In the mind of the ignorant, philosophy degenerates into foolishness, science into pure superstition, and art into pedantry. ~Bernard Shaw~
I woke up before the alarm would ring at 05:30. Everything was packed, I brushed my teeth, and left for the bus ticket agency on the main road. There were just other buses arriving, but not mine. So I waited, and waited, and waited. When I bought the ticket, the guy said the bus would depart at 06:30. My ticket showed 06:00 arrival and 06:15 departure. 06:40 I called the company, but the guy didn’t speak English. This was not very helpful. I didn’t give up, and at 06:50, I saw a tourist bus coming closer, showing Pokhara, my bus.
One guy stored my backpack on the shelf above the seats. The small backpack was with me. The seats were comfortable and soft, they absorbed the shocks from the rough road. And the road was sometimes in terrible condition. The drive was slow, there was traffic, and the road was temporarily narrow. After more than two hours, we had the first break.
The distance from Kathmandu to Pokhara is only 200 kilometers, but it took me nearly 11 hours to reach the bus stop in Pokhara. We had three stops on this journey. At the second stop was a buffet for lunch for 400 rupees (€2,55), which was quite good. Sometimes we get stuck for half an hour due to construction work on the road. Later, my host in the hotel told me there is a lot of corruption in this business. They should finish the construction in two years, and then it will take five years. But this happens in other countries as well. Corruption and greed are the economic cancer for humanity.
At least the nature is quite beautiful here in the Himalayas in Central Nepal.
The photos are not of good quality, taken through the bus window.
Due to the high population density and the frequency of natural disasters, western Nepal is considered one of the most disaster-prone regions in the world. Pokhara is particularly prone to earthquakes and flooding because the Seti Gandaki River flows through the city. The earthquakes in Nepal in 2015, for example, are among the strongest quakes in the region.
I hope it will not happen again within the next week. Reaching the bus stop in Pokhara, I was welcomed by some taxi drivers. They are always the first ones to invade you wherever you arrive, at airports, train stations, or bus stations. I took a taxi to my hotel, just an eight-minute drive. At the reception, I called the host because I couldn’t see him. He came and showed me my room. I didn’t go out today anymore, I was too tired from the long tour. I arranged myself in the room, which has two comfortable single beds. I had a shower with warm water, it didn’t get hot, and I rested the rest of the day. I fell asleep early, before 22:00.
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