A few kilometers from the Nepalese border, we cross the hills dotted with tea plantations immersing us in a calm and serene atmosphere, away from the bustle of the rest of the country. Here we are in a different universe, the sensation of entering a new country, where Nepalese and Tibetan flags faces fill the background.
Then 80 km separate us from Darjeeling. Around noon, after about sixty kilometers, we stop for a cliffside meal in a 3m2 cabin on stilts. They’re cooking Momos (dish originating from Tibet and Nepal), accompanied by her stepfather, who was decorated with his glasses and his hat.
When paying, the cook leaves the room panicked, grabbing his stepfather to the road, begging us to do the same. Not really understanding what was going on, its in no rush that we leave the hut. Outside the old man kneels in the middle of the road, our two motorcycles swinging from left to right. We look around us and understand. The ground shakes under our feet, the feeling of being on a boat dock. The force of nature is breathtaking, and the inexplicable sensations.
Back on the road, unaware that at this moment, the earth trembled in Nepal for the second time in 15 days, magnitude 7.3.
After a few days in Darjeeling, we take the bikes towards Sandakphu perched 3,600 meters above sea level. According to some, access is only possible by JEEP, the road is rocky, made of earth, rocks and bumps: 2000 vertical meters over 45 km, in the middle of the Himalayas.
The road is steep as ever, but the view is great. Arrived at 2800 meters, we loose Loïc’s bike. We stop to repair the carburetor near a small farm altitude. After several hours of repairs, we hit the road, crossing the fingers to reach the next village. 4 km away, the bike actually has his head, night falls and the thick mist takes over the valley, we decided to pitch the tent.
We are free as air, with only the window zip entrance of our green room.
The wind, the tarps that cover our bikes slamming the canvas folds and twists in all directions. The night is cold and the rain hits the ground violently, the sky is now covered with a thick fog. In this mystical table, are added lightning acting as strobes, rumbling echo in the mountains. At 3200 meters, in the storm, our tent is leaking. We spend a restless night, wet and cool. The experience of a lifetime.
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Superbe vue de Darjeeling, entouré des plantations de thé.
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Un petit garçon nous scrutant depuis son jardin à Darjeeling.
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Deux jumeaux se régalant d'un petit déjeuner indien, ''Alu-Puri''. Darjeeling.
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Terrain de foot de Darjeeling. Altitude : 2 000 métres.
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Plus économique que le taxi local.
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Population Tibétaine vivant dans la région Nord de Darjeeling.
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Superbe coucher de soleil offert sur notre itinéraire moto aujourd'hui !
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Dans la brume, les locaux replantent de nouveaux plans de thé.
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Loic, capturant l'instant.
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Nous sommes invités à prendre le thé au pied des plantations par les locales tout sourire aux lèvres.
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Profondément perdu dans le vert des plantations de thé.
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Feu de bois dans les plantations, le thé chauffe dans les casseroles.
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Épendage d'engrais dans les plantations.
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La force de l'âge.
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Meneuse d'équipe, en pause pour un thé avant les prochaines plantations.
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En chemin vers le sommet de Sandakphu, bercés par le flottement des drapeaux tibétains.
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Un arrêt dans un minuscule village sur la frontière exacte entre Népal et Inde.
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Réveil sur les sommets après une nuit mouvementée.
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Camping a 3 200 mètres d'altitude. La nuit fût éprouvante, pluie et vent se sont déchainés sur notre tente.
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Lolo et John avec la rivière Teesta en arrière plan.
Vue sur la rivière Teesta et sur les montagnes du Sikkim, Himalaya nous voilà !