Janardan Kanal (L) and Lok Bandhu Karki (R) are biking in the name of world peace.
Nepalese duo Lok Bandhu Karki, 38, and Janardan Kanal, 43, were biking through southern Sudan – before it became a country in 2011 – when they were arrested and detained for three days, accused of being spies sent by the government in the north.
They had unknowingly flown the official Sudanese flag on their bikes, a symbol of the government of the north, but not of the south. Thankfully, they were released after three days, when the local authorities finally realised that they had simply made a mistake.
For the past 11 years, Karki, a former teacher, has biked through 114 countries and he plans on hitting 39 more, all to spread the message of world peace and “universal brotherhood”.
The flags for Nepal, Hong Kong, and world peace.
The two always display three flags on each of their bicycles: a Nepalese flag, the official flag of the country they’re currently in, and one for world peace.
“We believe people should give priority to humanity and peace over religion, politics and tribe systems,” declared Karki, before naming a dozen countries that have seen war in recent years, like Syria, Pakistan and East Timor.
A few years ago, his soft-spoken biking partner, Kanal, read about Karki’s mission in the newspaper. A farmer at the time, he immediately decided to join him.
They’ve now collectively gone through 12 bicycles and 7 passports, with 30 flights and 33 ferry rides taken. They carry 45 kilos of equipment each, including seven traditional Nepalese outfits, eight or nine traditional hats, and 15 to 20 Nepalese and world peace flags.
Throughout their travels, members of royalty like the Sultan of Brunei and the King of Cambodia, and other notable people like Nelson Mandela and Kofi Annan, have met with them.
The pair were in Hong Kong for 11 days before heading to Macau, and on Wednesday we met in a small Nepalese grocery store that doubles as a restaurant in Wan Chai.
Karki (L) and Kanal (Centre) with local Nepalese residents inside a Wan Chai Nepalese restaurant and grocery store.
Karki, possessing an excellent memory, can rattle off every single country they’ve been to, in order, seemingly without taking a breath. I slowly took a slurp of my sweet Nepalese-style milk tea and put my cup down and he still wasn’t even close to being done with his list, delivered like a monotonous rap song.
He’s managed to travel through deserts and jungles by relying on continent, country, and city maps, and occasionally a compass – but no GPS.
Of course, this means they do get lost, particularly in big forests like in the Congo, Mozambique and Myanmar.
Besides navigation problems, they’ve also sometimes found it hard to find enough to eat or a place to sleep – not to mention difficulties with languages, visas, money, accommodation and food.
At the beginning they used their own funds from savings or selling their land, but eventually they ran out. Where there are Nepalese communities, they will rely on their kindness and generosity, and where there are none, they often rely on Indian communities or the local people.
Janardan Kanal in Wan Chai.
“It is not easy to get help… We do not ask locals or local organisations for financial support, but if someone wants to make a contribution, we will accept it,” explained Karnal.
In a strange twist of fate, the two happened to be in their home country when the earthquake struck. In order to get visas for Hong Kong, Macau and Japan, they had to fly from Romania to Kathmandu; the day after the earthquake.
“We had to sleep outside for 20 days,” Karnal said.
I asked if he ever thought of giving up.
Lok Bandhu Karki on Hennessy Road.
“Sometimes we surely felt like that but we never made the decision to stop the tour,” he replied.
Karnal says he’s not sure that he’s inspired people, and they don’t expect their bike tour to solve the world’s problems.
“But we believe it surely gives people a spiritual or symbolic message about the necessity, importance and value of peace in the world.”
Ride on!
Photos/Words: Laurel Chor
