Flying from Kathmandu to Delhi I saw some mountains which are higher than 8000 m. Unfortunally the weather last days was not good to do a “Everest Flight” - so, this is one of the only “Himalaya-Pictures”.
It was great, seeing those mountains, where you don’t expect mountains above the sky…
This was in the area of Pokhara - maybe Annapurna or so…
Having some chilling days in Kathmandu. Visiting temples and the city and going by bus and riksha to some other interesting places. Kathmandu is interesting. It has got a big number of bars, clubs, restaurants, shops, internet-cafes… There are a lot of asia-live-bands playing in the clubs on the roof bars at night (until 10 or 11 PM) music from bob marley, guns’n'roses, u2, lenny kravitz with their old hits. A lot of other travellers and local youths.
Kathmandu differs a lot from India - even the people seem to have a different mindset. It is cleaner, and the younger people are more “western” dressed (sneakers, t-shirt- trouser, sunglasses)… But still not forget the poorness of the people here. There is again a big big gap between modern live-music-shisha-clubs and the street, which is separated by security-guards…
The first days in Kathmandu/Nepal. Interesting and different to the places I have seen in India. Kathmandu is a quite touristy place and I have never met so many tourists before then here during this trip. A lot of temples and interesting places…
Here is everything: Internet on every corner, shops, restaurants, bars, rikshas, tourism - the business is running! Also the people are a little bit different and quite “western-styled”. The prizes are low and its possible to have a complete lunch with drinks under 1 US-$. Trekking-Clothes, jackets, T-Shirts, shoe, hats and coats on every corner - faked brands quite cheap…
So far my first impressions from Kathmandu.
I made a long walk through the city today and after having this internet-break I am off to Pashupatinath - a Hindu-place in Kathmandu next to the river. Tomorrow I am planning to go outside of Kathmandu, visiting some smaller villages.
This is funny…
I just saw Peter Habeler in the streets of Kathmandu. I had to laugh, because last year I managed a “A trip to Nepal-Blog” for Wolfgang, where he met Peter Habeler in the Himalaya-Mountains (Cho La to Lobuche) and made a short Podcast with him…
Podcast with Peter Habeler from “A trip to Nepal”-Blog:
http://www.sugarmelon.com/nepal/?p=94
Wolfgang, Roberto - this is for you :)
Cool, can’t really believe, but I suceeded in arriving my last point on my trip this morning by plane: Kathmandu (Yeti-Airlines) from Bhadrapur, where I stayed over night. There are some poliotical strikes and protest at the moment in Kathmandu, many shops are closed, many people on the street… I am feeling save. More about Kathmandu the next time…
Now a short GPS-Update from the flight from Bhadrapur to Kathmandu in Google Maps. I asked for permission to track this, so - everything is OK…
If you have got Google Earth, you can maybe find out and see the altitude of the flight, etc. - I have no idea, if those data have been convertetd too: User this KML-File for Google Earth…
Tea, tea, tea, tea, tea, tea, tea, tea, tea, tea.
After seeing the sunset this morning, I went to the tea-fields in Darjeeling. Interesting, as I have never seen tea-fields in real life before. The plants are very low and look like “Schwarzbeerstauden” (Blueberry plants). A nice green. Went to a tea-factory…
After having a short sleep I was woken up by a thunderstorm with heavy rainshowers. When I am sleeping I am sleeping. Normally I am not waking up by loud noise or sth like that. But this time I was woken up by the water, which came down on me from the ceiling :)
5 o’clock tea
Then I went for another tour through Darjeeling and after a while I stopped at a coffee-shop to have 5 o’clock tea and a blackforrest pastry… Good good! I think, my stomach will do it.
The temperature in Darjeeling is OK, although I am wearing a fleece-pullover. In the night I need two blankets as it gets colder… It”s OK, compared to 44 Cels. in the other regions :)
Tomorrow: Kathmandu
Tomorrow morning I am leaving to Kathmandu/Nepal. Going by jeep down to the Shiliguri, then by jeep to the border - crossing it - then with another jeep to the airport or by bus to Kathmandu.
Soo much to see……..
More images?
Check here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sugarmeloncom/sets/72157604536603810/
A short summary where I was and where I am at the moment…
Started in Delhi and went to the top of North-India - Kashmir. Then Jammu, Amritsar, Chamba and Daramsala. Then one day Delhi. After that Varanasi and Kolkata. Now I am staying in Darjeeling.
Next stop is Kathmandu, then Delhi - Agra - Delhi - Vienna.
Currently I am having about 4.500 km behind me.
My next steps
In McLeod Ganj I prepared the next steps. This night (from 11.05. to 12.05.) I am going by sleeper bus from McLeod Ganj to Delhi.
Tomorrow (12.05.) I will visit Old Delhi and at 6.30 PM the nighttrain is leaving to Varanasi. I am very much looking forward to Varanasi. It is an old, but - as told - very, very dirty city. I am looking forward seeing the Ganga and the Ghats. Trying to stay at a place called Hotel Alka.
I will stay there one night to continue my trip to Kolkatta. Again by nighttrain, which will take me 10.5 hrs from 14.05. to 15.05. In Kolkatta I am going to stay for 2 days.
I will decide in Kolkatta how to go on: Either going to Darjeeling and then to Kathmandu or directly to Kathmandu from Kolkatta. So many possibilities… :) Super…
It seems, that my original plan is working + some more.
India and some inputs
Time is running very fast and every day is a real adventure. Varanasi, Kolkatta and the rest will be very interesting. India is very interesting. It is one big states, with many smaller states in it. Those states are very different, even the people there are different in their behaviours and looking. Religions… Hindhu, Sikh, Muslim… A lot of different things in a complex setup which is running more or less “peaceful”. Some states are wanting their independency (Kashmir, North-eastern-states and so on) and are having mixed emotions with Pakistan. People differ from every region. Sometimes friendly, sometimes rough. Kashmir people are very friendly as well as the people in Amritsar. Delhi is a hard place lets see, what the other regions and cities bring. Punjab people are having their turbans, with their hairs in front of their head. The people in the north are more Hindhi, wearing their colorful Saris and having a good makeup with kayal and so on…
Today I met Robert and Wolfgang - both had been in Nepal last year (check Wolfgang’s Nepal-Blog here: www.sugarmelon.com/nepal). Robert showed me his pictures from his trekking-tours and with Wolfgang I had some chats about India and Nepal.
There are two possible routes, travelling through Nepal and arriving in Kathmandu.
Route 1 is from Darjeeling, passing Kakarbhitta and then 200 km in the south of Nepal to the Royal Chitwan Nationalpark, where I will start Route 2 (coming from Patna in India) and going forward to Kathmandu. Depending on time and transport and my personal condition.
In Kathmandu I am currently thinking about 2 things:
Fascinating - it would be great to see those landscape and those mountains about which I read about in Wolfgang’s Blog.
On Monday Morning I am going to receive my Visa for Nepal…
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![\"Markusplatz\" in Kathmandu](http://www.sugarmelon.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/cimg6468.jpg "\\"Markusplatz\\" in Kathmandu")
