Photos from Lumbini to Pokhara are here
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=153830&id=771224918&l=8edae97a7c
The journey up to the border wasn't too bad - lots of staring at Varanasi station and a bit of abuse of a beggar because I had no change but another one was really chuffed with the packet of biccies I gave him. I had a really good nights sleep on the train the only iffy bit was waking up and finding a bloke sat at the end of my bunk - the problem is that they don't just sit there, eventually they start to loll and before you know it they have half your bunk - a hard Paddington bear stare and he was gone. Like I said great nights sleep so good in fact that I was still in bed when we pulled into Gorakhpur station - the train being a bit on the weird side in that it was on time - just rammed my stuff in my bag and then had a rearrangement on the platform by which time all touts hanging around had buggered off with the hoards.
Bit of trouble finding the bus to the border - should have really gone for the one with all the rucksacks on but I thought it was a private bus so headed up to the bus station - no joy there and asking on the other buses parked up I got the impression if I had have said Timboukto they would have said "yes" they were going there. So I ended up on the one with all the rucksacks - bit of a argument with the conductor who wanted me to sit in a mythical seat at the back - me saying wouldn't it be better if one of the people stood at the back sat in said seat - I didn't mind standing, once stood for 7 hours at a Rolling Stones concert with no adverse side effects but the guy was adamant the back of the bus I had to go. Arriving at the border town of Sonauli the rickshaw drivers circled like vultures with claims that it was 1.5 kilometres to the actual border - well if it was I did a personal best and possible world record for the 1500m with rucksack.
Crossing over was easy, visa bought (40$ for one month - the nepalis have certainly cottoned on to tourists its only slightly more than this for six months in India) and then found a bus to take me up to Bharawa and then onto Lumbini - again conductor issues when he got a bit vocal with me as I insisted on tying my bag on the roof. The next day hired a bike in Lumbini and then cycled out to the birthplace of the Buddha - it was set in a really nice garden but the pavilion they had built on his actual birthplace was bit shed like (reminded me of a council toilet block). On parkland surrounding the garden different countries had built various temples - some were great like the Chinese one but I think they were having money problems as both the Korean and Vietnamese ones were still work in progress (Vietnam according to the Lonely Planet should have opened in 2006). I was a bit starved as there were no food stalls in the complex which I found really strange for a tourist attraction and the bike had been built to inflict pain so headed back to the guesthouse. Met another couple of travellers there Sarah from Canada and John from Ireland who both thought Lumbini was a strange place - to be honest apart from the lack of food I hadn't really noticed the strange attitude of the people - suppose I can be a in a bit of a dreamworld at times and the lack of hassle after India was quite nice.
Up early next day and easily found the bus to Bharawa but it was so slow I swear the conductor went home to change his shirt at one point - one and a half hours to do 20k's was a bit much. another bus to Butwal and then a quick scoot round the bus station found the right bus which would take me to Tansen - a small Newari village about halfway between Butwal and Pokhara. It didn't start off too bad as not many people got on and there was a very cute goat tethered along the aisle but Nepali buses never go half full, about 100m after leaving the bus station we stopped and loaded up. I was sat next to a sweet old lady who had a strong smell of goat - in fact the whole bus smelt of goat and was so jammed people were hanging off the sides. It was a lovely journey through a stunning river gorge and tropical lowlands, should have only taken two hours re Lonely Planet - three and a half hours later we pulled into Tansen. The village was really steep set on a ridge overlooking the valley - I ended staggering up a street that could have come out of the Hovis ad to find a hotel.
The hotel was nice but well over priced and it took a lot of hard bargaining before the owner came down to a sensible rate. Wasn't very happy in the morning when there was no electric (for what they were charging they should have had a generator) so my hair was in a right state but I thought no hassles it's only 4 hours to Pokhara. Down at the bus station the ticket man wouldn't sell tickets until the bus arrived - this was really annoying this Spanish bloke who had been waiting for over two hours and then the guy said "well you could get this other bus and then another to Pokhara - they're every half hour" - the Spanish guy lost it a bit after that "why didn't you say that two hours ago?". The bus when it showed was full so ended up on the roof - it wasn't too bad at first as I had a bit of wood to sit on but as the hours went by it did become a little painful. Joints were being passed round - you know you're getting old old when you're ignored in the crash (not that I would but it's nice to be asked). Seven hours I spent on the roof altogether looking a right state, halfway there realised I had dhal down my shirt, all the other girls looked so tidy and neat. Despite the pain after the woodman took his piece of wood (then it was down to shawl and hat) it was a lovely ride on winding roads and ever now and again you got a glimpse of Annapurna in the distance but you ready for Pokhara when it came.
The bus naturally didn't go to the bus station and was met by touts, I'd no idea where we were so ended up hitching a ride to the Paradise Guesthouse where I was promised a family atmosphere - the reality of this was a screaming child next door - still it was a nice room with soft fluffy pillows which I love. Was a bit shocked at how touristy Lakeside in Pokhara was, it was a bit like Blackpool - wall to wall tourist restaurants and souvenir shops and as I inevitably found out they had really cottoned on to tourists with such weird things as service charges and tax - an alien concept to me.
Okay that's it for the minute - travelling for the next few days so not sure about internet connection etc but hopefully some more next week.
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