Kathmandu
Trip Start
Sep 28, 2005
1
115
177
Trip End
Dec 24, 2007
Kathmandu,
Nepal
Monday, August 21, 2006
Im in Kathmandu! Getting here was an effort though - we finally managed to get a jeep the 6km from Sauraha (they were trying to charge us more than a 150km bus ride fro a 6km journey grrrr!) got a bus to Narayanghat, a cycle rikshaw through town (which both of us paid for efectivly paying double!) and then a bus to Kathmandu. The bus to Kathmandu was SO hot and i didnt think we could do it but we moved seats after an hour and it was a much more enjoyable journey.
We got here at 4 and got a taxi to some uest houses. Im realy happy with the one we chose, its a little pricy but in a really nice area and a very nice room (with tv!)
I have spent the evening eating pasta and doing this log
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. Photos to come over the next couple of days!P.S Kathmandu is great!
11/8/06
Kathmandu is still great, but not as great! We have spent the majority of the day getting lost today, all i have really got done is eating and more photos on this log - ah well, still have plenty of time here!
14/8/06
Since the last entry i have dragged Polina around 3 walking tours in a day! I loved it but she - well... DIDNT! It was a good way to see the place though - i am getting a real feal for the place.
My eyes have been bad and as the monkey stole my glasses i have had no other option but to wear my contacts. Today i went to an opticians and got some glasses (which are pretty good) the same day!!!
Other than this we have been eating and drinking a lot and having a good time :-0
20/8/06
The past few days have been very busy
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.On the 15th we went to the 'Monkey Temple', it is an hour walk from the centre so we set off with plenty of time to spare. The walkwas nice as we got to see a bit more of Kathmandu, when we arived we had to climb a whole load of steps to get up to the top. It is called Monkey Temple as there are 100's of monkeys playing on the way up - Polina got some good snaps. When at the top therew are some amazing views over the whole Kathmandu valley, we had an expensive drink up there, walked down the otherside and then back to our Guesthouse.
On the 16th we went cycling but the rains came - we got absolutly drenched and i was fed up with it all so we came back the the cycle hire shop about 2 hours after leaving there!
On the 17th we went rafting! This was probably my best experiance in Kathmandu. We left at 6am and walked about 3 km to the bus, from here it was 3 hours on a tourist bus (our 1st in Nepal and India) to the Rafting start point. Here we waited with an Italian couple and before we knew it we were at the raft. The 4 of us and 4 raft masters gave us a little lesson so we roughly knew what we were doing and then off we went!
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The water was fast throughout and generally you just glide down but then someone shouts forward and you paddle like crazy. On a few occasions we were alowed to jump out of the raft and speed down the river with our wetsuits keeping us afloat - this was better than the rafting! They catch you up before the rapids hit (thank god) and literally throw you onto the raft.My eyes were giving me jip again so i threw my contacts into the river and all was well again.
There was a point when another boat with maybe 15 Italians on it, we charged over to them and starte a water fight - it was really cool, they were not expecting it at all when i fired a paddle of water their way ha ha!!
There was a point where a massive rapid threatened to turn us over (well there were many) but this one took the Italian girl off the boat! we had to get her in really quick before she was lost to the water :-)
The rafting was 2 hours, Lunch (of mainly cakes) and then 2 more hours. It dosnt sound much but it was a really nice amount and the weather was perfect
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.We caught a local bus back (which took a while to arive) and then shared a taxi to Thamel (our area) with the Italian couple. We got back at 8 absolutly exhausted and fell into a deep sleep.
On the 18th we cycled to some temples, this is what we intended to do 2 days prior to today but the rains came. We set off after i posted some photos home to my dad so i can get thwem on this log. It was a 6km ride to the 1st, then 30 mins to the 2nd, 30 more to the 3rd and 30 more back to the 1st. The 1st was called Bodnanth and was a huge stupor, it was really nice and there was a nice feel in the air as you walk past - you can almost feel the energy. Polina was more interested in shopping so i sat and admired the stupa. The 2nd thing was Gorkana Mahadev Temple, this was plesent and we sat next to the river for a while,the 3rd was a monestary on top opf the hill called Kopan Monestary, it was a hard ride up there but it was absolutly stunning with an amazing view of the sun starting to set.
That was the problem though - THE SUN WAS SETTING!!!!! We had to get back quick, i lead us to a dirt track which we followed for about 45 mins not sure if we were going the right way, we asked a lady who (we think) pointed us in the direction back
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. We cycled for a further hour and a half in pitch black through the subburbs of Kathmandu. It was very scary looking back on it but at the time i was so focused on staying alive it wasnt so bad! We got back a little dirty from the tires picking up the mud but unscathed.And then fell straight back to sleep again!
On the 19th we attempted a 75km cycle ride! Yes ' attempted'! Once again the rains came, this didnt really stop us though, we cycled for 4 hours up hill to a town called Kakani, this was so har and i thought i was going to pass out on the way up (i felt ok after eating a whole pack of biscuits and 3 cakes followed by a couple of Te-a) on the way up several times the heavens opened but we sheltered under Polina's unbrealla (unable to move as we had 2 bikes), once upto Kakani once again it started to rain so we dashed inside a place to get a meal. Nowhere in this town howerver cooks anything other than meat! We eventually found somewhere where the owner actually gave us the food he was about to eat for his lunch, he didnt even want to charge us for it! We paid him a little though.
We waited and waited in this building for the rain to stop and he told us that it wouldnt, it would litterally keep going all day, i was getting worried by the impending darkness and by the level of Polina's moaning and grumbeling, i noticed the higher the altitude the more moaning was done
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! So rather than continuing 40 mins, threw a dirt track, 20km and then 30km ownhill back to Kathmandu Polina decided (very wisely) we should return the same way.The 1st 5km were hell, we were going so quickly and holding the brakes all the time through driving rain i thought my hands would fall off. After those 5km we stoped for more chai. From this point it was a lot better! We flew along downhill for 20ish km - it was amazing and the rains pretty much stopped. The last 8km was a drag through the straight streets in more driving rain but we made it back just after sunset so it wasnt too bad. Especially as the football started 30 mins later! It just about gave me tiume to buy a beer and some crisps to enjoy with the game :-)
20th Aug - this is our last day here but we are only moving to a nearby town 6km away, Kathmandu is great and i could spend more time here but it is time to move on.
21/8
Ok, we had one more day - we went to Patan a 5km walk away, had a look around, got hasstled by a beggar boy and then got a taxi back. Tomorrow we are definatly going to Baktapur!
