Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
Trip to Nepal & Annapurna Trek.
4th Oct 2009. I am in Varanasi (India), having met some people from Bulgaria and Romania who do an exchange program in Agra, combined with the fact that I have a couchsurfing friend there, makes this the next reasonable stop. I have already made a train reservation and my train is due to depart in 4-5 hours (according to the published schedule!) and I am number 3 in the waitlisted queue. Alas!! Having spoken to a few people in the last weeks about Nepal, they had highly recommended it. OK, can I change my trip plan? The BA office in Delhi is closed on Sundays, so being resourceful I called their London office. My call went through to a vary helpful agent (I must have been her first caller; 6am in London due to the time difference!) and I managed to extend my stay in India till the 27th Dec ILO 2nd and change all the subsequent flights. Result! It seems I am going to Nepal after all. Off to get $40 for the month long visa cost and book my bus trip. All set.
5th Oct 2009. Varanasi to Sunauli (India-Nepal border)
OK, this is a difficult trip. 10 hours long, in a very old bus (Alex get used to it!) with knackered suspension. We make it to the border, where we have to get off and walk(!) through the Indian and Nepali check points. I should have read the small print! The hotel we are booked as part of the trip is by far the worst, dirtiest place I have ever stayed in. In dormitories by the way. The good thing is that you get to meet people who are going to be your potential fellow trekkers. That night I met Julio & Sylvia, a very nice couple from Barcelona. Long time travellers like me.
6th Dec 2009 Sunauli
Oh, we need to set our watches 15 minutes forward from the Indian time (Nepal's way to maintain it's country differentiation!). Hop on the bus, older than the day's before but somehow more comfortable! Nepal's scenic beauty begins to unfold in front of us, with rivers, cliffs (too close for comfort!) and loads of suspension bridges. Another 10hrs and we reach Pokhara. Three German fellow travellers have already made a hotel reservation and I decided to join them and share their room. Well, the hotel owner had a bit of a disagreement and made us feel really uncomfortable about the fact that the initial reservation was for 3 not 4 persons until we agreed to pay him a bit extra. He had a point but since we had no problem staying four in the room, I could not see his problem. Anyway, tired from the journey, we all go to bed early after quick dinner in a place where the setting is restaurant & home together. This is so common after a while it stops surprising me.
7th Dec
We are staying at the Lakeside. Pokhara lies by a big beautiful lake, with one major street crossing Lakeside from north to south. This is the touristic part, where all the trekkers lodge. We spend the day eating, window shopping at the trekking gear and relaxing. I gave my laundry to be done by the hotel. A very bad idea as it will be revealed later on.
8th Oct 2009
OK, this is not good, it is raining heavily. Time to try the waterproof trousers I bought in Risikesh...huraah they work (almost!). Holger (one of the German lads) and I go shopping after breakfast, leaving Maxi and Philippe to rest back at the hotel since they had spent the previous night debating over a big bottle of whisky and coke! Holger bought himself a few things and took ages to decide over a waterproof vest. I have found someone who is more picky at shopping than me, is that possible? I have decided today that I want to stay in a room by myself, so tomorrow I will move out. Back at our hotel, the guy had forgotten to wash and bring back my clothes which included my towel. Damn! Have you ever tried drying your whole body with a handtowel? Not easy! I decided to have a real coffee (after all that tea drinking in India!) so I go to a nice place where I had the best espresso machiatto in years! I was wired for at least four hours after that cup! I bought some cookies and offered one to this hippy looking girl with loads of jewellery and piercings. She takes it, the ice is broken!! Five minutes later, I join her at her table. We spend hours chatting, she is Dutch, from Amsterdam and her name is Femke. She used to work in a cafe shop, took a few weeks off to travel to Nepal. I surprised myself, because it's the first time I find a hippie person interesting, usually I don't like their appearance and I choose not to talk/approach them. She is leaving the following day, but she told me that she stays in a basic but nice guest house on the north side. I will check in there tomorrow.
9th Oct 2009
I pick up my clean (not really!) clothes, the guy tries to cheat me by scaling them and reading the pounds reading instead of the kg that is charged by. I am no fresher baby! I check out as soon as I can and won't be staying there or recommend that place to anyone!
- comments
eli Poly wraia dihghsh! Perasa poly wraia diavazontas th. Grafe pio syxna na parakolouthoume ki olas...