Blogs from Nagarkot, Nepal, Asia

Deze ochtend zwaaiden we ons eerste hotel vaarwel. Het was een enorm goed hotel, dus de toon is gezet! Hopelijk is de rest even goed. Onze eerste stop was Bouddhanath, een witte bol met vlaggeskes volgens één van de grootouders. :) En eigenlijk hebben ze geen ongelijk. We kunnen er maar mee lachen, maar op zich was het heel indrukwekkend. We namen hier dan ook enkele foto's en gingen een klooster binnen waar een gigantisch beeld van Boeddha stond. helemaal in goud gecoat. Ook stond er een gigantische gebedsmolen, waar we rond gingen en eraan draaiden. Onze gids had deze stoepa al genoeg gezien, dus gaf ze ons even vrij om erop te gaan wandelen en de winkeltjes daarrond te verkennen. Volgende stop: Pashupatinath! Onderweg naar daar kwamen we zowat elke Nepalese militair in het land ... read more

We walked for a couple of hours. Starting at the hotel, we followed a dirt path down. After only a few hundred meters, a dog started following us and would do so for the next 10 km. We soon had a name for him: Bob! And for a while, we also had the aptly-named 'Barky' and Mocha. Bob would have followed us till the end, making friends along the way. In the end, we decided not to betray Bob by taking a car off into the sunset without him. Instead, we shooed him off at a place with people and continued our journey. Up, this time, trough a forest. With nice views along the way. The end of the journey is at another temple. Nice, old, like a lot of others. The food nearby is good ... read more

aNagarkot Nepal 2& 3 December 2015 After a catch-up sleep and the hotel's water pump was fixed so we could have a shower in the morning, we left at 8.30am. This was after a hearty breakfast of fresh fruit and a marsala omelette which has become a favourite of ours. The additives are chilli, onions, tomato, and coriander - YUM! We had 6-7 hours of driving to get to Nagarkot which is at 2200m elevation so that we could spot Mt Everest. On the way we stopped at Bhaktapur and saw more of the earthquake devastation to peoples' houses and Nepalese monuments. There was a large area with Chinese Red Cross labelled tents which were set of for those who have lost their homes. We had a guide take us around. We saw the area where ... read more

With 2 weeks or so before our Base camp trek was due to start, we decided to head out of the smog filled city and head for the Kathmandu Valley. Doing this would achieve two things. Firstly, we would be able to get away from the imposing fumes that the city forces upon you 24/7 ergo extending our life for a good 2 years or so at least, and secondly, to get some much needed walking practice in and getting fit, whilst admiring some of the countryside. We didn’t really have a plan for this fortnight, and to be honest, this suited us just fine. Being a little more spontaneous was something we had hoped for ever since leaving India. So, flicking through various maps and guides, we finally stumbled upon Nargakot, just 20km east of ... read more

We booked what ended up being a pricey trip, but that promised to be worth it. So, we were driven for an hour up to Paradise Inn in Nagarkot. Meals and transfers were included in the price, and we had a balcony overlooking the mountains. It was beautiful, relaxing, and a world away from the bustling streets of Kathmandu. Ram told me how, during the civil war, Maoist rebels had hidden in the mountains of Nagarkot. The war lasted ten years (1996 - 2006) and saw the deaths of approximately 15,000 people. Although it ended in a peace agreement, the Maoists' new-found political recognition brought about the abolition of the 240 year-long monarchy in 2008, after it having already fallen to decline in 1991, by way of political reforms. Nepal is now a federal republic. At ... read more