JoshoB

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The weather in Pokhara had closed in again. For two days I was greeted in the mornings by grey fog-heavy skies, pathetic drizzle, and a noticeable drop in temperature. And so, with a week left in Nepal, I excitedly booked yet another bus journey, the final one of this trip, from Pokhara to the bustling capital, Kathmandu. The journey between the two main tourist hubs of this mountain realm is a well known six hour ride along the Prithvi Highway. As the road twists and turns around hair pin bends with terrifying drops below, altitude is gained all the way, ending in the relatively high-up city known as KTM, (which I always thought was a motorbike). Well known and a promised six hours it may be, however there was one more bus induced treat in store ... read more

“The often dramatic Siddartha Highway winds through a series of landslide-scarred valleys between Butwal and Pokhara with spectacular Himalayan views. ... it is also regarded as one of the finest and most scenic motorcycle journeys in Nepal.” The lonely planet guide for Nepal is, unlike its new Indian counterpart, completely useless and inaccurate, except for the above statement. My erstwhile travelling companions, the three Dutchies as they have become affectionately known, and I, decided that while the weather was none too inviting in Pokhara, we would take the opportunity to ride this famed highway to the south of Nepal in search of sun and spirituality at the birthplace of Buddha at Lumbini. While it acknowledges the road, what the Lonely Planet fails to acknowledge about this motorcyclists paradise is the inability to rent a bike with ... read more

Tihar is a five day festival celebrated by Nepalis in late Autumn. As luck would have it, I arrived in Pokhara on day two of this colourful, noisy and generous celebration. Tihar means the festival of lights, much like Diwali across the border in India, but the five days of this multi-ethnic celebration all account for different celebrations. Whether the locals are Thakali, Sherpa, Newari or of Indian descent it is a real community event. Day one I was oblivious to as I was crammed into a tiny bus for my eleven hour journey to the city by the lake. Kag Puja, as day one is called is the worship of Crows. The crows are worshipped by offerings of sweets and dishes on the roofs of local houses. The cawing of the crows symbolises sadness and ... read more

Now, thanks to my mildly itinerant nature, I’ve been on a few different bus journeys, in a few different parts of the world. Nearly all share the common theme of comedic value. For example, as some of you will know, South American, particularly Colombian buses, all share one common factor; the air conditioning is jammed on full blast for the duration of the journey, regardless of the outside temperature. Earlier this year I went to Colombia to visit my brother and his girlfriend on their travels and was subjected to a couple of these cloak wrapped, steam breathing journeys. On a particular journey, one of eighteen hours between San Gil and Santa Marta any observers will have had good value for money on their entry ticket. Not only were we frozen for the journey, and subjected ... read more