Blogs from Thamal, Kathmandu, Nepal, Asia - page 13

I feel like I am in some mad time warp. The days are now descending into repetitive monotony. Like some scene out of Groundhog day. Even the same darned mosquito divebombed me 2 consecutive nights at the same time; My response was of course the same both times....being unable to chase it round the room I could do little except smear mossie repellant in my hair ( which smells delightful!) and dive under the covers, with just my nose poking out to allow ventilation!! The morning trip to the bathroom is meticulously planned and I wobble in the shower on one leg. I then hop down to the laundry 3 doors down the corridor to pick up clothes, being questioned by the same staff every day if my leg is better; I always reply the same ... read more

Life is pretty challenging here on one leg. I spend most of my days resembling a cross between a kangaroo on speed and an unstable flamingo. My new best friend is an old guy with a prosthetic leg and finger stumps at knuckle level who sees me as some sort of disabled ally and keeps giving me the thumbs up, or rather I should say the stumps up. By the way, I'm only his friend because I can no longer travel faster then him to escape him ; in fact, I'm a walking ( or non-walking!) disaster on crutches!!! My prophesy about the flip-flops ( see earlier diary) came true: two days ago I found my flight out from Kathmandu had been cancelled by the airline, which is about to go bankrupt . I rushed to ... read more

After arguments with the driver and the hotel staff, and a flat tire in the desert, we finally made it out of Tingri and to the Nepalese Border. The drive out was once again amazing, reaching 5200m+ once again as we drove out onto a vast barren plateau, and looked down on the clouds and the snow covered mountains. Winding down from the hills the vegetation became lush and green, the air smelled of earth and rain and our anticipation increased. The border itself was pretty cool. Both Zhangmu (Tibet) and Kodari (Nepal) are town set into the hillsides, their streets winding and clinging the mountain as colourful trucks rumble up and down and people of all persuasions sell their wares. A raging river rumbles between the two and crossing the bridge really is like crossing ... read more

If you're reading this first by accident, please click 'previous blog' to read the first 5 days. Day 6: Acclimatisation Day My boots are covered in ice, so it was an utter delight putting my feet inside them this morning I can tell you, and I can't see out of my window for all the ice on the inside, but I don't care (much), as all around the sky is blue and the storm has gone. Woo! I plan a strenuous day walk to Chukhung 3.5hours away to see Island Peak (a relatively accessible 6000m peak), making the most of the good weather and views that are now dust and haze free. But it seems I can't win, as today's weather brings new struggles - the main one being evily high snow reflectance. I overheard a ... read more

"We advise against all but essential travel to Nepal during the current period of enhanced tension, as there is a risk of being caught up in the violence on the streets. Those British Nationals already in Nepal should decide whether their presence is essential." . Well that's just typical isn't it. Just as I fly in. Welcome, as they say, to the magical country of Nepal. Is my presence essential? Depends on my current ego, but I think not. Nevertheless, I have been looking forward to visiting this country more than any other on my trip, and a little bit of violence adds to the pub stories. Ok, bad joke. Let me tell you how it's been for me so far. Generally, the situation in Nepal has reached the international community's attention for a couple of ... read more