Category Archives: Uncategorized

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”

Not much to report today. Time was spend blogging and editing photos.  The trekking season is just beginning and there are more and more tourists in town, which is great for Nepal but I would prefer the place to my self. Selfish I know. Hotel Lily is busy and so is Raju.  Raju’s wife isContinue reading “Sunday 27 March 2016”

Dipak is Nepalese born but now he and his Nepalese wife are Canadian citizens. He’s a researcher based with a university in the US looking at commercial bees here in Nepal. Like many well educated young people here, he sought postgraduate studies overseas and stayed. This results in a huge loss of talent to NepalContinue reading “Saturday 26 March 2016”

We decide to head back to Kathmandu today. There is much family discussion about the farm and future ownership this morning. The boys are determined to go against tradition and include their sister in ownership of the farm. Ganesh takes Jasper and me on another walk around the village. Fields are being ploughed by oxenContinue reading “Friday 25 March 2016”