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Published: November 19th 2009
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It’s hard to say what I was expecting as the local bus rumbled to the border at Sonauli for us to cross into Nepal. Tired and sore - we’d all been duped and put on a local bus rather than a coach to the border and the journey had so far involved many arguments, much tension, a flat tyre, several mosquito bites and the ongoing suspicion that the situation wasn’t going to improve any time soon - still misery loves company and there were at least 12 of us all clinging together for support as we arrived at the border. I completed the relevant forms and started the walk across the border, reached for my camera to take a picture but the battery was flat and, as the clock ticked round to 10pm (we should have been there about 6hrs earlier) I sensed this was not going too well!
A couple of beers soothed the passage to sleep in the worst accommodation so far but the lovely Spanish and Argentinian’s in the same boat as us provided ample distraction from the situation. The following morning our Nepalese bus arrived and sadly the situation looked far from improving - we were
in for at least another 9hrs to Pokhara - Nepals second city built to service the people visiting the Annapurna region. And what a great decision that was!
We fell off the bus feeling more dirty than I ever had and into the arms of the people at the Moonland guesthouse. Well actually our new Spanish friends did and, happy as they were with the place, and the lack of hard sell from the guys there we followed suit. It turned out to be a great decision (hence I’ve named the place here) and from there used it as a base to explore the beautiful lake that the city is built on and as a base for me to go off trekking.
And it is with that word for me that Nepal becomes one of my favourite places in the whole world. This landlocked marvel of a country is home to eight of the worlds ten highest mountains, one of the most feared and respected fighting forces in the world, a nation that has never been conquered, a fascinating but unsettled political landscape nestled in between two of the worlds greatest powers near some of the worlds most
disputed territories.
I only had the time to do a short trek, barely scratching the surface of the Annapurna region but it left me hungry for more. The simple majesty of the mountains as a backdrop to my every move. Not seeing vehicles and knowing that everything that is in these villages was carried there by man or beast - including everything that comprises the buildings themselves - left me in awe of these strong, proud people. I ate more dhal baat (the traditional Nepali dish of boiled rice, dhal, vegetables - spinach, potato and cauliflower with some pickle) and mo:mos (Chinese steamed dumplings) than I ever thought possible and met many other lovely people along the road.
The end point of my trek was in Tatopani which came with the finishing post highs of both natural hot springs and a cold beer to wash it down - heaven! As we walked out the following day towards the bus and I finally saw a vehicle I felt so completely sad - life in the mountains whilst definitely a hard life is a beautiful and simple one. Faces smile and look healthy, children beam at you and ask for
sweets in their school uniforms and although I know there are appalling drop out rates in the schools in the country the general trend is heading in the right direction - and isn’t that all that progress really is?
The rest back in Pokhara was brief and enjoyable. Jo had gone on a shopping frenzy in my absence so I felt it would be rude not to shop a little with her on my return and had a pair of hippy pants made to measure. After that we set off for a two day white water rafting adventure.
The highs of it were the beautiful scenery, good company and a beautiful night camping out on an isolated beach with a fire and some local rum. Local villagers came down to sing and dance with us around the fire and it really was a fantastic night. The disappointments were that there was far too little white water to get the pulse racing and the seconds ‘days’ rafting lasted for only 50mins. Hopefully our memories of the event will recall more of the good but as I write this I can’t help still feeling it was a bit of swizz!
After that it was finally time to face Kathmandu. So many people we’d spoken to kept reassuring us that if we’d been to Delhi we’d be fine with Nepals capital - reluctant wasn’t even in it as we boarded our coach! The nations capital reveals itself to you in the same kind of way Pokhara does - opening out from the winding road of the hills to view the valley and its urban sprawl. It felt like an age to get into the city from that vantage point though - the traffic compressing to mere millimetres between the vehicles and a similar kind of forward pace. We found a guest house which was twice the price and half the comfort of Pokhara but in a reasonably quiet part of town and then went out exploring.
Kathmandu is not a patch on Delhi, so, as we were psyched up for so much more pollution, dirt and poverty it appeared probably more clean and vibrant than it really is. The regular power cuts also added to the charm and deflected from the negative sights. We made a leisurely time of it, having some drinks, spending some time on the internet
and I propped up a corner of Durbar Square one afternoon soaking up the atmosphere over the daily paper. One thing is for sure though - Nepal is a great place to shop and I will definitely be returning with empty bags.
Nepal took my breath away and has stolen a piece of my travelling heart - or, more likely, I gave it willingly. I just hope that the country I one day return to visit won’t have lost itself along the way. A country steeped in strong family values and varying levels of commitment to faith and certainly vastly different interpretations of the major religion - Hinduism, than in India (there was an appeal in one of the daily papers from a prominent Indian Hindu to discourage Nepali Hindus from engaging in animal sacrifice at one of the upcoming festivals). I also got the feeling that it’s a nation increasingly frustrated by their poor status when then know they have such an incredibly rich country and many reasons to visit it and of course millions of tourist and international aid dollars pouring in each year - the average person - living below the poverty line is of course
entitled to wonder where the hell it’s all going.
One of the nights at the guest house a friend of one of the guys came down from where he lived in the mountains. He’s one of those people that you look at with harsh eyes and just say he’s a stoned hippy - interested in environmental issues and smoking lots of weed, playing bongo’s and the like. Anyway, we sat around with them for a while and he started chanting which was intially exceptionally cool. I asked one of the Nepali girls next to me what he was singing about and she said it was environmental issues. Soon enough though his chants moved to English and about the west having everything and how poor they were. So much of what he was saying I could appreciate but I couldn’t move away from the point that in the West we keep looking for to the East for simplicity that comes from not having so much that we are burdened with fear of losing it, or falling behind and in the East some people are honestly believing that the excesses we have are something to aspire to. That somehow the enormous
choice of sofas in a January sale could bring the kind of peace we seek in their temples. Maybe it’s just that we’re looking for peace for our world weary souls, and they’re looking for peace for their work weary bones?
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Jo Trouble
Jo McCarthy
Great entry
Not that I needed encouragement, but you've made me want to go to Nepal even more :-)