Off to Chitwan National Park

Another great lesson travelling in Asia is endurance!  I Left Pokhara on a hot and uncomfortable local bus travelling 
for five and a half hours on an incredible journey past lush rice fields, dusty towns and steep valleys. Venturing there was a risky move as now it is just before monsoon season and the temperature is increasing. Still as always all things are taken into consideration,  as it just meant that in the heat of the afternoon we all took a siesta.  So three days there were packed with jungle walks, elephant safaris, spotting rhino in the jungle and seeing the elephants at work, transporting grass from inside the jungle.
The second test of endurance  came yesterday whilst completing the journey back to Kathmandu. A 164km journey took us 8.5 hours!!!! Granted it was along the spectacular winding road following the river that slices through Nepal, but you then have to then climb up the notorious seven hills to get back into Kathmandu valley. These narrow and steep roads are always littered with accidents and crazy truck drivers

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!!!!    

Half way there

Half way there

I can't believe that I am already half way through my travels - already I could write a book on all my 
adventures.  As I have headed back to Kathmandu it makes me appreciate just how incredible this journey is.  From the over surveillance and lack of free speech in Tibet you can really see how a nation are fighting to maintain their identity.  Just as there is a significant China town in major cities across the world,  equally there is a much smaller community of Tibetans who have fled their homeland.  
Last night at a local street festival here it was funny to see all the young people out on a Saturday night. The street could of been any where with burger bars and fashion boutiques and girls dressed in mini skirts and lads in jeans. 
I was asked yesterday to proof read a speech one if the heads of the NGO I worked with, which next week he will present on the indiginous populations of Nepal to the UN in New York. It made me reflect - are we all trying to be the same? The east wants to be more western and the west more eastern,  exploring yoga, alternative medicines from China and India, tantric, meditation and religion.  It is always the older generation that uphold the traditions and values and at what point will these be lost in time?  That is why travelling is so amazing - to explore all our differences across the world,  before Lhasa has a Mcdonalds, before that older generation has gone and gone too is their pride to be different.

Long road to Lhasa

Flight booked, travel confirmed and I am fulfilling a life long dream by heading to Lhasa overland on the friendship highway, the highest road in the world!  
Join the bus in Kathmandu and we start our journey heading forever higher, leaving at 1300m and after crossing the friendship bridge we have entered China.  We have our body temperature checked, a thorough bag search, as we can't take in our Tibetan lonley planet guides ( too many mentions of the Dalai Lama and Chinese occupancy) then we got through.  Joining our 4x4 jeep we began the incredibly steep climb, not for the faint hearted sitting 'drop' side.  The scenery was stunning and we began a week long adventure by staying in a small village hotel that  was so cold we needed two duvets!!!!!  
Next day was a travel day on  the Chinese well constructed tarmac friendship highway across the erie lunar landscape of the inner himalaya's.  Small bunches of houses were scattered across this harsh lanscape. The first pass that we stopped at was at 5,320 and we all felt the effects of this high altitude.  I had a thumping Headache and others were sick.  Back in the jeep and we all fell asleep, only to be woken up by the driver announcing that we had a photo stop for Everest ..... Just incredible.
Along the 630km drive to lhasa  we stoped at xigatse and gyantse, visiting the most amazing monastaries, watched monks chanting and saw the most incredible temples.  
The high anticipation of reaching Lhasa was initially  spoilt by the high density of modern
Chinese shops and apartments.  Luckily all that was left behind when we reached the Tibetan area and stayed for three nights in a wonderful 300 year old guest house, formally a temple and more recently, the home of the tutor to the dalai lama.  Sadly there was an enormous police and army presence here - there were even surveillance cameras in the monastaries.  So many tales to tell of this trip, but it was the most incredible week of adventure and a huge challenge with dealing with high altitude on a daily basis.  But Tibet as every where else is full of the most amazing people and I was humbled by their devotion and unwavering sense of identity and being able to live in the conditions that they do (both politically and geographically)!!!