Tag Archives: camping

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

The Great Wall and Beijing

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Arriving early in Beijing, we navigated the station to find a decent bathroom in order to have a quick wash and freshen up after the night train before we met our new guide, Suzy. A few minutes walk outside the station, past all the new army recruits, we boarded a private bus that took us to the hostel where we were able to drop our bags off and re-pack. We weren’t able to check into the hostel as we weren’t staying the night because later that day we were heading off for a night of camping next to an unrestored section of The Great Wall of China.

The bus picked us up and we drove for about an hour or so outside of Beijing and stopped at a local farm for lunch where we stocked up on cold beer, drinks and collected our camping equipment, ready for the small, hour-long hike. It was quite gentle compared to the Moon Palace or the Dharma cave hikes. I was expecting it to be much harder going, but the long grasses and tree branches made it necessary to wear long trousers. It felt strange wearing long trousers again; the last time I wore them was in the Sahara Desert. About half way up a clearing revealed the view over what we had just trekked through.

I couldn’t believe how lush and green it was or how many mountains I could see or how high they were. The path was quite steep in places and I know we were carrying a daypack and lightweight camping equipment, but it certainly makes you think how hard it must have been several thousand years ago when they were building the wall, having to carry all the stones up this path.

It wasn’t long before we reached the top, a little terraced clearing next to the wall, very similar to the terraces on The Inca Trail. The wall itself at this point really didn’t look all that spectacular, quite a let down if am being honest. It was still about eight foot tall and made of big blocks, some cracked and crumbling, others intact. But then you look to the left and look to the right and it stretches as far as the eye can see, over the top of the mountains and beyond, with little turrets and gatehouses along the way.

The first thing we did, was set up the tents and then search for firewood in the woods which have now taken over most of the land by the wall.

We had to do this before it go too dark. Once that was done, there was time to go and explore the wall itself. Scrambled up to the nearest gatehouse which had several arches and no roof. The wind was surprisingly fierce up here and there was little shelter from the wind even in the gatehouses. At one point I was nearly blown off the wall and lost in the trees, but fortunately was able to maintain hold. The sun was getting low in the sky now, so decided to stay on the wall and watch it set and the colours changing across the hills and in the sky. It was something else and an experience not to be missed.

The fire was roaring by now and the beers flowing but by 20:30 the temperature had dropped dramatically and it’s such a long time since I felt cold like that, I had forgotten what it was like. Everyone decided to turn in for an early night and seek shelter in the tents as there was an early start planned again, this time to watch the sun rise at 05:30. It was a pretty restless night in a flapping tent which was more of a festival, ‘Argos special’, rather than a Northface expedition tent, but it did the job. I would hate to have been in that if it were raining. After little sleep, we woke up in time to see the sun peek above the mountains and feel the warmth hit us.

By 06:30, the camp was packed up and we began trekking down back to the farm to drop off the camping equipment and get the bus back to the hostel in Beijing.

As it’s still early, we’re unable to check into the hostel, so before we get there, we stop off and visit the Olympic Park and the ‘birds nest stadium’. Sadly we weren’t able to get inside the stadium but the grounds are pretty impressive.

Back to the hostel for a shower and change then it’s off to see Tiananmen Square, made famous by the student protests in 1989 when the government decided to send in the military tanks to remove the protesters. However most Chinese citizens know this area as the seat of Chinese government, nothing much about the 1989 protests. Unfortunately due to a trade conference today, security was extra tight and we weren’t able to access the square itself. Opposite though, was the Forbidden City which shows the portrait of Chairman Mao.

There are 4 gates to go through before you get to the palace. It’s the largest palatial complex in the world and has seen 24 Chinese Emperors. It is so vast and has so many rooms, that if a child were born and spent one night in each room, by the time it had slept in each room once, it would be 27 years old.

Clearly we didn’t have enough time to explore the whole thing but the buildings were well preserved and the gardens in Jingshan Park are so manicured. It was a great opportunity to climb to the top for a birds eye view over the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven and Tiananmen Square.

In the evening Suzy took us to a local restaurant for Beijing duck, like crispy duck pancakes we’re used to in Chinese restaurants back home. It felt really special as we had a private room to ourselves and it only cost 65 Yuans (about £6).

Next morning had a quick explore in the historic district of Nanluo which was just one stop on the metro (3 Yuans / 30p) has narrow streets, lots of shops selling handicrafts as well as having a few bars and cafes. Again, it was enjoyable to wonder around at leisure, unhindered. Afterwards and 5 stops on the metro, only 5 Yuans, visited the Temple of Heaven, the largest complex of Heaven worship in the world and where ancient sacrifices were made to ensure a bountiful harvest.

Now catching another night train to Hangzhou and then heading to Moganshan mountain, famed for its bamboo forests.

Wyles Walkabout

Fes, Sahara – Action!

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Ask anyone from England what Morocco is famous for and they’ll probably say Fez and then do a Tommy Cooper impression, “Just like that”… In reality, most people here have never heard of Tommy Cooper. Though when they find out you’re English, one of the first things they say is, “Lovely Jubbly”.

Fez (with a Z) is the red hat, Fes (with an S) is the city. Fes is the oldest and largest medieval city in the world. Similar to Marrakech and Chefchaouen its streets are a labyrinth, crowded, busy, hot and a severe assault your sense of smell. There are, apparently, themed tourist routes to follow and I did see signs but it is so easy to become severely disoriented in the medina, even following a guide. There are shops selling all sorts from fresh produce, clothes, carpets, silverware, pottery, snacks and sweets to electrical goods. What I wasn’t expecting as we were led through the twisting and turning streets, was the butchery section. I’m a carnivore and will happily continue to eat meat but if I was of a more sensitive nature I may have turned vegetarian. I cannot begin to describe how it smelled but in close to 40 degrees, I will say that my gag reflex kicked in early and I had to make a sharp exit as best I could, but not knowing where to go, I had to wait for the guide and group a little further on.

Unfortunately, one of the next places to visit on this medina tour was the tannery. Again, I have no issue with leather things, but it smelled really bad. Hot, dry animal skins, urine, pidgeon poo, sweat, rubbish, the lot. It was vile and is one of those smells that penetrates your clothes. Even the donkeys carrying the skins made me wish I had a scuba tank on my back so I could breathe some clean air.

In the evening, there was some organised Moroccan entertainment, music belly dancing etc. However wasn’t really in the mood for that – after the smell assault and also it was the night Croatia beat England 2 – 1 so just sat quietly and had a beer with a few of the others.

Next day we began our journey towards the Sahara but totally surprised by the Alpine style town of Ifrane. Had no idea that Morocco had a ski resort. But had an absolutely fantastic coffee and chocolate cheesecake. A couple of hours later we stopped by a river for a picnic made up of cheese, chicken, tomatoes, salad and watermelon. I know all this travelling is hard… When we got to our hotel in Midelt the exterior was fabulous and wall really excited about staying there but the rooms were a little shabby, and we’re in Morocco, not 5* in London but it was really nice and there was a pool which was a god send. Skipped the afternoon hike and relaxed by the pool with a beer instead.

I remember as a kid hearing about the Sahara desert and always wondered what it would be like but never thought I would ever visit it, let alone stay overnight there. We arrived late afternoon, but even so the temperature was pushing in excess of 45 degrees centigrade and the camels were ready to take us in to the desert to a Berber camp. I really don’t like camels and my one was giving a look as if to say there is no way you’re getting on my hump! So we kind of silently and mutually agreed that I would walk and the camel would carry my bag. The trek into the desert was only about 1.5 – 2 hours but if you got lost or separated, it could potentially be a death sentence.

Once at the camp we watched the sunset but there was quite a bit of wind and sand in the air so it didn’t look as spectacular as I expected, but still an awesome experience.

After a dinner of meat skewers (no idea what the meat was…) and veggies, there was some music and drumming etc around the camp fire as if the guides were possessed and it went on until after midnight.

I had hardly any sleep – the tents were too hot and the millions and billions of stars shone so bright as there was little light pollution but I was amazed by the amount of shooting stars I saw. Wish I could have spent longer there, but it would have been a tough experience.

Waking up before dawn, the group rode camels (and I walked) out of the desert. Still picture the film ‘Ice Cold in Alex’ and feeling the relief of reaching civilisation and having a cold drink.

After the intense heat and experience of the Sahara, we drove to a really nice hotel in Todra Gorge – apparently Morocco’s Grand Canyon, but on a much smaller scale. The hotel was perfect and I must have spend about an hour in the shower cooling off. Had probably once of the nicest and most refreshing dinners here, lots of fresh salad and juicy tomatoes. Ideal to try and fully rehydrate after the desert. A lot of Moroccans visit the gorge in the same way most English would head to the seaside on a sunny bank holiday weekend. The cliffs were about 1000ft high and all made of limestone – which brought back GCSE Geography memories.

So after a lovely night at the hotel by Todra Gorge, we travelled to Ait Benhaddou and visited the film studios in Ouarzazate where they filmed the likes of Gladiator, Last Temptation of Christ, the Living Daylights and Lawrence of Arabia to name a few. I know it was a film set but some of the sets did feel real until you touched or picked up props which were made of polystyrene or plaster. However it did feel more like Life of Brian…