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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You’re really suffering on this tour but you still put in the miles.Khatina didn’t look much on youtube. Show me the way to the next ATM. Always carry sheets of toilet paper – you can exchange it for rupees.
Apparently that’s what some people are doing, using the 500 and 1000 rupee note as toilet paper, seeing as it has no other value at all!