Sunday 1 July 2012

23 and 24 June – Varanasi (India) to a Nepal bush camp

Leaving Varanasi at 0500 hours we headed for the Indian/Nepal border before stopping for a overnight bush camp in the forest once in Nepal. On the way we did not stop for breakfast, not that I eat anything on offer, and it rained on and off for a lot of the journey. There was a lot of traffic on the road so this kept the speed of our truck down and this reduced the bouncing around making the journey more pleasant. It was noticeable the number of local women in the country that were wearing full burkas as I had not seen so many for a while.

Driving in India is a bit more chaotic and noisier than in other countries we have travelled through. If there is a gap someone fills it; cows own the roads and move in their own time; if it is easier to drive on the wrong side of the road (they drive on the left here) then do what one wants even if it is a highway but make sure that one is driving the wrong way in the fast lane; if one wants to drive in any particular lane on a two or three lane road then do not move for anyone; roundabouts are fun, go anyway it suits; do a U-turn in the street, highway or anywhere and not be bothered about holding up the traffic; but when doing a three or twenty-three point turn just remember that when one stops to change gear someone will not wait and pass behind of in-front of one; and all this with the noise of a horn, not a simple tap but continuous noise of musical horns of various tones which are so annoying that one wants to get out of the truck and bash in a few heads at times.

Not seen in Norfolk, UK, but it would wake them up if it was there.

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A Ghat on a river we passed


The exit throught the Indian border was easy as was the entry into Nepal. The area was quite hectic and as usual very noisy. India was noisy, dirty and smelly, but that was India. To expect it to be something different, something like England or indeed any other country we have travelled through misses the point. We went to India to see it in all it's glory, warts and all, and that is what was seen.I enjoyed everything I did and saw there except for Dharamsala.
The camp site in Nepal was beautiful to start with but as it is the monsoon season it started to rain at 0400 hours and everything was soaked and covered in mud. Rather silly to camp in the monsoon season I would have thought!

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A new Nepal Village
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A new Nepal Village
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The bush camp

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