Camper to Kathmandu

It’s plus about six hours ahead of London time here, and the slow journey around the world makes this change hardly noticeable. Certainly beats the stories you hear where you fly non-stop to Australia and arrive hollow.

I am making my way further along the H01 East West Highway heading towards Kathmandu. I pull over at Khaireni to fill up on fuel at the Namo Buddha Petrol Station. About an hour east of Butwal I start to head up and over the first mountain ridge and the terrain starts to get more interesting. Half way to Kathmandu, I go through Bharatpur, a large city on the east side of the Narayani river, which is very wide and one of the largest rivers in Nepal.

The Narayani river.

The bridge over the river at Bharatpur.

Bharatpur is the largest city in this area, bar Kathmandu, and has its own airport to the south. I could have flown to Kathmandu in about 25 minutes, but where’s the fun in that! Most of the road, as I near Kathmandu is high up, with long drops to the side of the road. I am on the left side of the road, so the drop is pretty close and pretty scary.

Here is a wonderful video that kind of introduces the quality of road found in the mountains. Not sure I would move very quickly in my old camper.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qq0HgYKq6F4&w=560&h=315]

Given the trouble it has taken to get to Kathmandu today, I will stay over and spend the day in the city.

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