Author Archives: angusmccoll

Still feeling unwell with stomach cramps and diarrhea. So I spend time in bed but learn of some drugs that will help. It’s easy to buy all sorts of formal drugs over the counter here, even antibiotics. No doctors prescription required. But this is only useful if you know what you want. I don’t thinkContinue reading “Monday 11 April 2016”

Its museum day today. There are some museums over near the Monkey Temple within a long walking distance from the hotel. It’s hot now in Kathmandu and I follow google maps, which turns out to be wrong! It takes me more effort than intended. On one side of the road is an archaeology museum andContinue reading “Wednesday 6 April 2016”

Another 6am start. Dipak has invited me along to a community meeting in a village up in the mountains not far from Kathmandu. We catch a mini bus to the bus park, then a city bus to the edge of Kathmandu and the entrance to a national park. From here we walk. There is aContinue reading “Thursday 7 April 2016”

I had planned to catch the us back to Kathmandu today but woke up hungover and couldn’t be bothered. Another day here will be fine. I decide to walk the entire distance from Buddha’s birthplace to the World Peace Pagoda and track it on my phone. It’s hot today and I’m still tired from walkingContinue reading “Saturday 2 April 2016”

My bus leaves at 6am so I’m up at 5.30am. There is a night bus but I prefer traveling in daylight so I can see the scenery. It’s another long day. We avoid the 3-hour wait at the road block this time, I guess because of good timing. But still there is a lot ofContinue reading “Sunday 3 April 2016”

It’s stinking hot today and there is as usual a haze to ashen the sky. I plan to visit more of the monasteries in the afternoon but as I start preparing to go, I thunderstorm rumbles in the distance. It’s impossible to see because of the haze but the sound is unmistakable. Do I goContinue reading “Thursday 31 March 2016”

Today I plan to visit the remaining monasteries. As explained previously, land has been allocated  to different countries east and west of the water canal that links Buddha’s birthplace with the World Peace Stuppa. One side is for monasteries that follow one stream of Buddhism while the other side is for followers of the otherContinue reading “Friday 1 April 2016”

Lumbini is located in central southern Nepal, quite near to the border with India. It’s flat (yes Nepal has some flat parts) and hot, hotter than Kathmandu. It has a long history but is most famous for being the birth place of Buddha. Pilgrims come from all over to visit his birthplace. To mark theContinue reading “Wednesday 30 March 2016”

Bizarre day today. I met Ullma today. He’s Nepalese and is a rafting guide. He has his own rafting business here but also spends six months of the year being a rafting guide in Japan. He leaves for Japan at the end of April. Right now he is looking after their little shop in theContinue reading “Tuesday 29 March 2016”

Spent the day organising my trip to Lumbini. Raju helped me organise my bus ticket. It’s about an 8-hour journey. Went for a coffee at a place on the edge of Thamel and while walking there, a strong wind came up out of nowhere. The dust was blinding and shop owners scurried to get theirContinue reading “Monday 28 March 2016”