My Earthquake Diary, Nepal, April 2015
Saturday April 25th Kathmandu 6am-7am: Stupa Guesthouse to Kantipath, just a 10 minute hike part of which involves negotiating concrete slabs and rubble as this narrow road in Thamel is getting some serious maintenance - yes, time to close the nostrils as the subterranean sewerage system is revealed!
Abut 30 tourist buses are lined up along Kantipath as usual, ready for the 7am exodus to those parts of Nepal with tourist appeal - Lumbini, Chitwan and my destination, Pokhara. Time to grab some tea, chapatti and dal for breakfast.
7am- 9.35am: 7am on the dot, no waiting for late passengers as the bus heads away down Kantipath. A few pickups around town and soon we're on what's called the Prithivi Highway to Pokhara. A picturesque scene - picturesque enough to take ones mind off the fact that around here they overtake on corners and think nothing of trucks approaching head on, normal for Nepal! Picturesque enough until the first food, water and toilet stop at 9.35.
10am - 12.30pm: On the road again, just about 1/3 of the journey completed without incident thankfully. Let's hope I get to lunch in one piece! If that happens then the rest of the journey should be straight forward. The bus stops suddenly, a few puzzled looks since there appears no obstruction. There's a vibration, a kind of fast oscillation for around a minute. A landslide close by probably, not uncommon around here, combined with fuel sloshing around in the tanks underneath is probably the reason. No one seems unduly concerned at 11.55am as the bus continues towards lunch and stop number 2.
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