Cyclist duo Lok Bahadur Karki, 39, and Janardan Khanal, 52, recently made the 135th stop of their world tour in Qatar. The two Nepalis are touring the world on their bicycles to promote universal peace and brotherhood. The duo started their journey from Nepal in December 2004.
As the two famed cyclists landed at Hamad International Airport on January 2, both were clad in Daura-Suruwal (kurta and trousers) and Dhaka Topi (hat made up of a fabric of dhaka) – the national dress of Nepal for many. They were also waving Nepal’s flag, the world’s only non-quadrilateral flag.
Community managed to catch up with the duo for a little chat. Following are the excerpts:
Can you tell us about your upbringing in Nepal?
Lok Bahadur Karki: I am from Taplejung, eastern hill of Nepal. I was brought up in a poor family and my mother died when I was a toddler. At the age of 13, I left my home and came to Kathmandu, Nepal’s capital, to study. I studied up to graduation in mathematics and sociology, and taught social science for about 8 years. I pedalled around the southern belts of the country for one-and-a-half year before embarking on this world journey.
Janardan Khanal: I am a married man with two sons and one daughter. I am from Kavrepalanchowk, a district close to Kathmandu. I have studied agriculture and was employed as an officer in the government’s agriculture department. My family lives in an apartment in Kathmandu as my rural house collapsed during the Great Earthquake of 2015.
How did you come up with the idea of a world cycle tour?
Khanal: We were close to each other since 2004. We met in a micro-bus in Kathmandu while commuting to our offices. We have an age difference of 12 years, but our friendship is similar to that of peers. At first, we decided to walk on foot across Nepal, before deciding on cycles. Since 2004, we have been to Nepal for only three times. For us, there are only 18 countries remaining to be travelled to and we aim to complete the tour by the end of 2017. After Qatar, we will go to Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman. We will cross the border into Bahrain on our cycles.
Karki: We are travelling from place to place, country to country, and continent to continent to convey one simple but very common message: permanent peace and real humanity all over the world. We want to raise global awareness against violence, corruption, terrorism and inequality. Peace is the most important and valuable thing in the world.
Can you tell us about some of your experiences while on the tour?
Karki: There are some memorable moments during our tour. We met with Nelson Mandela in South Africa, who hugged us. In Ghana, we met with Kofi Annan, former General Secretary of UN. We also met with the Kings of Cambodia, Brunei and Malaysia. In Sudan, in 2008, we ended up in a prison for three days because we were confused about the flag of the new state of South Sudan. Our major concern is security when we travel to war-torn countries. In Thailand, we were robbed at knifepoint.
We also briefed the UN and the International Red Cross about what we saw during our travels, about the violence and what could be done to contain it. We also want to raise global awareness against violence, corruption, terrorism and inequality.
Khanal: During our world trip, my mother and father died and I couldn’t attend the funerals. I was in Iran when my daughter got married. I couldn’t be at home when there were a lot of things happening in my family.
What are your plans after the world tour?
Khanal: After this tour, I am planning to travel across Nepal, make a documentary and write a book. I had left my job and sold my field to raise money for the world tour. My family lost their home to the Great Earthquake of 2015, and they are living in a rented apartment in Kathmandu. My elder son works in United Arab Emirates (UAE) and my younger son is an engineer. So, I want to travel as far as I can within my country after this world tour.
Can you tell us about your experience in Qatar?
Karki: We are happy to be here in Qatar. We have found it to be the most beautiful and peaceful country in Asia. We are also aware that nearly 500,000 of our Nepali brothers and sisters are working here. We hope our tour helps boost bilateral ties between the two countries.
Lok Bahadur Karki, left, and Janardan Khanal riding in Doha.
