We leave after a small lie-in and head to Thimphu, the capital of this magnificent country. The road is in a surprisingly good state, mainly considering the sheer drops of the valley. It is a huge engineering achievement. The ride is pleasant if at time a little stomach tightening. The journey takes approximately one and a half hours, filled with amazement at the countryside and fear of the other trucks (however nicely decorated they are). Thimphu is not a rip-roaring metropolis but it has roads and roundabouts (where policemen direct traffic with wonderfully flowing arm movements, as if th [View Full Entry]

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Exceedingly early morning, considering I am on holiday: up at 05:00. Once at the airport, I am faced with the usual mind-boggling burocracy, get papers from left, go to right and get a stamp, pay in centre, bring luggage at front for security check, get another stamp, go and get tag on baggage at front left, bring luggage at rear where my paper is taken, etc.. Of course, the paper for the visa for Bhutan is not waiting for me as was planned. This means we need to call the agency in Bhutan to get the number; bad luck, both the [View Full Entry]

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My last day in Kathmandu is fairly uneventful. I leave Bahktapur after lunch and arrive in the early afternoon. I try a few hotels here but none convince me that their doors can lock safely: I manage to open every door they show me with my leatherman. I return to the Shangri-la where they are so pleased to see me, they offer me a small suite on the club floor. I readily accept. The picture I join to this blog was taken today, opposite the hotel, on my way to the cafe. I am slowly becoming a vegetarian. The better part [View Full Entry]

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Today, I take a taxi and head for Bhaktapur. It is 16 kms from Kathmandu and supposed to be the most beautiful city of the valley of Kathmandu. As we arrive there, I am met with the unpleasant and unfortunately recurrent feeling: tourist rip-off. In Kathmandu and other cities, the kind tourists must pay a tax to have the privilege of entering the old city and the Durbar square. In Kathmandu, it was 200Rps - which were easily avoided by going round the side streets. Here they asked for 1000Rps, about 20USD, a fortune here, an average monthly salary. I refused [View Full Entry]

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The plane for Kathmandu was only leaving in the early afternoon, so I had a bit of time to kill in the morning. I checked out of the hotel and went in town. As I was walking about, I saw a sign "scooter and motorbike rental". I hesitated a long time before renting one: I was in Nepal where people can't drive, I am on my own, there are no hospitals and the last (and first) time I touched one of those was in Vietnam, in Dalat, where I very nearly crashed it and it was taken prematurely away from me. [View Full Entry]

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Luckily the morning was clear, the sky was blue and the Annapurna was there for all to see. The jeep from the flight centre came to pick me up on time and we promptly got going. John, the Nepalese driver was also my instructor for both flights, he explained that because it was the low season they were normally close, he was just there to test the equipment and make sure it wasn’t rotting. Because of my pretty dark eyes (and my pretty green dollars) he would specially reopen for me today. I expressed my gratitude, he looked a bit embarrassed [View Full Entry]

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As the hotel car drops me at the airport, I still feel rather sleepy but excited at the though of what I was about to do. I saw a brochure detailing possible excursions around the Annapurna. I go through the customs procedure with an amused feeling: the check-in desk is just that - a simple desk, all is done by hand, no computers to be seen anywhere. My check-in is done in record time (about 30 seconds), the security check consists of a single question from a guard asleep in a corner: do you have something you shouldn’t have? I reply, [View Full Entry]

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All is booked for Pokhara. I am leaving Saturday morning at 10:00, flying with Shangri-la Airline. This gives me some time to do some further tourist things in Kathmandu for the day. After a late wake up, I feel like a colony of bats have taken hold of my head (a peculiar feeling, I assure you). I decide that a shower will do the trick; it fails miserably. I head out into the painfully strong sun to plunge my head underwater in the swimming pool. It helps a little. I try to explain to the waiter that I am in need [View Full Entry]

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Namaste everyone. Namaste is my new word for the day, it means: hello, welcome, pleased to meet you, see you soon, thank you all at once. In actual fact, the real meaning is: "may the whole of your qualities be blessed and protected by the gods". So there, you, Namaste all. Today is my admin day. There is much to be done. Go to the French embassy and clear the security issues for Pokhara and the surrounding region. Go to the travel agent and sort out my visa for Buthan. Find a New Hotel. Get my washing done. Exchange books. Book [View Full Entry]

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Kathmandu is a pearl nestled in the green valleys of Nepal. Its power of attraction to foreign visitors has always been huge, be it for the cultural aspect of its art and culture, the easy going fashion of the locals, the stunning views and outdoor expeditionary potential or even just for the hippie in search of a cool place, yeah man. I find it to be a bit of an odd town: its history is apparent everywhere, there has been development and a beginning of modernity but, at the moment, it seems to stand still, not really knowing in which direction [View Full Entry]

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