Nepal Adventure - Up to the Tibet Border and The Last Resort
Even though we have been staying with Tamang family for only four nights we really have become quite attached. As we pile our stuff into Durga's truck Gyan and his family give us the traditional Buddhist farewell blessing and drape white cloths around our necks. The girls are inconsolable about leaving their little friend Sumi, but as this world gets more global it is not inconceivable that they will meet up again someday. We will miss our lovely Nepali host family.
Once across it seems that I have landed in a beautiful idyll. The resort is absolutely a little slice of heaven nestled into the cliffs. Cut off from the reality of the world it is beautifully landscaped and butterflies float around the semi tropical flowers. It's just starting to rain, but it is a gentle rain that combines with the river sounds coming from way below us that epitomizes tranquility.
The accommodations are luxury tents nestled into the vegetation. What a contrast from the village life that we only left this morning! I book in a massage and the poor lady who gets my lot has quite a challenge with my knotted muscles. She literally climbs all over me with her own joints cracking in a stellar effort to unbend my knotted muscles.
Up at 5:15. We do our final pack up and load Durga's truck up with all our stuff.
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| Sunrise... the sun is struggling to be seen through the pre monsoon humidity. |
Just as we are sitting down to a last breakfast with our host family, a truckload of army men show up asking for breakfast and tea. Mixing with a bunch of uniformed soldiers armed with rifles and hand guns wasn't exactly how I expected to end our time here, but hey, one of these days I will learn to expect the unexpected. Given that the country was embroiled in a bitter civil war not too many years before it makes for a slightly uncomfortable feeling, but then it is also my misgivings about what an army is for. In reality these are young country boys (one of whom is related to Gyan's wife) doing their time and showing the countryside that their new government is in control. And I can't help but smile when I spy Liam staring, jaw open, at the rifles and guns on show. Boys and war, somehow they go together with such ease.
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| Sumi gives Randall a Buddhist farewell |
Even though we have been staying with Tamang family for only four nights we really have become quite attached. As we pile our stuff into Durga's truck Gyan and his family give us the traditional Buddhist farewell blessing and drape white cloths around our necks. The girls are inconsolable about leaving their little friend Sumi, but as this world gets more global it is not inconceivable that they will meet up again someday. We will miss our lovely Nepali host family.
And then we are off. Out of the rural dirt roads and down to the Tibet Road where we are scheduled to pick up a mini bus provided by the resort that we are going to stay at tonight. Durga's truck is making some sad sounds and while we wait for the bus to arrive Randall and Durga try to assess the problem. It's a bit funny to watch them, and I'm not alone, the local troop of monkeys also head out of the trees to watch them.
They get the car temporarily sorted and soon our mini van is loading our bags into the back and we are off along the Tibet Road.
The road that leads from Kathmandu up to the Tibet border is the main one through to the north, and as the tourist trade of Mt. Everest grows, so do the people travelling this route to get to the Northern approach to Everest. Someday, someday, someday I will get to see this amazing mountain! Not this trip though, too high in elevation for our small children. We will stop just before the Tibetan border at a world renowned adventure-tourism resort. I can't wait to see this place, supposedly it is literally perched in a cliff, high above the Bhota Kose River.
But for now we are bouncing along the road, through commercial villages that sell - with increasing stock every mile we get closer to Tibet - cheap merchandise made in China. One town obviously was the Large Teddy Bear knock off town, with every village store selling an assortment of over sized plush teddy bears. Something every Nepali child needs, right? Um, I think not. It's really for all those rich tourists heading up this road to the North Face of Mount Everest who stop and buy the dirt cheap knock offs as prezzies to take home to their children. Oh, but I digress....
The roads are often bad, and, oh, did I mention that the drivers in Nepal are shockingly horrible? But the real delay are the constant road blocks put up by the police. I suppose after ten years of horrible civil war it is the new government's way to not only show that it has a firm grip on power but also employs many people in it's cause as possible.
The subject of the Nepali civil war itself is interesting. It was essentially the Maoist party who tried to overthrow the reigning monarchy back in 1996 and they slugged it out for ten years, eventually becoming a struggling democracy in 2006. As with many political wars the result was that something like 11,000 civilians alone were killed and more than 150,000 civilians were displaced from their homes. I guess that explains the horrid overcrowding and congestion of Kathmandu! I know that for myself between the years of 1996 and 2006 I don't recall any media about what was going on here. It makes you wonder why the media blows one event that kills a hundred people out of proportion and never even mentions one where civilians are being affected in the tens of thousands. Just saying!
I pretty much lose track of all of the police check points that we have to go through. As a tourist bus with a bunch of whiteys in it we don't get hassled at all, they seem to be mainly aimed at preventing illegal trade etc amongst the local population. I do notice that Durga and family who are driving behind us get pulled over for questioning a few times. Luckily Fionna, Scottish to the core, negotiates out of it every time.
As we follow the wild Bhota Kosa river closer to Tibet the canyon walls become ever increasing in the slant and soon it is rushing river rapids below us and sheer cliff faces above us. I'm no good at heights and it absolutely terrifies me travelling these roads that seem to be hanging on to the cliffs while crazy drivers pass and random dogs chase the bus. But, well, if I wanted safe I should never leave my home right??
At long last we reach the stop off point for our accommodation for the night - The Last Resort. A world class adventure resort in the heart of this crazy landscape. Not only do they do white water rafting and canyoning, but they are also world famous for their bungee jump and canyon swing.
It is only now that it becomes apparent to me that to get to said accommodation I will have to cross a swing bridge that hangs 150 meters above the wild rushing river.
Did I mention that I am afraid of heights?
No, terrified.
I get vertigo.
This is my worst nightmare come to life.
Unfortunately, while I am processing all of this my family and baggage have all crossed and are busy checking in. They obviously are not affected the way I am! Thanks for waiting guys!!
There comes a time all people's live when they have to face their fears about something and I suppose this is mine. I am certainly not going to sleep in the street with the feral dogs tonight, so cross I must. And I do it. The fear is something that comes straight from the gut. Something visceral and all encompassing. Sweat glands that have never been activated before go into overdrive.
I feel silly writing about it now that it is over with and obviously I survived, but fear is a funny thing and can strike a person for many different reasons. Seriously, I will take swimming with a lone hammerhead shark any day over this. But OK, I am meant to do this. If I was logical I would obviously go as fast as possible and be done with it. But no. I inch along, snail like. An octogenarian Nepali man passes me with a basket of bottles perched on his head, coming from the resort. I pass the section where the bungee jumpers go from and nearly pee my pants.
Eventually I do make it. My children are feeling shamed by me, and I don't blame them. Who has the snail-like mother who prolongs her state of fear by moving slowly across the bridge of doom? Oh well, no one is perfect!!!
They get the car temporarily sorted and soon our mini van is loading our bags into the back and we are off along the Tibet Road.
The road that leads from Kathmandu up to the Tibet border is the main one through to the north, and as the tourist trade of Mt. Everest grows, so do the people travelling this route to get to the Northern approach to Everest. Someday, someday, someday I will get to see this amazing mountain! Not this trip though, too high in elevation for our small children. We will stop just before the Tibetan border at a world renowned adventure-tourism resort. I can't wait to see this place, supposedly it is literally perched in a cliff, high above the Bhota Kose River.
But for now we are bouncing along the road, through commercial villages that sell - with increasing stock every mile we get closer to Tibet - cheap merchandise made in China. One town obviously was the Large Teddy Bear knock off town, with every village store selling an assortment of over sized plush teddy bears. Something every Nepali child needs, right? Um, I think not. It's really for all those rich tourists heading up this road to the North Face of Mount Everest who stop and buy the dirt cheap knock offs as prezzies to take home to their children. Oh, but I digress....
The roads are often bad, and, oh, did I mention that the drivers in Nepal are shockingly horrible? But the real delay are the constant road blocks put up by the police. I suppose after ten years of horrible civil war it is the new government's way to not only show that it has a firm grip on power but also employs many people in it's cause as possible.
The subject of the Nepali civil war itself is interesting. It was essentially the Maoist party who tried to overthrow the reigning monarchy back in 1996 and they slugged it out for ten years, eventually becoming a struggling democracy in 2006. As with many political wars the result was that something like 11,000 civilians alone were killed and more than 150,000 civilians were displaced from their homes. I guess that explains the horrid overcrowding and congestion of Kathmandu! I know that for myself between the years of 1996 and 2006 I don't recall any media about what was going on here. It makes you wonder why the media blows one event that kills a hundred people out of proportion and never even mentions one where civilians are being affected in the tens of thousands. Just saying!
 |
| One of the many police check points that we went through on the three hour drive. |
I pretty much lose track of all of the police check points that we have to go through. As a tourist bus with a bunch of whiteys in it we don't get hassled at all, they seem to be mainly aimed at preventing illegal trade etc amongst the local population. I do notice that Durga and family who are driving behind us get pulled over for questioning a few times. Luckily Fionna, Scottish to the core, negotiates out of it every time.
As we follow the wild Bhota Kosa river closer to Tibet the canyon walls become ever increasing in the slant and soon it is rushing river rapids below us and sheer cliff faces above us. I'm no good at heights and it absolutely terrifies me travelling these roads that seem to be hanging on to the cliffs while crazy drivers pass and random dogs chase the bus. But, well, if I wanted safe I should never leave my home right??
At long last we reach the stop off point for our accommodation for the night - The Last Resort. A world class adventure resort in the heart of this crazy landscape. Not only do they do white water rafting and canyoning, but they are also world famous for their bungee jump and canyon swing.
It is only now that it becomes apparent to me that to get to said accommodation I will have to cross a swing bridge that hangs 150 meters above the wild rushing river.
Did I mention that I am afraid of heights?
No, terrified.
I get vertigo.
This is my worst nightmare come to life.
Unfortunately, while I am processing all of this my family and baggage have all crossed and are busy checking in. They obviously are not affected the way I am! Thanks for waiting guys!!
There comes a time all people's live when they have to face their fears about something and I suppose this is mine. I am certainly not going to sleep in the street with the feral dogs tonight, so cross I must. And I do it. The fear is something that comes straight from the gut. Something visceral and all encompassing. Sweat glands that have never been activated before go into overdrive.
I feel silly writing about it now that it is over with and obviously I survived, but fear is a funny thing and can strike a person for many different reasons. Seriously, I will take swimming with a lone hammerhead shark any day over this. But OK, I am meant to do this. If I was logical I would obviously go as fast as possible and be done with it. But no. I inch along, snail like. An octogenarian Nepali man passes me with a basket of bottles perched on his head, coming from the resort. I pass the section where the bungee jumpers go from and nearly pee my pants.
Eventually I do make it. My children are feeling shamed by me, and I don't blame them. Who has the snail-like mother who prolongs her state of fear by moving slowly across the bridge of doom? Oh well, no one is perfect!!!
 |
| Looking down between my toes more than 150 meters to the rushing river. Have I mentioned that I am prone to vertigo? |
Once across it seems that I have landed in a beautiful idyll. The resort is absolutely a little slice of heaven nestled into the cliffs. Cut off from the reality of the world it is beautifully landscaped and butterflies float around the semi tropical flowers. It's just starting to rain, but it is a gentle rain that combines with the river sounds coming from way below us that epitomizes tranquility.
 |
| Welcome to The Last Resort, Nepal |
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| The grounds are like a fairy land and the the luxury tents are so peaceful! |
The accommodations are luxury tents nestled into the vegetation. What a contrast from the village life that we only left this morning! I book in a massage and the poor lady who gets my lot has quite a challenge with my knotted muscles. She literally climbs all over me with her own joints cracking in a stellar effort to unbend my knotted muscles.
Dinner is a huge buffet in the common area. I stick with the Dal Bhat, I've gotten a taste for it by now! And we even order a bottle of Indian wine. Such a luxury. The resort has a well stocked bar and the resort is very full with all manner of travellers, all of whom are western. We pass the evening playing games, dancing and enjoying the atmosphere.
Tonight will probably be our last night with Durga, Fionna, Jaimie and Rona so they have a little ceremony for the kids with special awards and presents for the things that they have noticed about them over the past three weeks together.
*Juliet gets the supreme best Dal Baht Eater Award.
*Liam get the Most Adaptable Award.
*Clara the best Back Massager.
*Liana gets the Award for the Best Jokester.
It has been such a fun journey with our new found friends. It will be sad to see them go, but they are on to Europe from here for a family wedding.
*Juliet gets the supreme best Dal Baht Eater Award.
*Liam get the Most Adaptable Award.
*Clara the best Back Massager.
*Liana gets the Award for the Best Jokester.
It has been such a fun journey with our new found friends. It will be sad to see them go, but they are on to Europe from here for a family wedding.
Soon the night winds down and we head back to our tents in the rain. Going to sleep with sound of the soft gentle rain and the rushing river below I am utterly content with the universe.
Namaste.
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