Category Archives: Walkabout

Wyles Walkabout

Nepal

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Leaving the lovely glamping experience in Koshi National Park behind, we headed on towards the Chitwan National Park. The hotel here was perhaps one of the dirtiest, dingiest and most disgusting hotels I have ever stayed at. On the outside there were at least a dozen giant bee nests and they were swarming. The buzzing drone was quite noticeable. There was an option to do a safari into the Chitwan National Park for 3000 rupees, but upon further questioning found out that the trip doesn’t actually go into the park itself. It seemed a bit of a con so I declined, saved my money and sat by the river instead. Although a little peckish, I decided to give the snail curry a miss…

The roads were in a really good state, as good as any back home, if not better, and we made really good time. The drive should have taken about 9 hours but actually took closer to 5. It was quite scenic with the Trisuli River running alongside the road. Before we knew it, had arrived at the Royal Beach Camp, 85km west of Kathmandu, where we would stay one night. They run outdoor instructors courses here, some lasting several months, which seem very thorough and professional. Accommodation was camping, not glamping, unfortunately.

However, the tents were already set up, had a double layered mattress inside and a North Face -20 degree sleeping bag, so all in all it was quite a cozy nights sleep. The only down side is that there was no alcohol here. I kept quiet about a small bottle of whisky I had bought previously which was just the job to help keep some of the cold out. After dinner we sat around the camp fire and played a few games before retiring for the night.

In the morning there were a couple of activities of white water rafting, kayaking or hiking which were all good fun if not a little cold. The swimming pool was outdoors, and seemingly unheated but it looked so inviting until I dipped my toe into it.

After lunch we had packed up our things and were on the road again and it wasn’t long before we hit the notoriously bad Kathmandu traffic. It took about 3 hours to make it from the ring road to our hotel in Thamel. When the truck turned down the narrow road with our hotel on it, a few overhead cables became snagged on the truck and were pulled out as well as damaging a sign on a shop. A friendly bit of negotiation and a few Nepalese Rupees and all was sorted. The hotel was Hotel Tibet which was quite comfortable and they did a really good breakfast with excellent coffee, probably the best I have tasted.

As this was the last night of the Dragoman tour, we arranged a farewell dinner in a local restaurant which had a very strong French influence to it and the food was really nice, as was the wine. The only issue arose with the bill as we had switched tables with some people. There was 4 of them sitting on a table big enough for 15 and us huddled around a 4 person table. So logically we switched tables but the staff must have added their bill to ours. It took some sorting out and in the end it was all sorted.

A few of us went on for more leaving drinks after at Sam’s Bar in Thamel which was really quite smokey inside, even with an open air terrace. The service was good though. There was all sorts of doodles and writings on the walls from travellers in years gone by and I added my mark too 🙂

Later next morning we said our goodbyes to everyone who we had travelled with over the passed few weeks and in some cases, months. Really quite sad to be leaving such a great bunch of people but everyone has their own life adventures ahead of them, whether it’s returning home, starting new careers, moving houses or like me continuing travelling.

I had arranged to stay in a hotel for a few days extra, but didn’t realise it was about 6km away from the city centre. The Shambaling Boutique Hotel was indeed very nice however hardly any taxi driver knew where it was so the Maps.me.com saved me a few times. The roads however were simply appalling, countless potholes, dirt tracks, and no warning signs or anything HSE-wise. Am surprised more cars etc didn’t drive into the massive craters and disappear.

I got a taxi into town a couple of times to have a wander around and find Durba Square, Freak Street and do some shopping in many of the outdoor knock off shops.

It was quite busy but a nice level of busy without being over the top. Plenty of places to stop and have a bite to eat or just a quiet cup of coffee.

Outside of the hotel, was a little cafe called Cafe Ramsterdam and I ate here a couple of nights. It was really nice a friendly, loads of books and DVDs available to borrow and enjoy while you eat or drink.

I found a Lonely Planet guide to England and thought I would have a nose at it. To my amazement, the page for St Albans Abbey and Verulanium was already folded in as a book mark. I have come pretty much half way around the world, randomly gone into a cafe and found a book with a page marked where I used to live. I wondered in there is a book in St Albans with a page about Kathmandu and Cafe Ramsterdam folded too. Unlikely but you never know.

So since mid September, I have travelled down the west side of India, up the east side and crossed over into Nepal. It has been quite some journey and on the most part I have enjoyed all of it, even when I was ill. My favourite parts were basically the north from Delhi and Agra down to Mumbai and then from Pondicherry all the way up to Nepal. I could quite happily avoid south India including Goa.

Wyles Walkabout

Karmi Farm, Gangtok and into Nepal

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We were fortunate enough to have a stay scheduled at Karmi Farm and it was a nice to move on. It took about 45mins just to get out of Darjeeling due to heavy traffic and narrow streets. Once outside of the town, we stopped by a roadside stall to secure our bags on the roofs of the jeeps, it was about a 3 hour drive. It wasn’t so much the distance as it was only about 20km as the crow flies, but it was on the far side of the next steep valley.

The roads, if you can call them roads, were single track hairpins, pot hole ridden often with signs of mud slides and collapse. At one point we came face to face with JCBs and tipper trucks carrying out repairs. We had to wait about 20mins for them to finish loading and move out of the way as the road was completely blocked while they were working but it didn’t stop various locals trying to push past beeping their horns as if that will magically make the blockage disappear.

We were lucky if the jeeps ever got above 10mph on the rough, uneven hairpin roads. On one sharp corner, we met a truck coming the other way and had to reverse quite a way back to find a relatively safe passing point, but we were literally on the edge of a very high drop. To add to the excitement, there was still some lingering mist and fog in patches. I really enjoyed this drive and it was a complete highlight. It felt like I was genuinely on a real adventure, not just a passenger.

In contrast to the roads, Karmi Farm is more of a tranquil homestay than a farm run by an English man and his wife who also set up the Karmi farm clinic bringing much needed medical knowledge and supplies to the this remote region in the foothills of the Himalayas in India. I was happy to donate some of the medication I was carrying as have been like a mobile pharmacy which has helped various people on my travels.

The building, location and views were simply breath taking and I was extremely envious of the place. It was a very remote setting, water from a spring, no WiFi, open fire places, clean fresh air and it had a warm healthy wholesomeness about it. Very difficult to describe.

During the days spent here, we went off on various guided hikes. Nothing too strenuous and none that lasted more than 3 or 4 hours.

It got dark around 17.00hrs so was back showered and changed ready for dinner which was really good. The beer was on an honesty tab system which worked really well. All vegetables were home grown and tasted so good. In the evening we moved to one of the lounges which had a roaring fire to keep more than a chill out of the air and played a few games and quizzes. It was a really nice relaxing few days and I would recommend anyone who visits this region to come here if you are able.

It was a shame to be leaving Karmi Farm. I could have quite happily spent the rest of my days there, but needs must. The jeeps were waiting for us for another exciting adventure drive along those narrow and dangerous roads. Instead of heading to Darjeeling, we moved on to Gangtok. Before we got there, we stopped by a tea plantation for a quick brew. The view wasn’t bad either…

Gangtok was nicer than Darjeeling but still similar. It had a nice pedestrianised shopping road which reminded me a little of Shanghai but on a much, much smaller scale. On one night we found a little bar and hauled up there for the night, drinking and getting free popadoms and mo-mo’s (steamed dumplings). It was really reasonable too. On the way back to the hotel found a statue of Mahatma Gandhi so had to have a photo with it, “Andy and Gandhi”…

On the walk back to the hotel, we decided that it should have been Andy and Mandy eating candy, reading the Dandy with Gandhi, which would have been handy… We had had a bit to drink.

Early start leaving Gangtok, meant to get the jeeps at 05.00hrs but after a couple of people slept in, we actually left closer to 06.00hrs. Not a major issue, but it was quite quiet and chilly at the time but still warm enough to get away with a t shirt. By the time the jeeps were loaded and we finally left Gangtok, the place was starting to come alive, with various traders setting up their stalls, taxi drivers looking out for customers in anticipation, rubbish collectors etc. But it wasn’t long before the roads started getting busy again. Sometimes it was difficult to tell whether the on-coming traffic was a scooter or motorbike or a lorry with one light. Trying to avoid various pot holes and rough surfaces often meant driving on the opposite sides of the road too and swerving in at the last minute to avoid a collision.

It was a drive of a couple of hours before we stopped somewhere for breakfast , nothing fancy but the coffee was good and well needed. It was also an opportunity to stretch the legs for a wee while. After breakfast it was another hour or so before we reached the truck park in Siluguri and we rejoined the Dragoman truck once more. Seemed strange getting on board again, like seeing an old friend, but the last couple of weeks I barely gave the truck a second thought.

Soon underway, perhaps the most noticeable thing is the change from peaceful tranquil, clean mountain scenery and fresh air to the heat, noise, litter and busyness of Silaguri. It was about an hour drive to the Indian / Nepal border which seemed to go by in a flash. Once parked up it was only a short walk to the immigration office to get the exit stamp in the passport. Was actually quite relieved to be leaving India. I have thoroughly enjoyed it, especially from Delhi to Mumbai and then from Pondicherry all the way up the east side of India, but south of Mumbai on the west coast am quite happy to forget and not just because I was ill then.

Crossing the bridge at Kakabitta in no mans land between India and Nepal was uneventful and I was surprised by the efficiency of Nepalese immigration and was expecting to have to wait for hours, similar to Morocco, but it was a quick in, fill out a form, pay $25US for a 15 days visa and there you go.

I couldn’t believe I was now in Nepal, the 5th country on this walkabout, and it didn’t look anything l ike what I was expecting. I had visions of high mountain villages, snow capped mountains, glacial rivers and forests lined with all sorts of prayer flags. I’m sure within the next 15 days I will see these, But for now, it was flat, hot enough to make me wish I was wearing shorts, and had quite fertile farm land.

The sun had just set by the time we arrived at the campsite. The safari tents were a permanent fixture with thatched roofs, electricity, comfy warm twin beds and a fully plumbed bathroom (complete with frogs). Not at all what I was expecting when I heard that we would be camping. This was glamping. In the evening we had a delicious vegetarian Nepal dinner but it was early to bed following a very early start as wasn’t able to have an afternoon nap.

In the morning after breakfast, there was a 3 hour walk with two guides. It was hot and flat, enjoyable but along a raised path and back, with the guides pointing out each and every variety of bird they saw from vultures and eagles, to kingfishers and woodpeckers. I was quite chuffed to spot the python in the grass that everyone else missed until I pointed it out.

Wyles Walkabout

Calcutta and Darjeeling

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The last night in Puri was also the last night for one of our Dragoman leaders as he was leaving to head a new tour in Africa. This was an opportunity to go out for a nice meal and say our goodbyes. The meal was excellent but sadly the same could not be said for the wine. However after a few glasses, the taste buds had become accustomed to it, just…

Yet another early start to catch the train to Calcutta. It was quite a relief to leave this hotel, but not Puri, and head to the station, even at 05:00 hrs. It was seating only which was OK but like most train journeys in England there were several noisy, annoying local passengers with loud mobile phones and screaming kids, etc. Still, I was able to sit back, relax and watch the scenery go by for about 8 hours. There are worse ways to spend a day, especially when I think about my friends back home working…

Calcutta station was a welcome site. I was anticipating chaos, noise, overcrowding and and people jostling for position but it was really civilised, with people quiet, queued up in straight lines, luggage set out all in a line with several employees guarding it – not at all what I expected. Outside the station however, a completely different story. We lugged our bags to the pre-paid taxi park and must have been accosted no less than 20 times by various taxi drivers offering their services but nice to see the old Hindustan Ambassadors. It was about a 30 minutes drive through heavy Calcutta traffic around some parks, and through underpasses before we arrived at the hotel.

We had a few days in Calcutta which was enough time to try and find the black hole – really difficult and it is split in to two or three different places, including in a working post office! There was also Mother Theresa’s home but I didn’t visit that. Instead I did a walking tour around some of the city which was great and it took me to places I don’t think I would have ordinarily visited if I were on my own, where some of the locals were washing themselves in the streets.

Once again one of our original tour guides was leaving the trip here and was heading over to New Zealand. So we had another great leaving meal as a group in ‘Oh Calcutta’ restaurant. I am not sure if that’s a chain but I really enjoyed it.

The next day  I explored a few of the local parks that were not too far from the hotel and ended up back near Oh Calcutta. Feeling peckish I tried a restaurant next door and whilst it was quite disappointing they were doing 2 for 1 on drinks. Later on in the afternoon, met up with a few of the others and as there was 2 for 1 on drinks it seemed like a good idea to spend the afternoon there 🙂 Later at night, we found a jail themed restaurant where all the serving staff were in prison uniforms and our table was in a cell. It was quite interesting and fun.

Taxis dropped us off at Calcutta station around 21:00 hrs as we were to board the 22:05 hrs night train to Siliguri, arriving around 09:00 hrs the next morning. The bunks were in three tiers not just two, but there just enough space, even with all our luggage to lay down. I had the top bunk again and although there wasn’t sufficient space to sit up, it was more than comfortable enough. I actually had a pretty decent night’s sleep as the train slowly trundled its way, rocking us to sleep. I was woken up early-ish as some sellers board the train to sell tea, coffee and breakfast. The coffee was pretty good, but quite bizarre given that we were about to enter tea territory.

There were several jeeps waiting for us at the station to transfer us up to the mountain town of Darjeeling, famed for its tea. The roads were narrow and winding, not dissimilar to the ‘death road’ in Bolivia, often single track on the edge of a mountain with blind hairpin bends which the drivers seemed to take with casual abandon and a blast of the horn. We stopped for tea along the way which had nice views over the valley and a waterfall in the distance.

Continuing up the mountain, the temperature was dropping quite fast and it felt very different to the heat of Calcutta. I was still wearing shorts and T-shirt, but could see some of the locals in hats and down jackets, so it must be cold. This is the first time since leaving England that I have experienced single figure temperatures so it was a little culture shock when I got out of the jeep. Darjeeling seems to be a collection of villages huddled along hairpin roads on the mountainside rather than one large town. As we drove up the road, the views through the valley were obscured by thick heavy mist but periodically, there would be a little clearing and you realised how high up we are. The road also zigzags across a narrow gauge railway too. This belongs to the famous steam Toy Train that runs approx 79 km from New Jalpaiguri and rises over 6,400ft to Darjeeling at 6,812ft and this is one of the must do activities in Darjeeling.

The next day, following breakfast in the hotel was about to venture out, but still wearing shorts and t shirt, I saw a local man done up with down coat, hat, gloves etc. go outside, shiver and mutter a few words in Nepalese or Tibetan and come back in, so it must have been really cold. At that point, even after a warming bowl of porridge I thought it best to go and get changed…

Darjeeling itself wasn’t as picturesque as I was anticipating but I found a little tea shop, Glenary’s, that reminded me of the one by the old clock tower in St Albans.

They served great tea, coffee, cakes and snacks and they even had a red telephone box inside too. It was a nice town with plenty of things to do and a pedestrianised area that helped. Visited the Happy Valley Tea Plantation which is the highest tea plantation in the world and the tour was only 100 Nepalese rupees and lasted about 30mins. The tour only went around the factory, rather than out amongst the tea plants themselves but still quite interesting.

Later visited the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute located in the zoo. Very interesting to see some of the old mountaineering equipment used on previous expeditions including Sir Edmund Hillary’s and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay’s tools and clothes, etc. Outside the from of the institute is a memorial statue of Tenzing Norgay and his grave too.

We later had afternoon tea which included sandwiches, scones, biscuits and cakes at the Windermere Hotel which maintains the tradition from the old colonial days. The good news is there was a roaring open fire in the room which kept it all cosy and warm. There were a couple of pianos too but we weren’t allowed to play them. It was getting dark by about 17:00 so not much of a view from the top of the look out. Even if it was daylight, the hill was completely surrounded by mist anyway.

Eventually managed to get a ticket for the Toy Train and only rode it for a couple of hours, to Ghoom and back. I was really looking forward to this and it was good fun. However the train seemed to constantly blow its whistle all the way warning any road users and pedestrians that it was coming – as if a big blue stream train in the road wasn’t a big enough giveaway…