Dal Bhat out of hell and some friends of ours

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Well...... Considering I have just spent 48 hours on a bus to get back to Helhi... sorry, Delhi I am in remarkably high spirits!

Since my last update I hiked up the hill at Sarangkot and had a fantastic sunrise view of the Annapurna mountain range which was breathteaking and for the first time in my life I was genuinely glad that I had got up at 04:30!

After a light breakfast it was time to head to my jump off point for the paragliding trip. I was a bit concerned when there was no sign of the crew until 20 minutes after my time slot but eventually 2 little Nepali lads and a big Russain turned up and it was time to get going. I was quite pleased that I managed to run off a mountain without out creating a 'laundry issue' and was immeadiately glad that I had decided on the trip. Sailing 1700 metres above ground with a crystal clear view of the Himalayas is a pretty cool experiance and one that will live with me for some time to come.

As soon as I touched land I had to go and meet my treking guide, Dhamer (who I rather sickly named Geoffry) and we set off on the trek to Pune Hill. I was starting to panic abit when after 20 minutes I was allready sweating like a pregnant nun but fortunately I managed to make it to the end point for day one.

The paths are unique to say the least, broken up stone and haphazard stairs in the main. You have to spend most of your time watching your footing to make sure that you don't turn an ankle or step in the various different ittle 'gifts' that the animals leave. You have to be quick on your toes to avoid being knocked off the side by the donkey trains (no cars in the mountains) and dodge the random bulls and cows, the dogs and goats are no real issue!

That night I re-broke my accomodation record with an 80p guesthouse and had a few beers and a Raksi (local fire water!) with my guide and the hotel owner - I was the only Gora there that night. I also had for my dinner a Dal Bhat which tasted fine at the time, gave no need for constant toilet breaks but did see me making beautiful music the entire folowing day!

Within half an hour of day two my dodgy knee went just as we were about to climb an 800 metre flight of stairs and by the end of that day I felt I had been walking for so long that I should be carrying a ring and following a wizard (as supposed to a funny Nepali bloke I had named after a serial killer!). After my eight hour slog I turned down the Dhal Bhat and Raksi but did get stuck into 3 bottles of Kukhri rum with a German bloke. The tea house was packed out with a Dutch tour group and their porters.

What followed is the funniest moment of my trip so far. The porters started doing some local Nepali singing and dancing then the Tea shop manager changed the CD and put on some cheese dance CD. Watching a 60 year old porter dance to a megamix of Macarana/Backstreet Boys/Spice Girls, Wannabe while a bit pissed, 3,000 metres up in the Himalyan foothills was not what I expected but I'm glad I saw it!

After another 04:30 start to see the Poon hill sunrise I headed back down. I actually bumped into the 2 Aussie Girls that I crossed the border with at the top which was a bit freaky! By the time I reached the bottom 9 hours later my knees were complaining more than an unhappy Spurs fan and my Calve's where tighter than a Yorkshire Man's wallet but at least I can tick 'treking in Nepal' off my list of activities.

Two minutes after I got back to the guest house.... Knackered, Cornish Ali knocked on my door so I hobbled out to dinner and a well deserved steak! I agreed that I would go for 1 drink just to play her in with someone to talk to for the night but when was the last time I stuck to one drink?

I succesfully played Ali in and then bumped into two Manc lads I had met a week previously and ended up drinking with them and playing all sorts of daft drinking games before we went to a club with some Gurkha Officers and 'Motorcycle Rick' . Rick is from Ruislip but has been in Pokhara for 4 years running a motorbike hire firm and has therefore come into contact with all the characters you would expect a foreigner to meet when setting up in another man's town.

Basically after playing a lot of finger spoof with the Manc boys myself, Rick and Basantha, owner of the Busy Bee Bar & Restuarant (and local gangster) headed to the late night 'chow mein' bar. This was unique as you had all the local Mafia in there (you Rick tells me are the worst he has come across in ten years of travel in Europe and Asia) High ranking Police officials and even a few senior army guys! All drinking in an unlicensed place and some of them partaking in a bit of Bob Marley - illegal anywhere in Nepal!

It was a good laugh and the next night was pretty much a re-run of the night before.... I wasn't 'made' but I am definately now a 'connected guy' in Nepal!

Next day and my 36 hour bus journey was going ok until the 9 hour delay at the Indian border (bloody India again!) and eventually finished an hour ago.... just the 48 hours on a bus then!

Well, I'm off to the airport in an hour so how did Nepal score on the Chunk Tetley travel index?

Transport: 2 , The roads are shite, the buses really dangerous, the taxi's over priced and there are no trains.

Food: 7, After India the quality and variety of food was immense, the availabilty of steak and red wine alone gets points :-)

Cost: 8, Although the avearge wage here is lower than India, things were more expensive, but that probably had a lot to do with drinking more!

Sites & Activities: 9 The Himalaya, Temples, Countryside, Rafting, Treking, Paragliding - This place is top of the pops

People (tourist facing): 8, So much friendlier than in India and nowhere near as devious

Accomodation: 8, cheap and clean, you get what you pay for but the options are wide and they are cleaner than India

Hygene: 7, Kathmandu was a bit of a mess and the mountain paths are obviously covered in donkey crap but on the whole the place is quite tidy

Safety: 5, The place is in the middle of a civil war so although this didn't touch me, you have to mark it down. That and the roads are lethal!

Total Score, 54 out of 80 - Only really let down by Transport.

Table

Nepal - 54
India - 40

Next stop - Thailand!.... Sawatdee!

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Comments

[Andrew Supple]

New Scoring Category
I think we should have a specific scoring category for steaks. I would also appreciate one for totty (not including ladyboys).