Kathmandu to Besishahar and a small step for man

We got up for a 6am taxi ride to Besishahar, the start of our trek, accompanied by Prem, our guide, and Sulis, our porter who we picked up en route. Kathmandu was heaving with people and traffic grew by the minute, until we couldn’t escape it’s grip, however much we wanted to be jammy dodgers. What was really insane was the dust, which sometimes completely obscured vision, and the hooting, even at 6am, was incessant. After three hours we made it out of Kathmandu and although the major roads were the equivalent of badly kept farm tracks in the UK, we made progress and eventually covered the 108 miles in 7 hours. 

Besishahar for lunch, and it was dal bhat again for me, the rice dish with various accompaniments. I caused concern by chewing on a chilli pepper, a feat I repeated twice more today, including the hottest chilli in Nepal. Nobody was amused as I turned purple, and then I pretended the heat was making me lose my teeth, and pulled my falsies out. Sad old attention seeking baston. I know I should say ‘bastard’ but some people find it offensive so I’ll refer to bastard as baston from here on in. Get it? Not using bastard any more. Using baston instead. 

There was a demonstration by local women down the Main Street over inaction by the authorities, and the uselessness of the government, in a rape and murder case involving a 13 year old girl. Bastons whoever did it and deserving of the death penalty.

We ate and then said goodbye to Besishahar.

On foot with our rucksacks we followed a footpath down to the river and up to a very, very rough country road. This is Jetty with our guide.

The route took us upriver and across to Nadi Bazar, three hours distant. It was hot and I was sweating like a dog under the weight of my rucksack.

We stuck to schedule, cooling off under water taps and waterfalls, and crossed the river on one of the oldest bridges on this trek.

There were some lads fishing in the torrent underneath for tilapia, and according to Prem the cold water of these rivers produces very tasty fish. One slip and they is gone.

Meanwhile Sulis helped Jet over the bridge. It was rotting wood in places and wobbly but reasonably sound.

We sweated on and passed a brilliant waterfall. I love em. All the while heading further and further upstream. 

Jet was joined by a bunch of donkeys. Like minded!

And sunset found us in a teahouse with a cold outside shower with two footsteps in the snow for an outside toilet, without toilet roll, but a twin room and decent scran. It’s been an eventful day. Got to sign off. The WiFi is hopeless and it’s taking ten minutes to upload each photo. I need sleep and so does Jettifer. 

Night night.