**INDIA – NEPAL – BHUTAN**
TRI-Nation Expedition’12. (Team XSO + Mahindra Adventure)

27 Machines(Including Team XSO), 03Nations, A Fortnight, 4800KMS Approx(for me & Philip George C, 3000kms for others)

Few known people, majority were new faces, hails from different parts of the country.
Long Hectic days, Tough Drives at times (bad roads), dramatic surroundings all over, un-expected weather, Amicable people ….!
(In a couple of days everyone got to know each other well)

Starting day was a very long drive from New Delhi via Yamuna Expressway, Agra, Lucknow, Kanpur, Basti etc which took us to an old Hunting Lodge kind of resort dated years back…..huge rooms with lots of trophies on the walls…..!!!
Entered NEPAL on 02nd day evening of the Expedition crossing SANAULI Border, stayed night at a well maintained ECO Lodge in the outskirts of famous CHITWAN NATIONAL PARK.

Next day a good hill drive, halt at a beautiful Riverside Lunch spot(near a small town – Mugling) enroute to POKHARA. (one unforgetable place for me as i had to go back to Chitwan all the way). Reaching POKHARA was one great experience, A lovely Hill station full of Affectionate crowd, unlimited shops to grab plenty of outdoor stuff, Late night walk, rock show in the PUB(we were Late actually), Early morning ROWING Experience at FEWA Lake with amateur Rowers(me, sukh, Nikhlesh & Deepesh)breakfast at German bakery with Bijoy & Nitin , unlimited bargaining on the streets with Veissali Kapoor Raj Kapoor, Sukhh Maan, Gurkie Maan & many more. Finally afternoon Goodbye to POKHARA with a Promise to Re-visit soon 🙂

Roads to the Capital were pretty good in the beginning, less traffic, Surprisingly weather changed, bad patch of roads, a vehicle breakdown in heavy rains but at the end reached a massive resort spread in acres in the outskirts of KATHMANDU. Next morning a batch opted for a short flight to have a glimpse of “the topmost PEAK of the world” – MT Everest and later they ‘tried there best to tease the rest’ 😉
Everyone enjoyed the day in old streets of KATHMANDU, shopping, good food, visiting Temple/Museum and this free day ended with the birthday cake cutting ceremony of Bhowmick aunty with Mr Bhowmick & Ronobijay. The walk / climb back to the rooms was exciting in the rain….!

Last destination in NEPAL was BIRATNAGAR(an industrial town close to INDO-NEPAL Border), a long and tiring 500+ kms drive from the capital.
Nothing much to say about the place, just a night-halt and some good DJ Beats with some Dance. Thanks to ANKUR.

Next Morning CONVOY exits NEPAL from KAKARBHITTA Border and enters the Northern part of West Bengal and further 100+kms to CHALSA for the night stay in a lovely old time tea estate converted into a beautiful resort. Excitement was on the top as the entry to pictursque and magnificient BHUTAN is just a night away. Everyone was eager to experience the beauty and warmth of the place.

Early morning the CONVOY splits in three parts(with 30 minutes gap in between) crossing the worst 15kms stretch(road in potholes) before HASHIMARA and cover’s the distance of approx 60kms to reach PHUENTSHELING Border. Finally Immigration/Entry process is done in a very systematic manner by 11 AM & CONVOY Moves further to PARO with a Lunch halt enroute at a local Bhutanese Dhaba.

Traditional welcome at Zhiwaling – PARO refreshed everyone after a exhausting day. A typical Bhutanese architecture was our home for 3nights. Planning for the upcoming morning started and dissimilar results came on the table. Few choose TIGERS NEST(a worth climb), few explored PARO town and a fast gang went to THIMPHU to get some cool KTM’s.

Climb to Tigers Nest with a twisted ankle was fantastic where I took a shortcut and landed at some unknown place, tried to look for the right path, walked for few extra kms and finally came back on track . Thanks to SEEMA Mam who accompanied me further to the Dzong and half way back. shopped at the local handicraft stalls
where vendors were named as bollywood actresses, the long wait for 02dear friends at the base post dark was painful.

Last day in Bhutanese land was again amazing, A lovely drive to PUNAKHA Dzong with SAMEER Bhai(salute to the guy for his love and passion) Sikander MANMEET BHULLAR, JAYESH, GIRI TIRUMALE, HARISH & LTSHERING followed by a short ride on KTM 640 in the streets of THIMPHU was a outstanding experience,

Chapter Bhutan ends with forever memories & a promise to come back soon someday. Taken the same Bone breaking route back to CHALSA for the farewell night of Expedition.

How can i forget to mention my dear ADIT uncle, “OLD man with a young heart” A great company, in short You are the best 🙂 and Doc PAWAN(our own version of Michael jackson)

Expedition CONCLUDED – Every Adventure member went back with some Lifetime memories collected during the Journey & we drove from CHALSA via some good and worst highways of Bihar and UP covering an additional distance of 1750kms approx before reaching New Delhi on 23rd evening driving the LEAD Car stuffed with all the communication and GPS equipments….

Thanks everyone – (Banglore Gang – Five Fingers) DARSHU SHAILESH RADHIKA PRABHAT RAVI RADHIKA (Media friends) ANKIT, ROMMEL, ANSHUMAN, ALAN, GAURAV, PIYUSH (Bhatinda friends) SARBAT, KAMALDEEP, GAGANDEEP, VIKAS MITTAL. (Thar friends) PRABH, RAM, VINAY & RAHUL & all other Adventure friends.
(i knw i missed few names, not getting them)

Sorry for pulling your Legs/Pranks Priyanka & Bhagya.

Memories Forever 🙂