I woke around 0415, an hour before my alarm. I lay in bed until the alarm, then packed up and headed down to reception around 0545. I had to find someone to let me out of the compound. The boy unlocked the gate and then led me through to the Black Olive (where I had eaten months before) and lifted the metal roller door to let me into the streets of Thamel.
It was cold and dark. I sent straight ahead and didn’t take long to find my bearings. I needed the ATM but the only one that didn’t charge around USD5 per withdrawal (Prabhu Bank) had no power; the others were operating. I continued to Kantipath where I saw a line of buses.
I had read that the buses all leave at 0630 for Pokhara but in fact they leave at 0700. It was only 0615 so I had some time to kill. The first bus I enquired for was priced at NPR600, which was good. Forgetting tht I had a small stash of local currency from the last trip, I paid in USD then changed a little money with the conductor for tea/breakfast.
We departed soon after 0700 with plenty of spare seats. I was right not to have pre-booked the bus as it was cheaper and more flexible to just turn up. We paused at a couple of places around town to pick up more people before leaving town. One in the countryside, the traffic coming into Kathmandu was backed up for miles.
Further along we followed a river which was traversed by swing bridges and hand-operated cable cars (bench seats facing each other suspended on the cable; passengers may crank a handle to get themselves to the other side).
We made a total of three rest breaks: a tea stop soon after leaving the city, a breakfast stop and finally lunch. I ate at all of them to keep my energy levels up.
The countryside was dry and the air was hazy. By late morning, the sun had that afternoon glow. We arrived in Pokhara around 1430. It was an expensive NPR300 ride to the hotel, Travel Inn. I wasn’t as flash as the one in Kathmandu but it was cheap and good enough.
Being centrally located, it didn’t take me long to get myself out and about to change money and then locate the parahawking office (at Blue Sky Paragliding).
Having had such an early start, I rested afterwards and grabbed a light dinner. Naturally, it was off to bed early too.
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- My first (of three) tea/meal stop just outside of Kathmandu on the 7h bus ride to Pokhara.
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- Fruit stands at the first stop on the journey from Kathmandu to Pokhara.
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- Breakfast at the first rest stop of the journey from Kathmandu to Pokhara. Chickpeas, instant noodles and potatoes. Served in a bowl made from pressed dried leaves.
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- Little skewers of small fish.
