You might be asking yourself: how does one get from India to Nepal over land? Well here's the very abbreviated version of my 24 hour adventure:
1)Tuk Tuk from home stay in Varanassi at 10:30 pm to train station
2)Confusedly wait for train that is delayed 2 hrs
3)2am-9am sleeper car Train to Ghorakpur (use toilet that empties straight onto tracks below)
4)Bicycle Rickshaw from train to bus "stand"
5)Board local bus to Sanauli...drive around picking up passengers till every seat is full, proceed 3 hrs
6)Walk to Indian immigration (use toilet with no door)
7)Bicycle Rickshaw to change money, Nepalese Immigration, and bus guy office
8)Bag gets put on top of jeep that you are told will take you to the bus...you hop in back
9)Board local bus to Pokharra...drive one hour very comfortably, then stop at another bus terminal and wait and drive around until bus in completely full. *
10)Get dropped at the side of the road to meet your ride to hotel - a motorcycle of course
11)Arrive at your hotel with a muddy wet pack around 10 pm
2)Confusedly wait for train that is delayed 2 hrs
3)2am-9am sleeper car Train to Ghorakpur (use toilet that empties straight onto tracks below)
4)Bicycle Rickshaw from train to bus "stand"
5)Board local bus to Sanauli...drive around picking up passengers till every seat is full, proceed 3 hrs
6)Walk to Indian immigration (use toilet with no door)
7)Bicycle Rickshaw to change money, Nepalese Immigration, and bus guy office
8)Bag gets put on top of jeep that you are told will take you to the bus...you hop in back
9)Board local bus to Pokharra...drive one hour very comfortably, then stop at another bus terminal and wait and drive around until bus in completely full. *
10)Get dropped at the side of the road to meet your ride to hotel - a motorcycle of course
11)Arrive at your hotel with a muddy wet pack around 10 pm
* Though we stopped about 1000 times and it rained...and we didn't arrive before dark as hoped...this was the most amazing bus ride of my life!!!! I saw over 30 waterfalls, fields, river, jungle, mountains...the views were out of this world! On the 8 hour bus ride (6 of them doing twists and turns snaking along the edges and sides of mountains) the cool rainy mountain air and Nepalese music (AND the lack of staring) were a very welcome change of pace. The sweat dried and the sense of chaos and stress began to melt away mile by mile.
Counting my blessings that it was a safe journey.
This is evidence that you a true traveler and braver than I. Glad you made it!
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