From Rishikesh to Kathmandu via Delhi

On what would have been my Dad's 86th birthday, I was up with my alarm at 5am. After a coffee and a banana, I went downstairs where my taxi driver was already waiting for me, even though I was 15 minutes early!

We had only got to the end of the street when we were flagged down by an Indian girl in a bit of a panic. She was with a French-Canadian guy. She was his tour guide, and they had to get to the same place I was going to. They were booked on an earlier bus to Delhi than I was, but she had been unable to find a taxi. Of course, I agreed that they could come with me. My driver was happy because he could earn an extra fare 😀. 

We chatted all the way to the bus stop. By the time we parted, we had exchanged details. The girl, Mansi, really wants to make a business out of being a tour guide. Max, her client, said she was really good and had been invaluable to him during his first four days in India. I suggested that she apply to join the Greether platform. She messaged me later in the day to say that she had, so I messaged Vanessa, Greether's founder, to put in a good word for her. The upshot was that when I get back to Delhi, Vanessa will pay for us to have an informal meet-up. So, I get a guide in Delhi for free, and Mansi gets paid, as well as constructive feedback and her first positive review. It's a win-win. I love it when you have these unexpected encounters while travelling.

My bus to Delhi from Rishikesh was at 7.10am. It arrived on time. Inside, the smell was horrible! I had booked an ordinary seat for my five-hour journey, but others were in sleeper seats and had been on the bus since yesterday evening. It smelled like it, too! We had a half-hour stop at services on the way. I didn't want anything, but I took the opportunity to have a walk in the fresh air. The second half of the journey wasn't as bad.

When we arrived at Delhi's purpose-built bus hub, I was immediately pounced on by a number of tuk-tuk drivers trying to grab my case and hustle me into their vehicles. They wanted 1250 rupees to take me to the airport. I knew there was a metro station just around the corner, so I politely but firmly refused their offers! The Metro system in Delhi is very easy to navigate. It works like underground systems all over the world. My only problem was that I didn't have any notes small enough for the ticket machine. Luckily, a friendly local stepped in to help. My ticket to the airport cost only 60 rupees, considerably less than the tuk-tuk drivers wanted!

I had to change at New Delhi station to switch to the airport express line. There, I realised that I could drop my bag off at an Air India desk inside the underground station. I was a bit too early to do this, so I grabbed lunch in the station, figuring it would be cheaper to eat there than at the airport. I had a veggie burger. It was quite nice, but I am craving meat after a week of purely vegetarian dishes 😄. 

Once I'd eaten, it was time to get rid of my bag. It felt a bit weird leaving my case 20 kilometres from the airport, but I put my faith in the system. Within a few minutes, I got a WhatsApp message telling me that the baggage handlers had my case and it was on its way to the airport. They gave me a tracking number. In the event, it probably reached the airport before I did. Whatever, it was there when I landed in Kathmandu, so the system seems to work.

The wait at Delhi airport was without issue. We took off on time and were served a good meal for such a short flight. I had chicken manchurian with noodles (hoorah!) and the dessert was carrot cake. As we approached Kathmandu, the pilot told us that Nepali air traffic controllers had advised we would be put in a holding circle for around 40 minutes. The crew served us extra soft drinks, and all was well.

On landing, the visa procedure was straightforward. I had already filled in the form online, so I just had to go to the cash desk to pay. The fee was US$50. I didn't have that. The border official said it would cost me 25% more to pay by card. He asked me if I had anything else. I told him I had a small amount of sterling. His next comment made me smile - "OK, give me 30 quid, and we'll call it quits" 😂.

I took a taxi to my hotel. It was pitch black, so I couldn't see very much, but I was immediately struck by how much quieter Kathmandu is than any Indian city I've ever been in. The feeling of calm continued, even when we drove through a very busy night market close to the city centre. We had the windows down. Everyone was very smiley and friendly.

My hotel is down a very narrow alley, just a stone's throw from Durbar Square, the beating heart of Kathmandu. I've booked a studio apartment with a kitchenette for the whole time I'm in Nepal. I might go away for a couple of days here and there, but I'm happy to have a base so close to the action, and I'm really looking forward to cooking for myself after three months of hotel living.

FUN FACT!! Nepal is the only country in the world with a non-rectangular flag 😂Read more