TO Nepal or Die trying..

Tibet border to Kathmandu,aug 26. 
Crossing the friendship bridge and into Nepal our clocks went back 2.45hrs.
The Security much more relaxed here than the Tibetan side, we got 2 90day visas, mine with several wrong dates scribbled across it.
So with visas in hand The 8 of us went to find a jeep to bring us to Kathmandu. The best price was $100 for all of us. 
The 8 of us squashed in, with 3 in front 3 middle and 3 in the back,Michael with the gear stick between his legs in front.

The road from the border winds around mountains, through ravines and over landslides, surrounded by waterfalls and raging whitewater rivers. Added to this, is our adolescent driver with a heavy foot and no depth perception, over taking on coming traffic, on bends and over fresh landslides, as the jeep tilts 45 degrees! The sky is on the left and the raging torrents a few seconds freefall to the right. 

After an hour and a half or so of gritting teeth we stopped for lunch. First round of daal baht in Nepal for Sinead. Soon we were back in the suicide jeep for NEAR DEATH EXP No_2!!

Completely oblivious to the proximity to death from all sides, our unphased Colm macrae to be, hurtled on, throwing caution and brakes to the wind! Blindly spiriling through the twists and turns of the himalayan foothills, on whatever side suits while picking his favourite songs on the radio to accompany the terror gripping us all.

He casually sailed down one of the most dangerous roads in the world, at the best of times, never mind landslide season!

Soon we arrived in the craziness of Kathmandu driving straight through political protest on the street with armed riot police everywhere. He got us to Thamel just about alive so we reluctantly paid him the money he nearly didnt get several times as a kamikaze driver.

My friend from Nepal, Jigmie booked us into a hotel in Thamel for a few days where we caught up on Facebook and hung around with friends. before we left for Chitwan. 

We got a yeti airlines flying pencil to bharatpur. Met by man driving a shell of a jeep clinging on to life. Driving past banana trees and mud huts we arrived at the national park. Shown to our room by two very eager over helpful men, showing us the room the bathroom the wardrobe, the bed,AC, AC remote,the mosquito thing, the various light switches, sockets and so on. To end this financially motivated charade I gave a small tip and they left. We went back outside to check what activities we will be doing and met our guide with huge huge nails! We where paired up a hungro-Italian couple from Qatar for the duration on our programme. Which would start by elephant safari at 16.00... Washing elephants and a Near death with rhinos