Taxes done, now back to the story.
Fires, smoke, small showers, tea.
As I was saying, perspectives are important, and happiness is easiest to maintain when expectations are constantly being updated.
After traveling for two days I figured my first priority was to put the bike together and get a ride in. It seemed like the best option in the face of the wall of bs what was coming our way. I spent the morning putting my bike together in front of a crowd of people. Again another theme to get used to was being a spectacle where ever we went with the bikes. India is probably one of the few places where my drunk and prematurely dropped wheelies are appreciated.
After my ride to the North Sikkim boarder I returned to find Doug sitting in the tourism office. That was some good timing. We cheered each others familiar faces, exchanged funny horror stories about rides, food and prison cell hotel rooms.
In the tourism dept I come face to face for the first time with the man who I have been working with for the past 6 months to promote the race in the states. He is the event manager and responsible for the racers comfort for the next 11 days. When Tim says he looks like the man from Indiana Jones who ripped peoples hearts out, I should have seen that as forshadowing.
Still at this point we are all glad-handing each other, smiling and getting introduced around.
I go to Doug's dingy hotel hanoi and tell him he needs to come to our place the next day.
