Dulkara

Silent night, holy river, all is hectic...all is touts(yes I know I win the award for Miss Cheesy 2008). On christmas day we woke up in the grungy, dirty borderside town of Bharawia, packed our bags and headed across the Nepal-India border on foot. They'd decided to crack down on people overstaying their visas in Nepal, so I had to pay a fine of over $40 US for my 6 extra days in Nepal - a huge sum for a country where the average wage is about $1 per day. We spent our last Nepalese rupees on a quick bite to eat at a roadside stall - I scoffed down 2 plates of plain spinach with cumin, while Matt opted for a plate of masala rice. After a 2 hour jeep trip to Gorakhpur we jumped ... read more

I've now survived a grand total of 11 daysout of the mountains, but I miss being in the middle of nowhere more than you would imagine! Although I must admit that it has been nice to eat some decent food - like salad, Aloo Palak (no I will never get sick of it Janine!) and milky hot chocolates. I spent the first few days back in civilisation in Kathmandu where I scoffed big juicy garlic steaks, put some poor bugger through the task of washing my smelly trekking gear and dodged persistant tiger-balm sellers. Then I caught a bus to Pokhara. Every time I nodded off a huge pothole would send me flying out of my seat and i'd wake up with a thud. The joys of bus travel! I spent the journey trying to decide ... read more

You never get a second chance at a first impression Another traveller's first thoughts on Pahaganj, Delhi: "...The whole place smells of incense, curry, cow manure and urine and there are people everywhere. Literally everywhere you look there are hundreds of people just standing around. If you could freeze frame just one small section of the Main Bazaar at any given time, day or night, you would have at least two stray cows, four stray dogs, one man pissing, two women arguing, one man sleeping randomly on the ground (looking rather peaceful surprisingly!), twenty people selling things you don't want, two guys frying samosa's in oil that is at least as old as i am, one begger robbing me blind and fifty people standing there looking at everyone else... it is very surreal." "We have been ... read more

Climbing BlumlisalpBlumlisalp is "the mountain" of Kandersteg - I can see it from the window at work, from my bedroom window, from the belcony - it's like the Queen of the village, always in view where ever you are. The views from the top are fabulous - probably the best view of Lake Oeschinsee I've ever seen - I've now looked down on the lake from almost every angle & height possible, bar a parachute! We were very lucky with the weather - finally managing to head up there together after putting days aside for it 4 times this summer (the weather was always bad on my days off!). The conditions were perfect - it was a still, wind-free, gorgeous Autumn day. I sprung out of bed at 4.30am (nothing like something to remind me of ... read more

Life is zooming by for me at the moment. I don't have any crazy cultural tales to share. This is the country where trains run on time, the grass is always short, there are unlimited supplies of chocolate & cheese & you can hear cow bells tinkling in the distance. The contrast to India is astonishing, but I love both places. I've started working in "proper service" every second weekend now & have consequently mastered the art of folding cloth napkins. Ha. There is a knack to it you know. But then again there is often a right & a "wrong" way to do everything in Switzerland, especially in the hospitality industry. Sometimes I wonder what on earth I'm doing here! I don't make a habit of being covered in beer foam or deep frying lettuces, ... read more