Dateline: April 6th, 2017, Pokhara, Nepal
31st: Departure Jaipur for Kathmandu rail via Delhi for flight
Departing India Nepal Trek
This trip is from Jaipur to Delhi is about 400Kms. It cost $11 for 2 including bedding. Compare with Via Rail Toronto to Jasper, about $1650 each. Did I explain that before? Sounds familiar. I'll have to check with Rus.
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| Yes, as both the missus and Kayla observe, "Glad we were born in Canada" |
At the station, we walked up, down the platform searching for our carriage. Don't forget, these trains are often a Kilometer long, maybe 1 first class carriage, 2 second, 2 third class. These being "AC". Then, this one had 17 "sleeper class, ie, without air conditioning and several "2nd class". Having bars instead of windows. Anyway, we found the right one after 3 attempts
Once again, we are the token whites, not even a backpacker. Too hot? I'll ask the missus. Yes, certainly since Pushkar.
Once again, endless India outside our windows, farming everywhere now, looks like wheat, a lot of it; typically by hand, familiar to me from Hardy novels as read in my youth. That is, about 150 years ago in the west.
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| I feel totally at home here |
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| Kathmandu market, or one or maybe part of one |
Endless miles of functional poverty, 80 cents a day is the official limit, below, you are officially poor
The water in taps on the train is now so hot that its almost dangerous
Feels like I'm back to my roots of backpacking traveling 40+ years ago
No job, no urgency
It's 40+ outside, as I notice on the rare occasions I go to the bog, or hang out of the doors as we travel along. Doing about 60 - 70Km /hour. Inside, its a cool 25 supping my chai in comparative luxury
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| There's a pretty good tourist scene here |
I have no real idea how to get from the train station to the airport. However, for a 30Km 45 minute car ride, I ordered the real upmarket Uber, at a grand cost or 245Rupees, about $4+ Cad
Gentle reader, if you're not good at making stuff up as you go along, don't bother trying to travel this way. Actually, the same applies if you have a job/ home/ family/ cat to get back to
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| Kayla has been hiking in Pokhara with Amy, an old school friend |
The airport is crammed with soldiers, some with steel plate body shields they hide behind. No real tension though
Its a late flight, so we have hours to waste even before they will accept our bag.
Immigration process in Kathmandu was pathetic. total chaos, and disorganisation. Forms to fill in and money to pay. I got ripped off. Not impressed so far.
We are picked up by the hotel driver, its after midnight and we are driven through a city that looks poor even by Indian standards.
This soon resolves into a music thumping hip hop bar scene with lots of local and tourist revelers
This part anyway, appears to be a party city
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| derf |
Its a late flight, so we have hours to waste even before they will accept our bag.
Immigration process in Kathmandu was pathetic. total chaos, and disorganisation. Forms to fill in and money to pay. I got ripped off. Not impressed so far.
We are picked up by the hotel driver, its after midnight and we are driven through a city that looks poor even by Indian standards.
This soon resolves into a music thumping hip hop bar scene with lots of local and tourist revelers
This part anyway, appears to be a party city
Plus, its a lovely hotel
No passport crap or any documents to fill in, Plus! lots of bog paper
1st
Kathmandu, out walking, meeting the locals. Feels much more relaxed here, and no one stares or wants a photo of you with their friend, these folks have certainly assimilated tourists into this city.
About 30 - 40% more expensive here, credit cards easy, so we pay $2 instead of $1.50 for great coffees, which we have, and generally, hang out.
I need to walk, so head of to the local Sway place. This one is "Swayambhunath".
Finally, our primary, so called, reason for coming, to celebrate Kayla's birthday, now weeks ago. Helenas, top floor, only place under cover. We aactually need a coat as its pretty cold here tonight.! The lightening storm continues to light up the surrounding hills, and we have to top, open floor to ourselves.
Totally brilliant.
Apart from a fish curry back in Udaipur, we have been living exclusive on veg, not even many eggs, now we are back into multiple dead animal products
Amy off, we all say our bon voyages.
I head off for a sort of grand tour of the town
Durbar Square. Amazing that any of these wrecked buildings are still standing after earthquake 2015. Some just held up with bamboo poles, others with steel rods. One more shake and everything will come down
The hotel manager tries unsuccessfully to get us a relatively cheap taxi to Pokhara. Eventually, he uses psychology, and tells me to go into the bazaar and seek a better deal than he can do. I cant.
There is definitely a taxi Mafia here!
3rd.
He adds another $10 to the price. What started at $80, ended up $130.
I'm pissed off, but the taxi is waiting.. Leaving about 9:45
Busy Bee, hookahs all round
We are in Pokhara.1st
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| Breakfast with Kayla & Amy. Wonderfully cool and organised after India |
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| Local colour, as if you needed more |
This is definitely a tourist area, unlike anything in India so far. Much more westernised. Certainly its far more laid back, but this is Thamel. The centre for tourist. The local area? Well, we've plenty of time for that
At breakfast we meet up again with Amy. She and Kayla have been here a week, out to Pokhara and back. they have a room next to us. Amy has been doing research for her PhD near Varanasi. She's off back to UK to write it up, leaving in 2 days
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| I've really seen more than enough |
I need to walk, so head of to the local Sway place. This one is "Swayambhunath".
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| Everyone is so fascinated with themselves here. Endless selfies for everyone |
About 2 Km away and maybe 400 steps, apparently, this is just 10% of first day on Poon Hill, the raison d'etre for Kayla and I in Nepal. At least so far.
It's really just another sacred sight. Yeah, I know, sacrilegious pompous twit that I am, but HEY! I'm calling the shots on this trip. Anyone want to sponsor me, sure I'll insert your viewpoint here:
" "
It's really just another sacred sight. Yeah, I know, sacrilegious pompous twit that I am, but HEY! I'm calling the shots on this trip. Anyone want to sponsor me, sure I'll insert your viewpoint here:
" "
Apparently, much less abject poverty here, higher standard of living? I'm not sure, this is the centre of tourism after all, and this city is certainly adjusted to tourists.
Clean street, clean empty gutters. No disgusting piles of garbage, no cows eating it.
Maybe its the thunderstorms that clean it all out. It really does piss down here.
Maybe its the thunderstorms that clean it all out. It really does piss down here.
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| Oh well, not cows, monkeys |
Supping on Mo mos. A Nepalese specialty, and real treat
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| Happy birthday to you, Kathmandu style |
Apart from a fish curry back in Udaipur, we have been living exclusive on veg, not even many eggs, now we are back into multiple dead animal products
Blogs,
again. Great thing is, its totally my gig. No one is bugged by emails
anymore so I can be totally self indulgent. No longer actively
inflicting this on anyone. The Internet connection is extremely fast here. Even upload videos so I can offload bits of heavy duty blogging
I notice my Wobbles back with a vengeance. After 5 weeks with no change at all I've doubled the dose, but no effect whatsoever. Being tired or really pissed off seems to aggravate, but I'm now at a total loss.
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| Typically, the Nepalese dump their trash by the river so it just floods away during monsoons Then it someone else's problem |
I notice my Wobbles back with a vengeance. After 5 weeks with no change at all I've doubled the dose, but no effect whatsoever. Being tired or really pissed off seems to aggravate, but I'm now at a total loss.
2nd
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| It reads "Kathmandu Tattoo Festival" |
I head off for a sort of grand tour of the town
Durbar Square. Amazing that any of these wrecked buildings are still standing after earthquake 2015. Some just held up with bamboo poles, others with steel rods. One more shake and everything will come down
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| Durbar Square. More old stuff |
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| Local Comment on US politics |
Lots of vendors, tourist trash. Who buys this stuff
I meander around the traffic congested areas. Still very relaxed and friendly everywhere. If you wanted to display your tattoo's at the Kathmandu Tattoo festival, you've missed your chance. it's finished now, but was in full swing this week. |
| Yep, goats must go up and down again, apparently |
The hotel manager tries unsuccessfully to get us a relatively cheap taxi to Pokhara. Eventually, he uses psychology, and tells me to go into the bazaar and seek a better deal than he can do. I cant.
There is definitely a taxi Mafia here!
3rd.
He adds another $10 to the price. What started at $80, ended up $130.
I'm pissed off, but the taxi is waiting.. Leaving about 9:45
Notice yet another trash dump at river. Sigh.
After about 4 km, sit in traffic for 20 minutes. There's major construction, and it only gets worse from here.
Whatever money was sent to Nepal for earthquake relief, none of it went to the roads. The road out, appalling. Maybe 15k in 2 hours. It's a simple, non maintained road with two lanes. Lots of buses and trucks, lots of hills and tight bends.
Whatever money was sent to Nepal for earthquake relief, none of it went to the roads. The road out, appalling. Maybe 15k in 2 hours. It's a simple, non maintained road with two lanes. Lots of buses and trucks, lots of hills and tight bends.
Needs a third lane, traffic defaults to slowest in each lane. Noone driving this way in Canada would last 10 minutes.
Attempting to overtake, on bends, hills, oncoming traffic...... WOW! reckless. Traffic takes up the full width of road, any direction
200Km took about 10 hours. We were the lucky ones, we got there |
| Ooopps? |
There's a Ski lift half way. We don't bother, but stop for lunch
It starts really pissing down, several accidents on road
Some stretches driveable, others awful
Arrive in Pokhara about 6. We're about as tired as the hotel
We wander around as per Kayla, it's still absolutely pissing down for about another 2 hours
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| Doesn't taste so good if it's legal The Budy Bee cafe. Absolutely the best Mo Mo's and sauces in the world |
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| Personally, I have never understood this smoking business unless it's illegal |
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| Apparently, it's a Millennial thing |
Chili chicken mo mos, Fabulous darling
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| Pokhara. Kayla knows all the hot spots It's also incredibly wet. A regular flood every afternoon |
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| Living the great life is easy here in Pokhara. |
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| View from our hotel window, Spot the mountain we're going to climb? |
Orchid Hotel
What a view from the window, Annapurna et al
It's a tired place, not very dynamic, breakfast was the worst I can ever remember
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| Down by the lake |
Out to the streets, iced coffee, make some VoIP calls.
Kayla and I check out treks, organised that is. OK. The light came on when we went next door to a book store. A full quality map of the various hikes for $4.00. We're hooked on both Poon Hill, and ABC (Annapurna Base Camp) Who needs a plan?!
Kayla and I check out treks, organised that is. OK. The light came on when we went next door to a book store. A full quality map of the various hikes for $4.00. We're hooked on both Poon Hill, and ABC (Annapurna Base Camp) Who needs a plan?!
The map makes everything so much easier, fantastic! We're hooked. This makes it really "easy"
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| And why not? |
We lunch, chilli mo mos, lemon juice great! and spread the map out to "plan" our hiking.
Again, at 3:30, it starts to piss down again, totally tropical downpour, daily?
Again, at 3:30, it starts to piss down again, totally tropical downpour, daily?
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| Constitutional by the lake, Annapurna in the background |
Back to busy Bee for our regular fare and pipe
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| Another torrential downpour. 3:30 daily in Pokhara |
5th
Need breakfast, and hotel for missus while we are trying to kill ourselves
Try some places, mainly, dire, but eventually find a great breakfast and apparently there are 4 rooms here too.
We book up Ilge for "5 to 10 days"
Kayla and I head to get our permits, trekking gear is purchase, mainly, hiking sticks and rain proof tops
We book up Ilge for "5 to 10 days"
Kayla and I head to get our permits, trekking gear is purchase, mainly, hiking sticks and rain proof tops
Cookies and chocolate for the trip, and we are fully equipped as far as we know
it pisses down again at 3:30
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| We have the permits, the cash The ability? Who knows. TBD |
Ilge & Kayla's select an upmarket place for dinner. It turns out to be dreadful food, very expensive goop, served by flunkies with bow ties. I rate it as awful on Google as cold revenge for expensive inedible muck
Packing:
I decide, mine is dry sack, for dry places, after shower and days walking
Another bag for all walking stuff, only for trekking, even if its soaked, it will just have to dry on me
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| We're up around 5AM. Packing for the great event There it is. Will we make it, or die in the attempt. Can you wait for the next exciting instalment? |
Up early to a dreadful/ appalling breakfast.
The taxi is on time, we depart, drop Ilge at the Rosemary hotel, and Kayla and I head out into the darkening morning......
The taxi is on time, we depart, drop Ilge at the Rosemary hotel, and Kayla and I head out into the darkening morning......
From Your correspondent
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