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Snapshots from Nepal: Part Two.
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The story so far: Nepal welcomed us with open arms but bad roads, and we made it through Kakarbhitta – Chaubis – Janakpuri – Kathmandu without much incident. It was quite an adventure, hanging on to life as we scaled 45-degree mountain inclines and rode down just as bad descents, with scenic views for company. This post covers the rest of the ride, and the crazy situations I found myself in. To read part one of the Nepal trip, click here.
The road to Kathmandu was a preview of the routes we were yet to cover across Nepal. My tail bone refused to cooperate with my urge to sit down on a soft surface after the ride to the China border; a duck kept me company as I walked in the rain to stretch my legs before getting on the bike again – it waddled alongside making cutesy noises and pecking at unsuspecting people; in Pokhara, we were so bushed with all our previous days that none of us managed to indulge in adventure sports – not even hang gliding; Tatopani was the dream destination with a nightmarish ride to reach it; and Lumbini was sort of alright. When I wasn’t hanging onto dear life or bending over to stretch my back, I was shooting pictures such as these:
Dawn at Dhulikhel, the highest region in Nepal. Couldn’t catch a glimpse of the Annapurna range, but we did have the clouds brush past us at our home stay.
Bikers watching as the home stay owners of our halt at Dhulikhel took the bikes down a treacherous road.
One of the bumpiest – and most painful – rides I have ever had was to the Chinese border from Dhulikhel, but the payoff was worth it. China looms on the other side of the gate, with planned infrastructure even on themountains!
The Waddling Duck. Some day, when the duck dies and goes to Domestic Bird Heaven and meets the rooster that chased me in the Trongsa Dzong, they’re going to have such a good laugh about the woman who was a total sucker.
Pine-scented roadways, Nagarkot. The place is very similar to Kodaikanal in its beauty. The nights are especially stunning, with 360-views of a star-lit sky.
Hotel at the End of the Universe, Nagarkot. Inspired by Douglas Adams, methinks. And certainly comes close to Douglas’s imagination.
Two boys and a conspiracy. At the main square of Bhaktapur Darbar square, a UNESCO world heritage site. Bhaktapur appears larger than Patan Darbar Square, and is more architecturally versatile. As you go deeper into the square, it appears as if time has frozen – the locals still create pottery, embroidered murals and singing bowls, pretty ancient arts.
Stone carvings at one of the many temples found in Bhaktapur Darbar Square.
Wheat growing in fields on the way to Pokhara. The crop can be found growing across most of Nepal. When we went, most of the wheat in the fields was ripe and ready for harvest, so all we saw were fields of swaying Gold everywhere.
The road to Tatopani. When we returned from Nagarkot, we halted for the night at Pokhara, leaving behind more than half our luggage because we were going to return to the place and stay for two days. Our next adventure was Tatopani, and from there onwards to Muktinath. I loved Tatopani so much that I stayed back while the rest of the gang rode up to Muktinath. This was the second toughest route to navigate on the entire trip.
A glimpse of the snow-capped Annapurna range, Tatopani.
The view from our hotel at Tatopani. Off the screen to the right are the hot springs that give Tatopani its name. There are several such hot springs across Nepal. The water is rich in Sulphur and supposedly curative. When I drank a cupful, the taste was pretty metallic. P.S: Who can spot the blue truck?
The Thakali Thali. One of the highlights of the ride was the standard vegetarian thali one can find across Nepal. The daal is particularly delicious, with a special herb locally called Jimbu adding loads of unique flavour to it. The herb is pretty expensive and is usually imported from Tibet. The rest of the components of the thali (from lower right) are tomato chutney, pickled radishes, a dry dish made with local pulses, local greens and potato-beans sabzi.
Visiting Devi’s Fall at Pokhara. Pokhara has many interesting places to visit. The Gupteshwar Caves are stunning, but make for really bad photography. There’s also the Mountaineering Museum which I heard is fabulous, but didn’t manage to go to because we got stranded in the rain.
This wishing well at Devi’s Fall is pretty rich – by Nepali standards at least.
A night out in Pokhara, listening to a local band doing covers of the oldies.
Chitwan, our destination after three days in Pokhara. The Chitwan Wildlife Sanctuary is pretty famous for its wildlife, but the entry is also quite expensive. We could only afford to go to the Elephant Breeding Centre. This was the scenic approach to the rows and rows of open enclosures for the elephants and their babies.
Lumbini, the last stop in Nepal before we headed back into India via Basti, UP. The ruins of Lumbini Palace are cocooned within this… this structure that totally killed my desire to walk in. Based on the reports from those who did venture in, I didn’t miss much. It was exciting, though, to be at the birthplace of Buddha.
QUICK NOTES
Currency:
1 Indian Rupee = 1.6 Nepali Rupee. Which means that you’ll feel richer in Nepal. Possibly also one of the reasons why a lot of Indian families holiday there. Unlike Bhutan, people here don’t go crazy behind the Indian rupee. Oh, and 500 and 1000 rupee notes are not accepted in most places because of fraud.
Food:
Sekuwa – smoked meat – is widely available and is apparently pretty delicious. It’s an acquired taste for some. Vegetarian food is widely available – the Thakali thali, especially, is available everywhere. Chicken and beef are most common. You’ll find a lot of Chinese and Indian cuisine everywhere, but places that serve authentic Nepali food are a little hard to find.
Accomodation:
Varies from basic to luxurious. Water and electricity are a problem, so carry a torch with you. Most rooms are well-maintained, with western bathrooms and water heaters, toilet rolls and towels.
Weather:
It was pretty hot when we rode into Nepal, but after that it was raining throughout. The weather is mostly pleasant, and bearably cold in the higher regions. I carried six pairs of jeans and plenty of tees. I used floaters for local sightseeing, but for treks and the ride itself, I wore hiking shoes. Carry rain covers for your luggage.
Vegetation:
Sparse. Most of it is cultivated land, with a decent amount of greenery on the mountains. The historical monuments are note-worthy, with quite a few world heritage sites in the country.
Wildlife:
Not sure, really, because I spotted nothing – no birds, no animals, and definitely no yetis.
The road travelled. Less or more is entirely up to you.
Getting there: Delhi is the most conveniently connected metro to direct flights to Pokhara and Kathmandu. You can also fly to Bagdogra and ride from there.
Go if: You want to indulge in plenty of adventure sports.
Wordsmith. Wanderer. Mother Nature's child. Novice photographer. Expert nothing. I write about my travels on www.adventuresofpotlibaba.wordpress.com.
View all posts by The Nebulous One
17 thoughts on “Snapshots from Nepal: Part Two.”
That Part II was some time coming.. :-|
You take us there… it’s as simple as that!!
:-) So love your posts!
The pictures are brilliant as usual.. dunno how you do it! And you conjure up the rest with your words..
Hungry for more – get on your way!! ;-)
Hello! Yeah, it was. Work got in the way. Thank you for the kindness. And you should be the one talking, Mister I-Just-Did-A-Roadtrip-Across-An-International-Coastline! How about you share some pictures with me instead? :]
Oho. No problemo, it’ll happen soon enough. Wish for it hard. :)
I am :O
Beautiful pics, again. You go to the most interesting of trips! :) And tell stories in that wonderful way of yours, that makes us want to keep listening. :)
I really, really love reading about your travels which is why I have to say this. The font you use for your posts is rather difficult to read. It might be that the background is too bright or the font color is too faint but all in all its hard to pick out the words. it would be nice if you could pick a bolder font.
I agree with Thinkerbelle – I have felt this many times too, but never said it. The font is too small to read comfortably, but it has never been a real hindrance since your posts are so interesting! :)
Adventures of Potli Baba 
That Part II was some time coming.. :-|
You take us there… it’s as simple as that!!
:-) So love your posts!
The pictures are brilliant as usual.. dunno how you do it! And you conjure up the rest with your words..
Hungry for more – get on your way!! ;-)
Hello! Yeah, it was. Work got in the way. Thank you for the kindness. And you should be the one talking, Mister I-Just-Did-A-Roadtrip-Across-An-International-Coastline! How about you share some pictures with me instead? :]
loved reading your posts….you recreate the journey for us with your photos and words :)
Thank you Dreamzandclouds. I hope this helps you plan your Nepal trip – if you haven’t gone on it already. :)
as of now, its on hold :(
Oho. No problemo, it’ll happen soon enough. Wish for it hard. :)
I am :O
Beautiful pics, again. You go to the most interesting of trips! :) And tell stories in that wonderful way of yours, that makes us want to keep listening. :)
Glad you enjoyed reading it TGND. :)
I really, really love reading about your travels which is why I have to say this. The font you use for your posts is rather difficult to read. It might be that the background is too bright or the font color is too faint but all in all its hard to pick out the words. it would be nice if you could pick a bolder font.
Hello Thinkerbelle!
Thank you for reading Potli Baba. As for the font change – done and done. Tell me if you can read better now. :)
I agree with Thinkerbelle – I have felt this many times too, but never said it. The font is too small to read comfortably, but it has never been a real hindrance since your posts are so interesting! :)
Hahaha! Thanks for your honesty TGND. I changed the font. Go see now. :)
Yes, it is much better now. :)
Yay!
YES!!Thanks so much. No let me get back to reading this post :)
Enjoy! :D