Having a rest

Having a mini break in my tavels
Pokhara is the perfect place to kick back and relax. A huge lake, great views, touristy choices of restaurants and I love my balcony. Today there is a strike in town and all the shops are shut, no-one seems quite sure why there is a strike, Maoist distuptions most likely or just general upset or sherpa and porter strikes, who knows in Nepal, where people power and political movements are strong, but as everywhere, the army is even stronger and their base is just round the corner.
My balcony overlooks a building site and I can see into the forever manual construction of the top floor. In the heat of the day cement is mixed and spread thickly over each brick level. One female worker brings her tiny son each afternoon, and he must only be just older than 1. She places him down by the pile of bricks, where he silently sits and plays. How different things are! Yesterday he just looked up at me and burst into tears - poor little thing!
No doubt I will see him again tomorrow, as word on the street is that there is another big strike tomorrow, but after that I am off to Chitwan national park for some safari adventure!

Another day another power cut.....

Things that I will not take for granted back home:
- electricity
- hot water
- drinkable tap water
- freedom of speech
- lack of overbearing police and army 
- recycling
- cleanilness
- great coffee
- ability not to stand out all the time
- orderly queuing
- healthy gut! 
These are just a few things that are problematic in Nepal, India and Tibet!  But these things add to the chaos and the experience and mark as seperators between developed and developing countries, between democracy and dictatorship, between freedom and injustice and all these things make the world a dfferent place wherever you are.   

Now sit back and relax ........

So Sunday was an organising day and I have now booked all my Indian train trips - major achievement in itself!  Monday was spent mostly queuing at the Indian visa office in Kathmandu to gain permission to re-enter india.  And Yesterday it took 8 hours to get to Pokhara, as there were vehicle problems littering the winding road.  One lorry had just broken down in the middle of the road, a bus had turned on its side, a petrol tanker was having to be towed, a truck and gone into a house and all making for a slow but interesting journey in my non a/c local bus.
Still I am now having a mini break within my break and relaxing by the lakeside and soaking up some lovely sun.     Again the changes here are huge from when I was here 16 years ago. Many more hotels, shops and restaurants, but with that comes choice and I joined some fellow travellers last night for some Nepal Ice beers (7%hurrah!) and the most amazing pizza - great choice! 
Must dash I am very busy relaxing! Am sitting on my balcony and can see the amazing Annapura mountain range now coming into view from behind the clouds!

More queues, more chaos

Had to queue for 4 1/2 hours this morning at the Indian visa centre.  Just one small official change has huge effects, as I need special permission to re-enter India, as it is less than two months since I left - and this special permission comes at a cost!!! 
Still I am relaxing in a garden restaurant with free wifi access and have just had a treat of a burger for lunch .... Sometimes it's nice to have a break from rice or noodle soup! Must get my strength up to join the queue of hundreds collecting their passports later this afternoon!!!!