29, July, 2012
2 pm, I am waiting the bus for Ilam, I have Prijon yellow kayak, woriner red paddle. Finally the bus came. I had little problem to load my kayak on bus's roof. Roof was small and already accupaid with loaded motercycle. I had to pay for kayak's fare 300 nrs after bargening.
After chitwan felt very hot. I met some Ilameli local Gurung ji in bus. They were back from UAE. I talked about my Mai Khola kayking. They gave information about locality. Night bus, through the dark, after Dalbhat at Ramnagar, I was down, could not even noticed my home town Katari Chock, Lahan and Sapta Koshi Barrage. When I got up noticed, Charali, Jhapa, toilet break. From Charali, bus took left and in some minutes of drive bus seemed slow in winding uphill. Amriso (....bamboo grass broom.) covered sloppy land, Maize, vegetables, small villages and jungle, now start apearing Tea State. Well managed, covering the hills, all looking green, but, middle of the fug. The bus suddenly come out from fugy and get loss in fug. Cool, cold and humide atomusfare, reached Phikkal, beautiful hill station. It can be seen Ilam in north, 20 km to Pashupatinagar, border town.
Our bus took left, winding steep down hill, in some minutes reaching Mai Khola. Now, I can see Mai Khola bridge, shallow rapids above and below.
Bus stopped beside bridge, Mai Khola hotel, Criss and Daz were already there, helped me to unload kayak. They were there after last night in Ilam Bazar. We had tea, chaumem and malpuwa.
Now, time start, we asked local, have ever seen anybody going down kayaking in this river? They said no. We were excited for first descend. We cross the bridge, river right bank, 100 mtr walk upstream. We changed the cloth pit on river gear. So many people were gather on bridge and some people were watching us from side of river who were working and collecting sand. Sad was first to descend who had DSLR camera. We gave little time to set up shooting position. I (Endra Rai) was second and Criss was cheassing me with his GoproCamera.
The line was stright, apart from couple of holes to ride over. Thought, rapid was quite forceful. I was shacky, seems like clumgee. I am not scared but, kayak doesn't look like in my control. I have not had done any adjustment at all as I borrowed. Prijon,...., good kayak though. Heap pad was loose and foot bress was tillet and I got broose on my knees. Daz gave good thumbs up as has gotten good action shoot as he was looking for.
Now, there supposed to be .....and who had called me befor saying that they want to meet us.
Big croud were there over the bridge cheering up and souding qurious. I did roll, felt fresh, warm water. The water is cristel clear, high flow. Rapid below bridge is short but, shoot type. Criss went first to second lending zone, eddy. I stopped at top RR, went out and looked down shallow rapid. Criss went out and walled over boulder, gave signal Daz came out from eddy, he seemed more commited. He just dessapired for a while and appeared, came out to river right and eddy in and show him sitting on boulder with pelical box.
2 pm, I am waiting the bus for Ilam, I have Prijon yellow kayak, woriner red paddle. Finally the bus came. I had little problem to load my kayak on bus's roof. Roof was small and already accupaid with loaded motercycle. I had to pay for kayak's fare 300 nrs after bargening.
After chitwan felt very hot. I met some Ilameli local Gurung ji in bus. They were back from UAE. I talked about my Mai Khola kayking. They gave information about locality. Night bus, through the dark, after Dalbhat at Ramnagar, I was down, could not even noticed my home town Katari Chock, Lahan and Sapta Koshi Barrage. When I got up noticed, Charali, Jhapa, toilet break. From Charali, bus took left and in some minutes of drive bus seemed slow in winding uphill. Amriso (....bamboo grass broom.) covered sloppy land, Maize, vegetables, small villages and jungle, now start apearing Tea State. Well managed, covering the hills, all looking green, but, middle of the fug. The bus suddenly come out from fugy and get loss in fug. Cool, cold and humide atomusfare, reached Phikkal, beautiful hill station. It can be seen Ilam in north, 20 km to Pashupatinagar, border town.
Our bus took left, winding steep down hill, in some minutes reaching Mai Khola. Now, I can see Mai Khola bridge, shallow rapids above and below.
Bus stopped beside bridge, Mai Khola hotel, Criss and Daz were already there, helped me to unload kayak. They were there after last night in Ilam Bazar. We had tea, chaumem and malpuwa.
Now, time start, we asked local, have ever seen anybody going down kayaking in this river? They said no. We were excited for first descend. We cross the bridge, river right bank, 100 mtr walk upstream. We changed the cloth pit on river gear. So many people were gather on bridge and some people were watching us from side of river who were working and collecting sand. Sad was first to descend who had DSLR camera. We gave little time to set up shooting position. I (Endra Rai) was second and Criss was cheassing me with his GoproCamera.
The line was stright, apart from couple of holes to ride over. Thought, rapid was quite forceful. I was shacky, seems like clumgee. I am not scared but, kayak doesn't look like in my control. I have not had done any adjustment at all as I borrowed. Prijon,...., good kayak though. Heap pad was loose and foot bress was tillet and I got broose on my knees. Daz gave good thumbs up as has gotten good action shoot as he was looking for.
Now, there supposed to be .....and who had called me befor saying that they want to meet us.
Big croud were there over the bridge cheering up and souding qurious. I did roll, felt fresh, warm water. The water is cristel clear, high flow. Rapid below bridge is short but, shoot type. Criss went first to second lending zone, eddy. I stopped at top RR, went out and looked down shallow rapid. Criss went out and walled over boulder, gave signal Daz came out from eddy, he seemed more commited. He just dessapired for a while and appeared, came out to river right and eddy in and show him sitting on boulder with pelical box.
