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Published: September 8th 2012
Hey there!
So we are finally in Nepal!Dan is currentlystressing over trying to get Yellow player to work to listen to the Oxford match so I have been left the grand task of hyping up what we have done so far!
We arrived here on Wednesday 5th after a sleepless night in Singapore. The worst part was when I went to the toilet at around 2am; minding my own business reading the sign on door...(I was not poohing just to point out!)...when the most spontaneous, out of the blue, shockingly terrifyingly, right over head clash of thunder enveloped the hostel!! Needless to say I disregarded the eco friendly policy of turning off the light when leaving the toilets, to run back to the bedroom!
Anyway, going off task there...at Singapore airport we waited for our flight along with the help of some free machine operated foot massagers (dan was in heaven!)
We landed in Kathmandu around midday and fought our way through hassling taxi drivers bargaining for a cheap ride into Thamel and our hostel stop in Paknajol (5 minutes from the centre and a much quieter area) After three stops of prices from hostel owners, we settled for Family Peace Hostel for 750 rupees a night (just over a fiver for the room per night!) Has private shower, double bed and an awesome balcony so we feel pretty happy with it; despite the obvious lack of cleanliness!
Thursday:
Another sleepless night; this one accompanied by sweltering night time heat and a horrendous American lady swearing at the hostel owner next door about a chuffin lizard in the room! Our newest quote of the trip will now be " I-don't-give-a-fuck" in the best yankee accent imaginable! SHE WAS A BITCH!!
We took note from the lonely planet (the bible) and headed to the garden of dreams which resembles abotanical garden. Very peaceful and green compared to the mayhem outside. We had breakfast and noticed a local Nepali school group had come to play in the gardens. We plaucked up the courage to ask if we could observe Nepali school life for the day and they "heartly welcomed" us to come in this Sunday! Afterwards we waled over to the Durbar square in Thamel and people watched from one of the many temples in the area.
Friday:
We woke up earlier today having had a more restful night sleep and had breakfast in one of the neighbouring hostels. Managed to chat to a very weird, crazy portuguese guy and we were both keen to escape and head out for the day.
We got a taxi to Pashupatinath which is Nepal's most important Hindu temple where bodies go to be cremated next to the river and then placed into it and taken downstream. We arrived and were immediately hassled by a guy trying to give us a tour, we had to tell him 3 or 4 times that we were okay but he kept telling us information about how the bodies were being prepared to be burned...this freaked me out; to say the least, and we stayed there for all of half an hour as I started to cry and and wanted to leave. Not really sure why I was so overwhelemed but I guess that in itself is an experience...Anyway, I was much happier when we walked onto Bodhnath (the largest Buddist Stupa/temple in Asia for pilgrims and Tibetan monks to pray) This was way more relaxing! We walked (clockwise) around the Stupa a few times and then had some lunch before heading home.
Dinner time we went to a local family run nepali eatery (dirt cheap food) and then to our favourite hangout; OR2K where we met some really cool Aussie girls and a Brit called Polly from Bath (studying at oxford-Jesus in October) We have arranged to do the Chitwan National park on the 18th with her for a few days before heading onto Pokhara to start out trek around the Anna Purna Circuit!
So yeah...a great time so far! Very chilled out day today, done very little but heading to the school tomorrow so fun to be had!
Ill try and upload photosa shortly.
Love to all!
Carla...and Dan (who is very angry at Oxford's first half performance and lack of radio connection!)
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Mum/Sue
non-member comment
Great story
Brilliant description of your first impressions of travelling in Nepal. You capture all those mixed emotions and feelings so well. Wish I could be there with you!