Day 39 - Pokhara

I've enjoyed my last day here.

Had a look round the Tibetan shops here, something I've been avoiding since once you step in a tourist shop here, or anywhere in Nepal really, its very difficult to just look and not buy. The shopkeepers are very persuasive.
Anyway, I got a few things to take home. But I still need to get Finlay his incense..

I walked out of Pokhara along a road that leads round the Eastern side of the lake. The lake and hills, really are beautiful. There were people fishing by the road, padi fields and houses poking out through the jungle. Pokhara is a great place.
The pace of life here and given that it is pretty quiet on account of monsoon has made the last fortnight very relaxing.

I'm going to get my bus ticket later, aiming to leave mid morning instead of at the crack of dawn - I've gotten used to lying in. But I guess I'll just have to take what I am given. I'll probably go back to the Kanshar guesthouse.

I'm undecided about what I will do on my final full day in Nepal. I reckon it is either going to be a days white water rafting or a days canyoning. I've been rafting before in Scotland and Canada and to be honest I didn't find it all that scary. Conversely, I've never been canyoning before and it does look scary. The idea of sliding down waterfalls, abseiling down bigger ones and jumping from height into small pools of water seems unnecessarily dangerous. I guess its all the same really, I'll spend a day on the river getting wet.

I'm seriously missing my ipod. Not having any music is hell - I cannot wait to get it fixed. Evert time I go in a net-cafe, I get straight on to Deezer.com and get some Devendra Banhart on the go. In this case, its a little Pete Doherty ft. the Littl'ans or the Littl'ans ft. Pete Doherty...

Day 38 - Pokhara

I've arranged my journey back.

I'm flying from Kathmandu on the 12th, arriving just after midday in the crack of humanity that is Delhi. I'm flying out of Delhi and home on the 15th, at 4am or thereabouts.

9th - which is tomorrow, perhaps go out on the lake here in Pokhara and pack
10th - 7 hour bus back to Kathmandu
11th - A days rafting or canyoning perhaps
12th - Fly to Delhi from Kathmandu, 11.10am flight
13th - Early morning train to Agra, have a look at the Taj Mahal, evening train back
14th - Last minute shopping plus a little extra time for any delays
15th - fly home at 4am.


That gives me tonight - then in 4 days I leave Nepal.

I'm going to find myself a decent hotel in Delhi - nowhere near Paharganj. I'm still not over the shock I got when I arrived there last time. I've been thinking about it and I've come to the conclusion that although it was a culture shock, what I found most disturbing about the poverty and filth was the lack of dignity and the low value of life over there. It was as if Indians just didn't care. It's a generalization and sweeping statement, sure, but it doesn't hide the fact that there is something in the region of 450 million Indians living below the poverty line of $1.25 a day and half of those have less than $0.25 a day. It is just astounding to think that nearly half the population of the country live in complete and overwhelming poverty. Despite the economic boom, with the disgusting caste system and the corrupt government(it is , its not getting any better. India has got one of the fastest growing economies in the world.. but its just so fucked up in every other way. It is impossible to list everything that is so inherently wrong with the state, I mean for instance only 8 towns and cities in India out of more than 3000 have full waste water treatment.
I'm not going to go any further.

I just found out that Soko is performing in London on the 24th of this month - which is pretty interesting since she put a stop to her music earlier in the year. Cant see it being a comeback to be honest though. Fingers crossed, if I can get this tax rebate through, sort out Uni when I get back and get organized I may be able to start my travels in time to catch the gig.


Anyway, that's my plans and thoughts.
It looks like its raining outside, which is strange because its the afternoon. I washed my clothes last night(2nd wash since I've been here, I honestly don't know how that is possible since I've only got three t shirts and one of them I don't wear since it shrunk when it got washed before) and they are hanging out to dry on the roof of the hotel..

Day 37 - Pokhara

Finally broke 5 weeks.

Still here in Pokhara, cant believe I've been in Pokhara for 2 weeks. No way does it feel like it. Anyway. I'm racking my brains trying to figure out what the best possible route to Delhi would be - still no closer to deciding. I could go through Chitwan National park, to Varanasi to Agra to see the Taj then back to Delhi. But on the other hand I could take my time here in Nepal, perhaps go to Chitwan or the Last Resort(one of the highest bungee jumps in the world) then fly JestarLite to Delhi.. Not sure at all yet.

I changed my flights the other day and I'm coming home on the 15th of July. Which is... 8 days from now. Then I'll be home in sunny Scotland, which I've heard has been having a little bit of a heatwave. The reason I'm coming home early, aside from the fact I was not impressed when I first went to India. I've got to Uni sorted for next year ie. enroll, pick a course and get funding. Which is usually not a problem, but since I've changing course and institution it means I've got three years of transcripts and other documentation to pick up in order to transfer my credit.

Anyway. I'm basically cutting my trip short. At this moment in time I think its the right thing to do, I've got no desire to see much more of India and I've been in Nepal long enough. A six week break instead of 12.

But on the other hand I've still got enough money to shoot off once I'm home(unlike last year, when I had three spare weeks and not a penny). So I reckon - get home on the 15th, then shoot off at the end of the month. I've got enough here to do the whole Inter-railing round Europe thing for a month. Also, I got a message on facebook from one of the folk I met in Cairns last year saying that the West Highland Way walk is going to go ahead at the end of August - which would suit me fine. I'd have enough time to get organized with Uni, do a bit of traveling and the West Highland way, then still have a little time to look for a job before I start Uni.

Albeit, I'm basically cutting India out of this trip - but the more people I talk to here, who have already been traveling in - the more I think.
I cant be arsed with that.
Anyway, I'm glad I didnt have a rigid route in place before I got here, because although what I've ended up doing wasnt really what I envisaged - I've had a blast.

Thats pretty much it. I'm excited about getting home now. Getting some decent cigarettes, a decent coffee and of course a Non-Vegetarian meal - I've hardly touched the stuff here, out of fear of food poisoning. I think the tactic has worked because I haven't been sick yet.

Also looking forward to this Inter-railing lark and have a quick nosey through 'Europe on a Shoestring' which for some reason is the reading material in the communal area of this guesthouse. Possible route may be Glasgow to Paris, then through Belgium into Holland, then Germany, Austria, Poland, Czech Republic... wish I had a map... anyway, arriving in the Balkans eventually, which from what I have heard is a beautiful region, despite its history.

I just remembered I'm due a thousand pound rebate from the tax man..sweet.

some photos of the trek...

Only a couple, uploading takes too long..




This one below is Everest, as seen from 5550m on Kala Patthar

Day 28 - Pokhara

Still here in Pokhara.

I'm in a netcafe, because its pishing it down so I cant get out of the hotel unless I want soaked through. It's been raining near enough everyday, not all day, either mornings or afternoons. All in all its not too bad though.

It is a nice place just to chill out in.

Looks like the rain is stopping, so I'm going to make a run for the place up the road that does a proper cup of coffee.

Day 25 - Pokhara

It's been raining since about midnight last night, cleared up about and hour ago and its slowly warming up.

Picked up 'Cold Mountain' by Charles Frazier and enjoying it. Managed to get through 'To kill a Mockingbird', 'One flew over the cuckoo's nest', 'The Dharma Bums', 'The Road' (by Cormac McCarthy), 'Hand to Mouth', 'Motorcycle Diaries' and an odd sort of book called 'Vernon God Little' by DBC Pierre. Things usually stop by 10pm here in Nepal, restaurants and bar's tend to be pretty empty by then - so I usually find myself reading in the mornings in cafes and in bed late at night. Pokhara seems like the perfect place for it.

Cant say I wasnt a little bit disapointed it stopped raining, now I'm going to have to leave the security of the lakeside cafe and go and do something . It is really quite peaceful here, very quiet actually - it is after all the low season here.

I might go and hire a boat this afternoon and go out onto the lake. It is pretty long and you can just about make out the farthest shore. There are plenty of butts of land jutting into the lake that I expect will be interesting to explore. Though I suspect I wont make it that far out. I've had a look at the boats and they are just open canoe affairs, no engines. There are sail boats, but I'm afraid I have no idea how to use them and suspect I would not get very far or get stuck somewhere. Either way, I reckon I would have pretty much the whole lake to myself.

There are lots of motorbikes for hire round here and I've seen the odd tourist on them but I doubt I'll hire one. My insurance covers it, but there are just too many cows and crazy bus drivers, that seem to pop up when you least expect it. There was some sort of waterbuffalo earlier, just walking up the middle of the street making a noise like a diesel engine and throwing its head back and forth - no one except me batted an eyelid. I've noticed all the bikes here have bars in front of the riders knees, I suspect it is to cause maximum damage to the pedestrians they hit.. I'm staying clear.

I was changing money earlier and as I came back out onto the street a beggar child followed me wanting money, I tried to ignore it, then another one appeared. The second one was dressed in a school uniform and had a satchel, he didn't look too poor, but he was pulling at my tshirt - they didnt stop until a shopkeeper came at them with a bamboo rod. Felt a bit bad, since I had nearly 5k rupees in my pocket and all they wanted was one or two. It isn't something you should promote, I doubt my refusal would put them off, but its that old chestnut - you give to one, then where do you stop.

Day 23 - Pokhara

Well..

I was checking my email earlier, just to check and it turns out someone has changed my Visa password. Thats the second credit cart fraud attempt of this trip. I've had to cancel all my bank accounts and credit cards subsequently - its all rather annoying really.

On the other hand, I'm in Pokhara.

7 or so hours on the bus. Quite an interesting journey really. We must have seen about five or six totalled lorries or trucks on the road. There was also some other interesting things to stare out the bus window at.. the goat being beheaded, the toddler walking around the middle of the highway as we tore past at 40 miles an hour missing him by inches and of course there was always the blind corners the driver took on the wrong side of the road without slowing down.

Still we got here in one piece anyway.
I got talking to an American and a Colombian and shared a taxi into town. The touts at the bus station were awful, but completely blanking them seemed to work.

It's been a long day and I've not had much time to look around. I went for lunch at a place that was pretty quiet, with the intention of finishing the last chapter of the book I was reading. The waiter was pretty fucking annoying. I had ordered a veggie burger. I would take a few bites then go back to my book, taking my time really. Everytime I would pick the book back up again the guy would walk across to me and stand about 2m away from me, not staring or anything, but pointing at me - couldnt concentrate at all. Then when I started eating again he would walk away..
I swear, I was in there for 45 minutes and he done that the whole time. Didnt help that he was taller than me and had a slack jaw. But I guess I was already pissed off about the bank fraud thing..

I went back to take a shower in my room. I've got a pretty nice place really, but I'm going to move tomorrow to somewhere outside the tourist district on the lake..
Anyway. I step in to take a shower, its one of these wet bathrooms, I flush the toilet because it looks suspect.. The second that water starts coming about ten thousand ants appear all over the porcelain toilet. Half of them in the water and the other half covering the whole thing... Had I sat down to take a shit, I would have been royally screwed. Honestly, it was horrendous.

I changed rooms after that.


Anywayzzzz.
I discovered earlier when initally checking my emails that this netcafe has got soundcards in the computers - so I've been listening to some tunes. My ipod broke withing about 3 days of getting to nepal and I've been missing it badly - this is the first time I've heard anything decent ie. not Hindi shit. I've been having some Devendra Banhart and the Libertines. The closest that comes to being good round here is the stuff they play in the reggae bars.

I need to go buy some shorts so I can go swimming tomorrow.