DAY FOURTEEN - TANSEN TO POKHARA

This morning we woke up to the spectacular view of the mountains and the fresh, crisp air. We could see the clouds on lower ground and see the snowy mountain tops in the distance...ahhh,... what could possibly go wrong now?

During breakfast, Shivanee decided to look at the Rickshaw Run welcome pack that we were handed in Goa and she had a bit of unwelcome news... the procession of rickshaws and the big phat party in Pokhara that we were all looking forward to today was in fact, yesterday.

Oh dear.

I couldn't wait to see all the rickshaws and their drivers reunite again to have made the journey come full circle, and the idea of sharing perhaps slightly exaggerated tales of our adventures over a generous amount of alcohol was what I had imagined ever since we set off from the 63 other teams on the sandy shores of Colva Beach. But alas, we're still going to finish the run, and whilst the others will be nursing hangovers, we'll still be driving one of India's finest motors..

Nepal has truly put a spell on us and we're all mesmerised by her magical landscapes and warmth. The roads are generally much better than in India but they're still riddled with potholes here and there and the dogs aren't sprawled across the road with their insides on the outside, in fact, most seem healthy and looked after! Phew.

We stopped off for chai, where Gordon spotted a man with a sugar cane cart, selling the juice. Well, I've never tried it, so we ordered one each and slowly lifted the glass to our lips. One sip later and a face that could've earned me the title of 'Gurner of the Year' and I was desperately trying to find someone to take it off my hands!! It's one of those drinks that must be really good for you as they taste oh so bad!

More mountain views were to follow along with plenty of 'kodak moments' and Pokhara was very much in our sights.

We had been wondering who should drive us over the finishing line but in the end we decided to all sit on the front seat, Gordon in the middle, doing the driving, Katie was on the right, attempting to brake in time to Gordy's command, and me on the left, trying to sort the camera out to film our triumphant crossing.

Over the finishing line we went and we could see one other team watching from afar. We cheered ourselves on jubilantly but truth be told, it was a bit of an anti-climax as we had always thought this moment would be shared with so many other teams. But, at the same time, you had to laugh,... trust us to get it so wrong!! So we cheered ourselves on even more, after all, our lil lady has made it despite almost falling apart across the rough terrains, steep climbs, dirt-track roads, mechanical hitches, not to mention the near-misses with the cows! AND....as a team who started off as strangers, Gordon, Katie and I are closer than ever and have a wonderful adventure to tell (and perhaps bore people with) for a long time to come!

Many of the teams had stayed on and we watched their videos and shared horror and comedy tales alike.

Can you believe that the team, 'Canned Dutch This' did not have ONE single mechanical problem...not even a puncture!! One other team's brakes failed just as they were going downhill (very fast i imagine), another team's rickshaw toppled as it avoided a crash and some locals lifted the rickshaw up off them, only to drop it back on to them after discovering they had valuables to steal!! This resulted in a broken collarbone... the stories go on, and just like Chinese whispers they grow into extreme, perhaps fabricated versions of the truth, but I know everyone will remember this Rickshaw Run as one of the greatest adventures of their lives, and I'm most certainly one of them!!

P.S. Did I tell you about the time that a crocodile nearly savaged one of our tyres? Luckily a passing elephant trod on it and...

DAY THIRTEEN - LUMBHINI TO TANSEN

Today we woke up feeling thoroughly refreshed in our luxurious rooms and after a breakfast fit for a king, it was a mere ten minute walk to our next destination, the place where Buddha Gautama was born.

We took a short cycle-rickshaw trip to the gates of the monastery where there were loads of stalls selling Buddha 'merchandise', after plucking ourselves away from the temptation, we walked further on where the ancient remains of a few monasteries lay and took our own sweet time walking around them.

The trees were adorned with Tibetan prayer flags, which made the gardens feel very fresh and alive. We then walked passed the Holy pond and into the Mayadevi temple, where a group of around thirty monks and pilgrims were chanting the mantra.

We stood in the middle just taking it all in and for some reason I had tears welling in my eyes!! I wasn't sad or happy, I think I was just moved and it was a great way to be introduced to the Buddhism culture here. Then, just a few steps away, there was a wall that was lightly dusted in red and gold and below that, in a glass casing was the exact spot where Buddha was said to be born. It felt significant and very special.

After buying a few things from the stalls (it would be rude not to), we got back in our beloved little lady and headed to Tansen; it would be a steep climb up for her but we have every faith she'll make it!

The people in Nepal have reacted in such a special way to us! Never have we had so many waves and smiles and usually it's them who initiate it. The children shout 'hi' as we pass them and they giggle and laugh, and the ladies will often put their hands together and greet us with 'Namaste'.

I know that Gordon and Katie are relieved to be out of India and I am too, but I'll always have a soft spot for the country as it was the first place I had truly travelled in and it's the kind of place that needs the time to fully appreciate! (I keep telling them this but I don't think they're at all convinced!).

The lil lady was doing well until Gordon noticed a bit of metal dangling besides him; it was one of the ''support parts'' for the roof rack. Oh no! Here we go again! We stopped and Gordy wrapped it up in cellotape and then weaved the spare bit of rope around it to secure it, yes he ruly is a modern-day MacGyver, but little did we realise that just five metres away was a welding place...whoopsy! So we ripped off all of Gordy's work and got it welded back in to place, the guy did both sides - and once back on the road, the annoying squeaky sound had disappeared! Job well done!

The views, the views, the views!!! WOW! We are being spoiled to lush green mountains, with their taller white-topped cousins lying in the background like a movie set backdrop on our ride up, and the air.... well, it's a lot fresher and much easier on the senses too! And to top it off, I haven't seen one doggy roadkill today!

We arrived In our hotel with the best views ever, overlooking the many mountains of the Himalayas. From here, it should be plain sailing to the finish line, but I don't want to think about that right now, I just want to admire what's in front of us.