.My name is Marco Banchelli... .
... I was born near Florence (Italy) in
Sesto Fiorentino, on a cold April day in 1956.
And who knows, maybe also for this reason, even though I love summer and the
heat,
the cold has then continued to cross and mark my "way".
In February 1994 in front of ULURU, the aboriginal name of the Ayers Rock, in
the very heart of the Australian Desert,
I ended my first "TOUR AROUND THE WORLD".
On my bicycle, in numberless laps, I have run along roads, traks and paths of
every country good ' for cycling on'
and I managed to discover reasons for growth and interest everywhere...
My heart, however, has become particularly attached to the small Kingdom
(from 2008 "Replublic") of NEPAL
and to its mountains: the HIMALAYAS.
A reciprocated love: till today, as a matter of fact,
I am the only Italian man who has been designated "Honorary Member"
of SPORTS DEVELOPMENT NEPAL.
In the year 1998, I was promoter for "Visit
Nepal" and tourism...
On account of my commitment I have been
called
MESSENGER of PEACE in the WORLD.
In June 1996, on the eve of departure of one of my 'missions',
I had the great joy in receiving the greeting and the approval even from the
President of Italy.
In May 1997 Sesto Fiorentino nominated me "Honorary Consul for Sport"
and in July 1998, in Rome, I received the flag of the European Union, becoming
a very particular 'porter'.
Everest
1992 - Marco Banchelli / HIMALAYA BIKE EXPEDITION
For me the 'bike' has not meant just a
bike.
I remember it as a raft in the Argentinean Pampas, a flying machine during a
coast on the Andes
as well as towards the 'paradise' of Everest, an indestructible vehicle on the
roads of Tasmania
and, very often, a magic time and soul machine...
Pewa Lake - VISIT NEPAL '98
Thanks to the incredibleidea of the SHUTTLE-BIKE, from January 1998,
I am the 'first man' who has cycling on the waters of the Himalayas.
On 4th november of the same year, I have also conquered the highest lake
in the world, at around mt. 5.200 (16.070 ft.),
again in Himalaya, christening it CHILDREN LAKE (in nepali SANU POKHARI).
In September 2000 I then joined the "lower waters", at the Dead Sea (-410 m. in the Holy Land...)
For a new adventure on the roads and emotions
of "my" Nepal, in January 2004
I was hit by a new title: Ambassador of Florence, city of Peace.
Just the day of my 51st birthday (April 8, 2007) another big surprise
for another appointment in Nepal
"Ambassador"
of the Kathmandu Guest House,
which has now become legendary and authentic historic "base camp"
for travel and tours throughout
the Valley of the three capitals of the 2000 and temples (...)
In my capacity as a "guide" the new frontier of travel: aware, prepared
and responsible.
Australia
- The "magic moment" of ULURU
(the 2nd... july 2003)
The bicycle has been my companion in adventures
for days (and nights...) which will be for ever impressed on my memory,
as well as on the pages of my diaries, to accompany every moment of my life.
An extraordinary adventure of every day.
Lama GANCHEN (Peace Times)
from Nepal with Tiziana Ciasullo...
and Lama MICHEL
And
remember : the best in Kathmandu and in all Nepal
is
simply one... KATHMANDU GUEST HOUSE!!!
My NEPAL by bicycle
(or withouth...)
"The Nation" ( 16th february 1998) for "Weekend Travels &
Mirages"
Marco Banchelli, fiorentino, has turned practically all the continents in bicycle. Its preferred country is the Nepal for which it has been made testimonial in favor of a prepared tourism. It has written telling its memories to us of travel.
In recent years, with my bicycle, I have had way to cover roads, tracks and paths of all the "cycling continents". Everywhere creed of successful being, from good traveller, to discover interest and increase reasons. But my heart is legacy in particular way to the small Kingdom of Nepal and to its mountains: the Himalayas. A "exchanged again love": today I am in fact the only Italian honorary member of Sports Development Nepal and, from the first day of the year, testimonial for an aware and prepared tourism of Visit Nepal ' 98.
To introduce you into an experience of travel in this country would have therefore to be for me an arduous not sure enterprise... But it is not therefore. In little kilometers in fact Nepal is in a position to offering the most various opportunities: crossing jungla to back of elephant to approaching the highest mountain of the world, the Everest. And then the cities, the templi, the rituals and the fascination of people kind and always disposed to the hospitality and the smile.
First of all a council: tried not to bind together Nepal with India or Tibet, above all if you have few days to disposition. Sure, many are the aspects that they have in common, but many are also the innumerevoli diversities and the opportunities that the Country can offer, also alone. And the time that we will have to disposition will be determining for the definition of the program. For a discreet visit of a part of approximately two thousand templi and tempietti that it goes it them of Kathmandu it only offers would be necessary at least one week. Not tried to see "all" if you have only two or three days, risked to make a great confusion and, above all, not to succeed really to enter in the world that is opening the doors.
Sure not to lose Bhaktapur and the stupa buddhist of Swayambunath, the
rituals of Shiva, in its aspect of the God shepherdesses of the crudes oil of
Pashupatinath. Also the love blood that in the days of tuesday and saturday
slides to Dakshinakali could be a truly unusual experience. Remembered but,
and in particular for the rituals or the ceremonies or someone of the many festivities
in which you could be found, not to have haste. Dont't remember the clock and
tried to understand and, for what it will be possible, to participate to that
event of which you are witnesses.
The Nepal is the native land of
"trekking", the earth in which every guide mountain climber or hiker
it dreams a day of being able itself to try. And the goals for a trekking are
truly many, for many tastes and the various degrees of training. From excursions
of a day or two to distances of weeks until the fields base of highest mountains
of the world.
And if the citizen of Namche Bazar, to beyond 3.000 meters, is a species of
"understood them of the Himalayas", easiest not to catch up, sure
not to lose it is Pokhara, understood them of green and nature.
To the west of Kathmandu, connected from one of the main roads, Pokhara is like
one door from which showing oneself on one of the most spectacular scenes than
mountains: the Annapurna, the majestic and reassuring pyramid of Machhapuchhre.
Pokhara, beyond that point of departure of trekking, is also ideal peace and
place relax, even on the rivers of the Pewa Lake or on erta the hill of Sharangot,
where every dawn is a hymn to the life.
To approximately 200 Km. of distance from Pokhara, towards south, in proximity
of the indian border , Lumbini.
If in you perceived a "mystical vein" you cannot very well avoid the
long one and damageed badly that door in this locality. But if, beyond to the
strong emotions that arrive to you from the outside, you have desire to approach
also something that is in you, here then you go to us. Lumbini could is you
of aid. In this disperse and insignificant citizen of border in fact, six centuries
before Christ, borned one of the large ones of history of the man: Siddartha.
Whose message, to the par of little others, it is one of that do not have time,
indeed, than the time they could just defeat it. We are in the region of Terai,
not much far from the more important park of the plain: Chitwan.
With a little lucky (a lot !), in elephant rump, beyond to the numerous ones
rino, could be met also one of last
the tigers survivors to incredible slaughters.
But from the remoter zones to
"more amazing" of the spuntini in one of typical tea-shop or the small
restaurants scattered in all the Country, in every Nepal day can be truly one
small adventure.
And every travel can "be sewn" of all the experiences, nearly was
a dress on measure.
But attention! Like for a dress, verified the season!
In fact, even if lately the climatology and a little strange, as it seems is
everywhere in the world, the Nepal endures the infuence of the summery monsoon.
Every experience therefore must have its season.
For the trekking sure better to choose the spring or the autumn; for tourism
or trekking not to much hight, fantastic the winter; but if you do not have
other possibility, it can also very well be thought next to the summer, with
the monsoon.
Sure that of summer the Himalayas is practically invisible, hidden from clouds
and fogs...
But a travel in Nepal, you believe to me, deserves.
A travel in Nepal could not never be a travel, in spring or in summer, autumn or winter, the Nepal is above all emotion. An emotion that, as for me, could very well continue in you for the rest of your life.
This is my wish.
Good journey...
