Very Rough Guide Indeed


Main	Very Rough Guide Indeed	Contents
Home Nepal Boating Links Work Pics Old Rope PCs Small print	14. When you're not on the river... 14.1 Around Kathmandu R’n’R. Eat pies in Thamel. Ditto for Lakeside in Pokhara. As far as the "main sights", Swayumbunath is good and you can walk there from Thamel. Bodnath is cool, go there late in the afternoon for the best light (and even candle-light, most afternoons, after 4pm, if you’re lucky). Pashuptinath is interesting and you can go there on the way to Bodnath to see some overly-hairy Saddhus. Patan is within walking distance of Kathmandu and has yet more photogenic temples. Bhaktapur is about half an hour away by a cool electric trolley-bus from down by the Kathmandu soccer stadium, and is the nearest thing you’ll get to visiting the Middle Ages. You have to pay to get into the "historic" part of Bhaktapur but it’s not impossible to sneak in without paying via one of the minor roads into town to the east of the trolley-bus station. See if you can get taken to the Dakshinkali temple by someone if you’re in Kathmandu during the Dashain festival. You’re likely to be the only westerner there. Wear sandals so you can wash the goat entrails off your feet when you get back to your hotel. 14.2 Royal Bardia National Park Much better than Shitwan. You allegedly have a 40% chance of seeing a tiger. Stay at Forest Hideaway Cottages, they’ll meet you at the take-out after a Karnali trip. The owner has dealings with Ghopal at Shiva’s so you might be able to blag a few days’ stay there for free. (Remind the Scottish woman who runs the place, if you would, that they offered Phil US$10 for every punter he persuaded to stay with them)! 14.3 India - Varanasi If you get a spare week or so then it’s worth going down to Varanasi. You can get an Indian visa in Kathmandu (although it’s a pain in the arse). Note that you’ll need a re-entry visa for Nepal if you cross the border into India. 14.4 Around Pokhara Sarankot in Pokhara has magnificent views of the Annapurna ranges, best in the early morning or late evening. You can stay up there overnight but be careful of the weather as it can be disappointing. If you can see Machupuchare (Fishtail) from Pokhara, then it should be good. Best to get there by hiring a bike or motorbike: taxis are a rip off. It is also NOT MANDATORY to pay the dude at the top, it is a "gift" if cash is handed over. Devi Falls in Pokhara is nice if you like to be surrounded by middle class Indian tourists with kids. It can be crowded, but is very impressive. This is where the Seti river thunders into the ground, good fun to see in Monsoon I’ll bet. The cost of entrance is Rs. 30, but you can sneak in if you are wiley. It is located near to the Tibetan refugee village in Damside. Tibetan Refugee Village. This is an excellent place to get all of the TAT that is offered to you by the street sellers at a MUCH REDUCED PRICE. It is also a good place to score good quality gear if you’re that way inclined. Begnas Lake is also just outside Pokhara, and it makes a cool place to hang out for an afternoon and read. This is the place where all of the fish for the restaurants in Pokhara comes from. You can fish too, by asking one of the dudes to take you out: they’ll be glad to, for a small fee - Rs. 180 I think. I can’t believe I’ve just written about going FISHING, in a boatin’ guide. Doh. next	1. Disclaimer 2. Guidebooks 3. Flying with your kayak 4. Arrival 5. Staying in Kathmandu 6. Hey, friend, youwanna changemoney? 7. Food & drink 8. Health 9. Bureaucracy 10. Post, Phone & email 11. Getting "work" boating 12. Some Rivers 13. Getting around 14. Stuff to do when you’re not on the river 15. Things you will need… 16. Photography 17. Psst! Hashhash? marijuana?