossing Tibet and Yunnan in China


Our second day in Tibet, heading for a mountain pass at almost 15,000’

Driving through Tibet was a lifelong dream for us. But the logistics were complicated and it was expensive so we ended up limiting our time there. The Chinese government requires foreign drivers to have a guide and there are strict regulations controlling your travel so overlanders usually team up and share the cost of a guide. Foreigners are only allowed to stay in specified hotels and there is no tent camping allowed in Tibet. Sleeping in your vehicle is a bit of a grey area, sometimes it is allowed if associated with a foreigner registered hotel.

As we planned for our trip we were aware of the conflicting tensions between our idealized image of a mountainous country steeped in Buddhist history with a unique culture and the realities of a Chinese controlled state. Tibet was annexed by China in 1951, in what is known in China as the “peaceful liberation.” However, Tibetans have experienced subjugation and an attempt to eradicate their traditions, language and remote, nomadic ways of life. Their cultural and religious leader, the Dalai Lama was forced to leave the country when China took over. The dream of being able to wander and deeply explore at our own pace could not be a reality.


Our route through Tibet and Yunnan provinces in China - 2300 miles

We knew of three agencies that specialized in getting overlanders across China: Drive China, Road Pioneer and China Roadtrips. We had used Drive China on our route from Kyrgyzstan to Pakistan thru western China and had a great experience working with Merry and Bing. They are highly experienced, professional and easy to work with. As we prepared to cross on this longer trip, we joined a Whatsapp forum of travelers sharing information on traveling from Nepal to Laos across China. One of our members who ended up putting the trip together for everyone (thank you Max!) negotiated with all three organizations and we ended up going with China Roadtrips, the newest kid on the block, which was offering steep discounts to their first travelers. In the end it was a good decision, we saved a chunk of money and Edward at China Roadtrips was responsive and organized. We joined four other vehicles, one bicyclist and two motorcyclists for a 15 day crossing of Tibet and the Yunnan province in China.

We say “crossing” on purpose because the days were long - 6-8 hours of driving over steep mountain passes. For the eight days in Tibet our average elevation was close to 12,000’ and everyday climbing at least one pass over 14,000’. This was not so much a relaxed tour but a group of people caravanning across a unique and wonderful land -probably going too fast but also intent on saving travel costs.


Our son, Trevor traveling with us through Tibet, fresh off trekking the Mt. Everest circuit trek in Nepal

We had the added excitement that our son Trevor had decided to join us and ride along through Tibet. As an extra passenger in our vehicle he was only a $250 charge added on to the $1150 we were already paying for our share of the guides for two weeks.


Approaching the Chinese border with Nepal


Our intrepid group of overlanders and guides with our welcome scarves

You never know what is going to happen when a random group of strangers is collected to travel together. We tend to have faith that other overlanders are going to share somewhat similar philosophies and a relaxed attitude towards travel and the stresses that can come along with it. For the most part that was true. We had a lovely group as a whole, with lots of camaraderie, good cheer and evening beer. One couple separated themselves fairly early on. After they subjected everyone to several angry outbursts about individual behavior and group dynamics (causing one young woman to cry multiple times) it was easier for them to do their own thing, eating and parking separately. It was a little awkward but an acceptable solution for all. The couple happened to be in their late seventies and were clearly struggling with group logistics and driving their large vehicle (Unimog) in a caravan. It was a bit of a wake up call to us to think clearly about our life on the road and have an exit plan when it becomes too much for us to navigate cheerfully.

Entry into China was complex and bureaucratic. Our three guides (Edward the owner of China Roadtrips met us at the border and eventually handed us off to our Tibetan guide Tashi, then later we traveled with Alex in Yunnan) took control of the paperwork and translation, which we were grateful for. We were asked questions by the guards about our views on China and were required to turn over our phones for them to scan through our pictures and social media. We were warned in advance not to have any sensitive material available, especially any pictures of the Dalai Lama. Books were also a concern and they confiscated our son’s used copy of “The Smartest Guys in the Room” about the Enron collapse.We assume it was because it was about capitalism (although not the positive side of it).


It was common to see government billboards in Chinese, we could translate them with our Googe translate - they feel a little spooky to us, like they were trying to tell us how to think


Very nationalistic messages


Heading up our first mountain pass


We spent our first night in the modern border town of Shigatse. Along the route were thousands of cameras, spooky


Our first night Trevor had a room like this


While most of us slept in the parking lot


So happy to have Trevor along - we are lucky that all three of our kids have traveled along with us at different points - there are not many people we would want to share our tiny space with but they all qualify.


Lots of high mountain desert - very dry


Mount Everest peaking out of the clouds


And then hiding again, winds were ripping up the valley so we were hiding behind a rock, but still Trevor is wearing sandals . . .


Warming up with some yack soup, with French motorcyclist Max and Swiss overlander Teo who sleeps in the back of his hatchback Dacia


Traditional Tibetan style guest house


Driving the “Roof of the World. Everyday we would cross over at least one or more passes exceeding 14,000’


Admiring the switchbacks. Although twisty and steep, in general the roads in Tibet were excellent and well paved.


Our Tibetan guide, Tashi, arranged for us all to write prayers on Tibetan prayer flags and strung them at the mountain top


French motorcyclist Max chats with a local vendor. A deep thinker, adventurer and natural leader, Max is traveling the world after serving in Afghanistan - his blog can be found here: Scrambling Nomad


Traditional Tibetan home. Yak dung, pressed into briquettes, drying on the wall


Soccer team having fun taking selfies with Andy


More beautiful traditional design work


Posing among the mountain top prayer flags


Driving by a glacier


Beautiful mountain top lake


Ceremonial yak! (OK, really a yak dressed up for tourist photos)


Barren but starkly spectacular landscapes


Driving into the capital of Tibet, Lhasa, behind German motorcyclist Jacob and our guide car


Potala Palace, home of the Dalai Lama before we was forced to leave Tibet and move to India


Turning the prayer wheels near the entrance to the palace


Family photo opp


Appreciating the unique architecture


Entering the inner palace - no photos allowed inside

Following our visit to the palace, we made our way to old town Lhasa, a beautiful center with exquisitely carved homes and shops, filled with artisans, shrines and temples. The streets were filled with Tibetans in traditional clothing, Buddhist monks and Chinese tourists.





Locals out for a stroll








It was common for young tourists to dress in traditional clothing and take pictures around the old town centers throughout China. Western social media platforms are banned in China (we used a VPN to access Instagram, Whatsapp and Facebook) but there are plenty of Chinese based platforms and taking pictures appeared to be a common pastime.


Chinese tourists dressing up





The food throughout Tibet and Yunnan was delicious - we ate a LOT of rice and noodles, no surprise.


When you are struggling to eat your noodle soup with chopsticks and splash on your clothes for the second time so the giggling waitress brings you a children’s apron


Portuguese cyclist Mara and Trevor join in the apron fun for moral support. A talented artist, Mara is cycling and painting around the world, her infectious smile always lit up the room.


Painting Mara did of our truck


More smooth roads and mountain scenery


Loving the unique Tibetan design aesthetic


Dutch overlanders Anouk and Hubert - loads of fun, Anouk is all sweetness and light (but with an adventurous core of steel) and Hubert likes to ask the penetrating questions with a twinkle in his eye


End of the day beer and snacks


Camping at a traditional Tibetan guest house


Jacob, German motorcyclist who has never met a meat he would not eat. Riding is in his blood - he wears his Grandfather’s jacket as he rides the world on a sabbatical from teaching English to high schoolers. Yes, he is holding up the soon-to-be-eaten chicken head from his soup


Our lovely hosts





On this trip we took pictures of Trevor instead of the truck


Beautiful scenery along the China national highway 318. Here we experienced some of the most dangerous examples of poor driving on our five year adventure so far





And more beautiful scenery


Gorgeous gates at entrances to different regions or towns

The more rural we were, the more of a curiosity we were. People always wanted to know where we were from and where we were going.


Local kids fascinated watching Andy and Hubert change a flat tire





Not camera shy at all


Teo, our Swiss cowboy, a gentle soul and a true stealth overlander who slept in his station wagon and kindly was giving Mara and her bike a ride





Traditional Tibetan farmhouse





Clay tanks distilling salt from the river - an ancient tradition


Driving into our last Tibetan village of Chamdo for the night








Grandma host at Trevor’s guest house - the colorful fabric panel on her skirt lets the world know she is married


Stopping at a roadside restaurant for lunch

And then we sadly left Tibet behind and entered Yunnan. We felt the cultural shift immediately, the way people looked and dressed, the architecture and the shops. The mountains gradually disappeared.


Because when in China . . .

Traveling in China was challenging for us in that we had the sense that we were always under surveillance. Rumors abounded of hidden cameras and microphones at tourist centers. We have no idea if that is true, but we definitely had the sense that we were in a country that controls its people much more strongly than we are used to. But on the other hand, as with every country we have been to where our governments may be in disagreement, the people we met and interacted with were super. Curious and kind, we always felt welcomed and enjoyed the cultural exchanges.


Photo at the entrance gate to the tourist section of Shangri-La. We had been excited to visit this mythical place but then learned that China had renamed a modern city Shangri La in 2001 to attract tourists.


Once we left Tibet and entered Yunnan we were able to camp in campgrounds which was a welcome relief


Our beautiful camp children. An integral part of our group - Spanish parents Carlota and Jaime were raising their children on the road. They have more energy and good spirit than any parents we have met! Jaime was also the invaluable trip mechanic cheerfully tackling the multiple breakdowns and issues people were having. Jaime rolled up his sleeves and crawled under vehicles while Carlota opened up her kitchen and made food.

Although a very different experience than being in Tibet, we truly found the old towns of the cities in Yunnan to be fascinating - a culinary and visual feast. One of the most beautiful was Lijiang.


Wandering the old town of Lijiang


Courtyards were a glimple into the lifestyle


Different but equally beautiful architecture to Tibet


Lots of mysterious (for us!) items for sale - mushrooms and a variety of fungi were very popular





And beautiful gardens


More young people dressing for photos


And some more contemporary products for sale





Dawn’s favorite food was vegetable fried rice


Andy usually went for the endless variety of flavorful noodles


We were not brave enough to try the insect buffet


Scorpions for lunch?

After leaving Lijiang, we stopped off at our last historic Silk Road trading post towns in China - Shaxi and Dali.


Even the more contemporary architecture was beautiful


Cobbled old town streets of Shaxi


Entrance gate to public gardens


Evening camaraderie


Mara leaves the group to go cycle - once we left Tibet, she was allowed to bicycle without a guide in China


Old Silk Road caravanserai in Dali old town


Trevor admiring some of the most amazing wood carving we have seen





Buddhist temple in Dali




















It was always worth peaking into the courtyards


Although he often ended up staying in guest houses with the motorcyclists, Trevor did try out our dinette sleeping area - he mostly fit


Wandering the streets of a small village in Yunnan

Well that is a wrap for a truly iconic part of our round the world journey. Thank you for reading and as always feel free to reach out with any questions if you are planning something similar! Safe travels.

 

looks like an awesome time! have you updated the map on the hood in a bit?

 

Wonderful!

In Tibet, how far away from the guide could you get? Was it simply drive from one place to the next and sleep then drive again?