Tag: India

Garry McGivern Travelsonabike2 is cycle touring in Nepal/India on Wednesday, 16th-November-2016. Ghodaghodi, Nepal, to Khatima, India. 79 miles. Well I didn’t do too bad in the end today, considering how bad my stomach was at the end of yesterday!

I didn’t venture very far from my room at all last night, just downstairs to have an omelette, which was alright and stayed in!

First thing this morning, I loaded up on Imodium and had another omelette (seeing as that was ok last night, I thought it would be ok today!) I didn’t want to start the day the way I finished yesterday, which seems to have worked. Although I’ve not taken any chances and not stopped for anything to eat all day! At the end of the day, I was pretty hungry, and as soon as I’d found somewhere to stay, I ate the packet of biscuits I’d been carrying all day!

At The Border

I reached the Nepal/Indian border at about 2 o’clock and immediately stocked up on water and snacks, as I was half expecting to have to camp tonight because not many places take plastic, and with no cash, I didn’t see an alternative!

As I went to the Nepalese immigration, I got talking to a French guy who was coming the other way from India. So I asked him what the money situation was like; a nightmare, he said! Which is what I suspected! He said that there was a money exchange on this side, and before I get my exit stamp, I should try and change my money up there as you’ve got no chance on the Indian side.

Without delay, I left the immigration office and headed back up the road. It was only about 100 yards away, and I don’t know how I missed it in the first place, but then maybe I was looking for the immigration office at the same time, so didn’t spot it!

I managed to exchange my Nepalees rupees for Indian rupees and also some US $ which even the bloke in the booth said that I was being ripped off, but with no other choice what was I to do!

Once across on the Indian side, I spotted one ATM that was open. But it had a massive queue, and all the others that I saw were all closed, so even though I was ripped off, at least I had some cash!

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Travelsonabike2 Nepal Thursday, 3rd-November-2016. Aralaj, India to Birguni, Nepal. 61 miles. It’s been tough going today. I managed to get lost coming through Motihari this morning, and I think that’s where it all started to go wrong! The road ran out, and it’s been more like a dirt track for most of the way, but at least I’ve made it to Nepal.

Whilst I was lost in Motihari trying to figure out which way to go, a friendly shopkeeper invited me for a cup of tea, which is always nice. It gave me a chance to try and work out which way to go in the peace and quiet of his shop.

I saw a working elephant today, as in it was moving some tree trunks around. Unfortunately, it was too far away to get a decent picture of it!

Made It To The Border

The ride up to the border was the predictable chaotic scene, with mile after mile of queuing trucks! It was so busy and hectic that I nearly left India without getting an exit stamp. Luckily, somebody pointed me in the right direction. Had they not, there was no way I would have spotted the immigration office. Ha, I call it an office. It was just an inconspicuous room on the side of a building with no signage to say what it was!

After filling out the standard bureaucratic forms, I received my exit stamp and was allowed to leave India and continue to Nepal! Obtaining my “visa upon entry” at the Nepalese border was easy enough. Although, I forgot that the visa was only obtainable if you paid in US dollars. So I had to rummage around to find where I’d stashed them.

My initial thoughts on Nepal are that the food portions are much bigger, and beer seems more readily available!

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