NEPAL!!!

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Nepal was amazing. sorry for the communications blackout everybody...i've lost my phone -which was broken anyway..and nepal has no signal..also std rates there (phone booths not sexual diseases!) are way higher than India the same is true with net 😞

Nepal seems to be a country untouched by the vices of the modern world. Kathmandu is the most populated and busy city and although it is large and spread out it is nowhere near as busy, populated and polluted as Dehli.

I met up with Tom another gap, quiet, funny from Kent as it turns out and thouroughly nice bloke who also had a desire to visit Nepal. We got a 20 hr train from Dehra Dun to Gorakpur (Indian trains are amazing i love them especially sleepers..) Arrived in Gorakpur at 10.30 after a fairly comfy train ride and negotiated our way through the streets to find a local bus to Sunauli (the border crossing) The rickety bus was speeding through the Rajasthan -like countryside on narrow steep roads when suddnely the weather changed. It was like the hurricane i had experienced in Cuba (although obviously not that strong!)The banana trees were blown horizontal and began to sway violently in the wind. Everything became hazy as if seen though a screen of dust and then heavy slanted sheets of rainfall fell unmercilessly on the bus. The patched up contraption wasn't built to withstand weather like this and soon leaked from every orifice until i, cleverly seated by the window, was drenched. The road was slippery with puddles and the windscreen was assualted by so much rain that it was rendered useless. The driver kept on driving regardless and after 10 minutes of this precarious situation the inevitable happened. A bleating furry mass ran out into the roan causing the bus to swerve manically and skid across the road. i was certain we would have an accident but thankfully not and the bus trundled off unfazed.

Sunuali is the weirdest border crossing ever. People walk across freely and two offices either side, (which need to be signposted!) deal with immigration..very weird. A friendly woman on the Nepal side stamped my passport and smiled warmly "Welcome to Nepal" minutes later I was being offered weed as I was trying to find a rickshaw.

We chucked our huge bags and ourselves into a cycle rickshaw and headed for the bus station. The roads were noticably quieter and there was less rubbish we soon found this was true for the whole of Nepal that we visited. We hopped on a bus and i got my first experience of roof riding - maybe slightly dangerous and uncomfy but exhilarating - got some fantastic pictures - and it was far preferable to feel the sun and wind in your face, and wave at stunned passers-by rather than be cramped in the airless bus below.

I was so so so happy that we had made it there were so many setbacks i didn't think it would happen but we were in Nepal.

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Comments

[admin of nepalvista.com]

not crowed / electricity off
Seems like you enjoyed your stay in nepal. Thank you for letting people know that nepal's electricity goes on and off unexpectedly. Although the country is rich of water and rivers with strength to generate hydro-powered electricity much has to be done to provide continues electricity. I callled my sister a few days back and this is what she told me: "oh, electricity is weak, sometime some lights don't turn on, also computer, electricity has a schedule- this hour for that part of kathmandu and that hour for there" alot of the people do not know this. Travelers staying in star hotels will get constant electricity although even some small hotels have started installing alternative power supply for the comfort of their customers. When in nepal specially during the dry season it is worth finding out the schedule of electricity loadshading. I agree with you on the crowd topic. Delhi is much crowed and so is new york. Anyways, hope you had a great time in our country and we are so sure next you will bring another friend to visit our land. Have a wonderful day today.