A long ride back

So I'm back in the states now. I'll probably keep up this writing thing though. It's good for me. The trip home was slightly annoying. It's not like it used to be with the whole nine month boat ride, but it still felt like it took forever.

It started off with a nine hour bus ride from Pokahra to Kathmandu. We had the pleasure of running into some major traffic issues that delayed all the process. A few days in Kathmandu fixing tickets and such, then it was a early two hour flight to Delhi. Our ticket said the plane was leaving at 7:00. Although the airport didn't open till 6:00. And the flight eventually left around 8:00.

We landed in Delhi and spent the day there. Our next flight was to Bangalore and it left around eight in the evening. The stupid morons at British Airways wouldn't let us switch our flight to Delhi, so we had to fly all the way down to Bangalore. I know I'll never fly on British Airways again. Of course the flight was delayed, so we didn't arrive into Bangalore until midnight. Our next flight left around 6:30am, so we just hung out at the airport. No sleep that night.

That next flight took us to London where we had a nice 24 hour layover. We were going to head out and meet a friend, but we ended up being so tired we just crashe at the airport. Our next flight left the next day and ten hours later we arrived in Atlanta. Then it was a three hour drive to Fitzgerald and that's where I am now.

Pokhara to Kathmandu

The trip back to Pokhara was a little tedious. A couple hour jeep ride, followed by a couple hour hike. Then a nights rest, followed by a couple hour bus ride on this sketchy thin mountain rode. Then switch buses to a bigger one. A few more hours on this bumpy road and we finally get to Pokhara. We figure out the travel plans, and then walk around town for the last night.

The next day we take a bus ride to Kathmandu and run into some traffic. The bus ride takes forever. We get passed by a western couple on mountain bikes, but we eventually arrive in the loud, westernized, dirty, town of Kathmandu.

Kathmandu is filled with CD stores, email cafes, outdoor clothing stores, Thangka shops, restaurants, hotels, taxis, touts, and drug dealers. Everyone is trying to sell you something. It's as if white skin means deep wallet.

Overall Kathmandu leaves a bad taste in the mouth. Actually, it gives me a sore throat. I prefer Bangkok or Delhi to this place. Those towns have a little more character then here.

I walked to Durbar Square one day and some guard stopped me and told me I had to pay 200 rupees to get in. I didn't feel like doing that so I left. The next day I'm wandering around and I end up finding myself in Durbar Square but I entered from a side street. Apparently it's free from over this way. I did some sketching and painting watched the people. Again there was more communist mumbo jumbo. These elections are annoying.

Everywhere I go I hear about elections. I even hear about the American elections. US politics is news in every country. It's a little sad when you think about it. There's nothing more petty and annoying then US politics and our silly elections. So to have that be worldwide news means that everyone else is interested in petty squabling and mud slinging just as much as we are.