We’ll it’s 11.30am and I’ve got to Kathmandu International Airport to begin the 30 hour journey home. All being well I should get to the UK at 7.25am tomorrow (29th), having enjoyed a 12 hour wait at Delhi. Number of countries visited: 10 Distance travelled overland: 20,000km Beijing to Istanbul + 2,000km Mumbai to Kathmandu [...]
Posts Tagged ‘central asia’
Top of the world – Everest, Nepal
Got picked up a 7 am to drive to the airport for a plane ride over the Everest range. As we flew along the stewardess pointed out mountains and eventually Everest which was handily marked by a huge plume of snow blowing from it’s summit. As we got there an annoying chap sitting on the [...]
Tacky – Kathmandu, Nepal
Arrived in Kathmandu in the early afternoon and headed for a traditional Newali meal then out to a bar for the results of the 50 rupee challenge. Over the last couple of weeks we’ve been on the lookout for the most tacky item possible for 50 rupees or less. On the last day names would [...]
Back to nature – Sauraha, Nepal
After a couple of days driving including a very lapsadasical border crossing we arrived at Royal Chitwan National Park. We stayed at the Rhino Lodge, but it seemed as we drove through town that all the accommodation was named using any two or three words from Chitwan, Adventure, Village, Jungle, Lodge, River, Rhino, Safari, Camp, [...]
I see dead people – Varanasi, India
From Panna we drove to Varanasi, a holy city on the Ganges, stopping on the way to pick up lunch at a truckers cafe. I thought the food was great but everyone else seemed to start throwing up about 20 minutes later, which was unpleasant to watch for the duration of the 14 hour drive. [...]
Distinct lack of tigers – Panna Tiger Reserve, India
Image via Wikipedia We drove to Panna Tiger Reserve and whilst the others set up camp in a clearing I wandered about and found reception who gave me the keys to a fully equipped tree-house with fans and en-suite bathroom for the princely sum of $4, so no tent for me tonight. 5.30 in the [...]
Punch and Cricket don’t mix – Orchha, India
Drove to a town called Orcha which was a tranquil little place full of ornate temples. A bunch of locals appeared from nowhere out and helped me cook dinner then settled in to watch us getting remarkably drunk on very cheap punch made with moonshine and fruit juice. Those who made it out of bed [...]
Fake emails – Agra, India
I rather rudely read over one of the other passengers shoulders as they wrote an email home about the very exaggerated hardships they were facing on the trip, the horrible foods they were reduced to eating and the terrible deprivation of the surrounding areas. It was all lies as this section of the trip has [...]
Taj Mahal – Agra, India
Got up at 5 to be at the Taj Mahal for sunrise, when it apparently turns orange, but thanks to the appalling amount of smog it stayed pretty much grey. Close up it was amazing though and well worth the visit. To get there we’d hired a tuk-tuk for the whole day so pottered around [...]
Con men – Delhi, India
Delhi is the worst city I’ve ever been to. No redeeming features whatsoever. Jan 2009 I suppose now a couple of years have passed I should qualify that a bit more. It wasn’t just Delhi, it was the people we met there. Some of our number were heading off independently to Agra to see the [...]
