4th October 2006 - Beautiful Nepal

After a slight detour we managed to find the Nepali immigration office, where the border official was happy to put a Nepali visa in each of our passports for the princely sum of 30 US dollars (each).  Having done so efficiently and changed some money (at a good rate) for us, he then slightly blotted his copybook with us by asking for 'a little baksheesh'!  This was noteworthy for being the first time any border official had asked for a bribe on our trip, but also just because it was such a poor attempt to extort a bribe - he had already done everything we needed him to do, so we politely declined and walked away!  The customs officials also seemed pretty relaxed about things - Roel filled in their official record book for them (a privilege normally jealously guarded and officiously exercised by border officials), they put a couple of stamps and squiggles on our carnet and we were on our way!

Western Nepal is very rural and its inhabitants are extremely poor.  The lush scenery, dotted with traditional mud houses with reed-thatched roofs, was beautiful to drive through.  The main mode of transport seemed to be bicycle or cycle-rickshaw and this, combined with the quality of the roads, made a refreshing change from the chaos of Indian traffic.  Generally, despite the obvious poverty, Nepal seemed much cleaner and more pleasant to travel in than India.  We made rapid progress through the west and spent the night in the town of Butwal.  Next day we drove the winding road through mountain villages to the lakeside town of Pokhara, at the foot of the Annapurna range.  Even compared to McLeod Ganj and Rishikesh, Pokhara was more touristy than anywhere we'd been in a long time.  To be fair, we did stay in the tourist area of town, but this is also the most beautiful location, with amazing views of the lake and surrounding hills (and, we're told, on a clear day, of the Annapurna mountain range - sadly we didn't experience this).  Once we'd got over the shock, we enjoyed the touristy bars and western-style food, which made a welcome change.  We also had our first close encounter with an Israeli tourist - we got chatting to him in a restaurant but had to sneak away in embarrassment when he started arguing with the manager about a discount because his (195 Nepali rupee, i.e. less than two and a half US dollar) steak (which he'd managed to finish) hadn't been cooked to his liking.  We try to resist stereotyping but it did rather fit with everything we'd heard about Israelis on holiday...

We're not really into trekking and the weather wasn't really conducive, so our token bit of exercise in Pokhara was an hour rowing a hired boat on the lake.  You do get a beautiful view of the hills and lake though the fact that it wasn't clear enough to see the mountains didn't stop the sun pounding down on us and making us ridiculously hot.  We did this on our last morning and were just preparing to drive off when we noticed a couple of overland vehicles parked at the lake shore where there used to be an overlanders' campsite (the overlanders' campsite is now about 6km out of town and was extremely wet when we were there).  We couldn't resist a chance for a chat with other overlanders so we spent a pleasant hour there chatting.  We finally managed to drag ourselves away to start the drive south to Chitwan National Park some time after 12.  En route we passed a French campervan going the other way, which we recognised as belonging to Isabelle and Benoit, whom we'd met very briefly in Islamabad.  We turned round and caught them up for another brief encounter and exchange of tips - hopefully one day we'll actually get a chance for a proper chat with them!

Despite being assured that we'd never make it to Chitwan in half a day, we arrived at the Chitwan Tiger Camp hotel, with its beautiful setting on the edge of a river populated by crocodiles, elephants and dugout canoes, just in time to watch the sun set.  As if this wasn't lucky enough, just as we were arriving we ran into a couple of people from the Exodus overland truck we'd met in Damascus (whose driver, Andy, we'd previously got to know in Istanbul).  Barely even stopping to check into the hotel, we joined them at a restaurant further down the river for a riotous (and lengthy) evening of reunions with Andy and the rest of the group who'd been on the trip in Damascus and getting to know the new passengers (including Maria, Andy's girlfriend, who'd joined the trip for a month).  Needless to say this was all accompanied by lots of booze.  Luckily, we had remembered to grab a torch for the stumble back to our hotel in the early hours (still didn't stop us wandering into the grounds of another hotel as we tried to find the entrance to ours... oh dear).

We were told that the next morning was the most beautiful sunrise for ages, with the Annapurna range perfectly visible in all its glory, but sadly we can't personally testify to this.  Fortunately it still looked pretty good when we managed to fall out of bed...  We got stuck into the safari activities by helping the elephants with their bath (you wouldn't believe how rough and bristly their skin is against delicate European knees that haven't seen the light of day since Turkey...).  Roel then retired to bed to nurse his (first ever) hangover - he won't be drinking vodka and mango juice again in a hurry!  He re-emerged in time for a late lunch, a trip to watch feeding time at the Elephant Breeding Centre (some very cute baby elephants running around, though a few of the mothers looked like they had been tied up for too long) an another (somewhat less drunken) evening at the same restaurant (the Holy Restaurant & Bar - we never did work out what was holy about it, but the food and location were so good we never ate anywhere else in Chitwan).

Next day (by which time we'd all completely recovered) we took advantage of Maria's kind offer of haircuts all round (she has her own salon in Box, near Bath - if you're passing we'd heartily recommend).  Feeling much cooler (in both senses!), we then headed off for an afternoon elephant safari, which was lots of fun (though the wooden seats which seat 4, one at each corner, get a bit painful after 2 and a half hours of swaying in time with the elephant's loping gait).  The elephants took us through a densely wooded area and we were pleased to glimpse 4 rhino, including a mother and baby, in the undergrowth, though the tigers remained elusive (we hadn't been too hopeful anyway, having heard that one of the guides who'd worked in the park for 8 years had only spotted a tiger twice!).  The day was rounded off with a pleasant evening with Andy and Maria (back at the Holy Bar, where else?).

Next day, after a leisurely breakfast, we set off for Kathmandu around 9.30am.  The Exodus truck had already left at 7, so we were surprised to catch them up on the outskirts of Kathmandu!  Traffic in and around Kathmandu has to be seen to be believed and the approach to Kathmandu is steep and winding, so it was hardly surprising that the truck had found it harder than the Landy to overtake the many struggling Nepali trucks inching their way along the road.  We drove in convoy to the Ambassador Hotel, where Exodus stay, but (without the Exodus discount) this proved a bit pricey for us so we headed for the Kathmandu Guest House, which we knew had parking for the Landy.  As this was also a bit over our budget at 20 USD plus tax a night (there are cheaper rooms but none was available), we only stayed one night before decamping to the cheaper (but much friendlier and equally well-equipped) Hotel Ganesh Himal.

Kathmandu is another truly touristy spot, especially in the central Thamel area, where most of the restaurants and hotels are.  After Pokhara, we weren't so shocked by this and, perhaps because it was just coming into season, there were sufficient numbers of tourists around to justify the presence of so many tourist facilities (whereas in Pokhara all the tourist businesses seemed to be struggling a bit).  We spent lots of time with the Exodus truck crew, which was great as they're a really nice bunch.  Kathmandu was the end of one leg of the six-month Istanbul to Bangkok trip, so several passengers were leaving - another occasion for meals out and the consumption of alcohol!  The truck was staying in Kathmandu for 10 days, so we were able to go on a two-day whitewater rafting trip with Andy, Maria, Big Dave, Little Dave, Chris and Martin, which was loads of fun.  We definitely want to do another, longer rafting trip, either later in this trip or perhaps on a return visit to Nepal some day.  Other than that, we visited a few tourist sights - Durbar Square in Kathmandu is very impressive and we particularly liked the Buddhist stupa and monastery in the centre of Kathmandu, though weren't so impressed by the more Hindu-dominated atmosphere and persistent souvenir salespeople at the larger Swayambunath Buddhist shrine on the outskirts - bought some souvenirs and enjoyed the chance to consume lots of Western food and drink!  We also had a lot of fun catching up with Kevin, the Canadian/Belgian motorcyclist we had met in Palmyra, Syria (www.nohorizons.net), and our former travelling companions Frank and Martine.

While we were in Kathmandu the most important festival in the Nepali (Hindu) calendar, Dasain, was taking place, although the celebrations didn't really come to a climax until the last day or so of our visit.  After several days of visiting Durbar Square to be told that there would be 'animal sacrifices and other rituals' there 'tomorrow', we got a bit frustrated and decided not to delay our departure any longer.  We said our goodbyes and set off determinedly for the Indian border.  Unfortunately, we had got almost as far as Chitwan (a good two-and-a-half hour drive from Kathmandu) when we realised that we (well, actually, Lizzy, as she was supposed to have checked the room) had left our duvet behind at the hotel.  Tail between our legs we crept back into the hotel at about 5pm, having had 5 hours wasted driving.  Yes, they did have our duvet and, yes, everyone did think we were idiots.

However, the upside was that the next morning (at 6.30am, unfortunately) we would be able to have another go at seeing part of the festival.  At 7.30am, having wandered round and seen little other than Nepalis queuing to get into a temple open (to Hindus only) one day a year, Roel and Kevin headed off for breakfast.  Half an hour later, Lizzy, Chris, Paul and Martin were about to do the same when a Nepali in an official-looking uniform (complete with large hat) approached Paul and asked if he would like to come inside the army barracks to watch the 'ceremony'.  We entered a courtyard where a number of somewhat disorganised-looking older men wearing a random assortment of clothes and a larger group of younger men wearing blue jackets (all equipped with swords tucked into what appeared to be dressing-gown cords) were standing to attention in rows.  A small band was playing a rather dismal, off-key tune in a corner.  And round the edges of the courtyard about 15 water buffalo and 100 goats were looking on.  We were ushered to a seating area where a number of tourists were already seated - the only Nepalis present seemed to be those involved, although members of the Nepali army could be seen watching from the roofs of the surrounding army barracks.

Suddenly, the mood changed and seven circles were set out around the courtyard, each with two attendant priests (wearing red), an older man who was to perform the ritual and a selection of flowers, dyes, holy water and candles to be used in the ceremony.  A period of chanting, praying, adding ingredients and mixing ensued, all accompanied by the same tune from the band.  This culminated in some of the resulting mixture being sprinkled around a post in the ground near each ritual circle.  Each of the seven rituals seemed to go at its own pace, with the one nearest us progressing fastest.  Accordingly, we received a full assault on our senses when a small (and rather cute) goat was led up to the circle, pinned down on a straw bale by a man wearing a white singlet and boxers and swiftly decapitated by one swing of a machete.  Eughh!  Before we could even blink, the goat's head (still twitching) had been laid at the edge of the ritual circle, with a small candle burning on its forehead, and the body was being dragged twice round the ritual circle, forming a thick circle of blood.  The same procedure ensued with a young water buffalo and then about eight or nine more goats.  All around the courtyard, the celebrants at each ritual circle were performing the same sacrifice.  Of course we had known that animal sacrifices were going to take place, but it was still somehow really shocking.  The swiftness of the machete and the ease with which it cut through the animals' flesh, even that of the sturdy water buffaloes, were truly alarming.  Fascinated and horrified, we stayed to the end and shuffled back out into the square feeling slightly numb.  As we're not vegetarians, perhaps it's hypocritical of us to find this shocking and brutal, but it just didn't seem in keeping with our understanding of what religion means.  Clearly we still have a lot to learn about Hinduism.

Still reeling from the experience, Lizzy, Chris, Paul and Martin rejoined Roel and Kevin.  After Lizzy had had a quick (vegetarian) breakfast, we set off once more and this time reached the Nepal-India border without incident.  We spent the night on the Nepali side of the border and crossed back into India in the morning.
Nepal has been an amazing experience and we could have spent at least a month more there without any problems. Definitely a place to go back to...