KATHMANDU

From Zhangmu we walked across the 8kms of no mans land to get to the friendship bridge and the border with Nepal with Carl and Tuuli (an Australian / Finnish couple that we had travelled from Lhasa with). The various cars and jeeps passing us seemed to think that we were mad ... why would we want to walk? the answer lay in the beautiful, spectacular scenery that was around us as we descended the valley. In complete contract to Tibet, Nepal is lush, green and verdant .... in short simply breathtaking. The contract was also evident in the attitude towards border control .................. whilst I was chased by the Chinese border card for taking a photo on the bridge we could not even find the border control on the Nepali side ! We had to be shown where to go to show our visas!

Once we had gone through the formalities we looked at the options for getting to Kathmandu ... bus or private jeep. We settled on jeep as the road was meant to be horrendous and the jeep was meant to be around 3 hours quicker. It would have been a good choice except that the jeep was knackered and had to stop at a mechanics shop within the hour. However, the split fuel delivery hose was spotted quickly, welded and fitted and we were on our way again within 45 minutes .................... if only UK mechanics were a). as good, b). as quick and c) as cheap!!!!

Driver stopped for luch for around half an hour at a place where we could take in the difference (other than scenically) between Tibet and Nepal. Great to see friendly people and interesting to see people eating rice and dhaal with their fingers.

Once we got to Kathmandu it was clear that we had hit a major city with all the pollution and traffic problems associated with it. Quite simply the traffic is mad! Had a few beers and something to eat and headed out to look for somewhere to stay. Found a quiet oasis in Thamel which seems to be the Costa Del Sol of Kathmandu ..... really touristy and not at all Emma and my fisrt choice of areas to stay. Having said that we did enjoy having our first pizza for months in one of the restaurants.

Kathmandu as a city is weird .... so old and so full of history. It's a delight to simply wander the streets soaking it all up and stumbling upon small (and large) shrines on every other street corner.

POKHARA

Left Kathmandu onthe relative luxury of a tourist bus which of course had airconditioning (which did not actually work but did leak all over the passengers). The journey was reklatively uneventful as we only came across a couple of army checkpoints, two landslides and a lorry that had spectacularly left the road and plunged into the river 75ft below.

Pokhara ........... BLISS !!!!! It's setting is beutiful at the foot of the Annapurna range although we only m,anaged to catch a few glimpses of the mountains themselves as we were still in the tail end of the monsoon season. We stauyed in a nbice hotel on the top floor and had a balcony view of both the lake and the mouintaiuns ...... it was great. Definately set upo for tourists with most kinds of food that you can think of. Saddest part of our visit was the fact that there was a landslide about 1 km from our hotel whilst we were there which killed 6 people and injured many more. People seemed tobe accepting of this as just part of the fact of life .......

Met up with Carl and Tuuli again and enjoyed our first steak for a few months .... great! Carl and Tuuli are the archetypical altruistic couple who are looking to set up a small home for children in Nepal or India, they have their heads screwed on and I'm sure that they wil make a success of it. Wish we were more giving but truth be told we are having too much fun enjoying ourselves.

Having rested, recuperated, got drunk, fallen down (and chipped a bone) we decided to leave the comforts of Nepal to see what India is like so jumped on a bus which would take us to the border town of Sonauli (one of those classic pile on as many people and as much luggage as you can buses).