A Note from Nepal, April 25th 2014

Strife on the highway....

Pokhara, another stay in Nepal's number two city nestled within the Himalayan foot hills. Lakeside is once again the place to head for, about a 40 minute stomp from the tourist bus park. Yes, it was a long bus ride this time so I figured on walking to avoid any such problems like DVT.

The trouble with travelling on a Nepali road is that should there be a breakdown by a truck or bus then that's pretty much screwed up a clear run for anyone behind since passing on the narrow highway can be a challenge, especially when it's a long way down to the valley floor - and today there seems to be several flat tyres, hoods up on trucks and others stacked up on bricks, not to mention a spot of civil unrest! Well, that's the story from a local who has the foresight to telephone someone ahead, because information from the bus staff is non-existent.

So here I am, stuck about halfway to Pokhara and going absolutely nowhere for the foreseeable future. The sun is hot, water is running short with supplies rapidly running low at the roadside shack here. The trouble stems from a fatal motorcycle crash the previous evening and in order to gain compensation from someone the bereaved families have organised a blockade of the only road between Kathmandu and Pokhara, that's how the story go's anyway and with little sign of a resolution a night on the bus  is looking increasingly likely as the dispute drags on.

Finally some action. Shouts and signalling from down the line as engines splutter into life once again. And not to soon either as the final droplets of water disappear. A couple of disabled buses litter the highway - minus the glass in their windows which can be seen  as fragments glistening on the road. Not tourist buses thankfully, but perhaps just unlucky enough to be first in the line approaching the blockade. Apart form that, no other sign of strife exists - Pokhara in theory should be about 2 hours away, touch wood!