Our arrival in Katmandu was not easy. After having to deal with a steep hill of 30 kilometers in hot and humid weather, we got stuck into the intense traffic of the capital. Our schedule was changed because of the steep hill, and therefore, we arrived in jammed streets, biking at nighttime in a car jungle, with the sounds of screaming drivers, horns, and howling engines.

This was definitely the first impression of what our next destination would be like. The more we got closer to India; the more people were surrounding us. Crossing our last border was a chaotic experience but for once, a rapid one! And then… the shock… Thousands and thousands of people: women wearing colorful saris, children begging in the streets, men carrying incredibly large bundles on their heads. After having spent three days in a little rural village, we knew more about the cast system, which is still very present today in India. We also learned what was the role of women in this very patriarchal society...

And here we are, at the doors of what is supposed to be our final destination: Varanasi! Majestic, mystic, Varanasi is unique. The popular belief is that in this spiritual place, the soul leaves the body to go directly to paradise, escaping forever from the reincarnation cycle. Every morning, at sunrise, thousands of Hindis come to the Ganges, one of the most polluted rivers on the planet, to purify themselves for the Gods.

How could we abandon our bikes so rapidly? Because the road and the adventure were calling us, we decided to continue our journey to Calcutta, our “real” final destination. So here we are, jumping on our bikes for the last 1000 kilometers…