Finally Moving

November 21st, 2013

Since arriving in Nepal I feel like I've spent an unconscionable amount of time piddling around - reading in cafe's, writing in my journal, staring at blank pages, and, worst of all, getting mindlessly lost in the depths of the Internet with all its intriguing distractions. To be honest, the majority of my "lost time" was sucked into that bottomless pit of shiny data.

That is why I'm happy to be travelling tomorrow. My Indian visa now in hand, and my onward route draws itself. On December 13th I'm scheduled to meet my friend Girish approximately 1100km due east of where I now sit. Girish will be flying into Guwahati, Assam, India for two weeks of vacation, and adventure. I leave Kathmandu tomorrow morning and head for the eastern border town of Mechinagar, which may take a couple days to reach. From there it's a short trip to Darjeeling, a famous and splendid hill-station in West Bengal, India. I imagine I'll drink some tea, read my book, and be off to Gangtok, capital of Sikkim, in short order.

I'm especially excited to see Gangtok. Similar to Kathmandu, Gangtok lies at the foothills of the Himalayas, only further east. To the north is Tibet, to the east, Bhutan. Though ethnically Sino-Tibetan, the people in Gangtok have their own indigenous culture, and language. From what I hear, the surrounds are very similar to neighboring Bhutan - a country still largely walled off to western tourists. Indian and Nepali residents may tour the Bhutan to their liking, but westerners must be in an organized tour group, and must pay for the $200 per-day for the visa. What I'm hoping for, and what my research indicates, is that the scenery and people surrounding Gangtok are nearly the same as one would find in Bhutan; pricey bragging rights excepted.

Afterwards I ride to Assam, and pick up Girish. He's got it pretty much figured out from there. I pursued the itinerary he sent me, and recall something about Nagaland, Megalaya, disputed territory, necessary permits, reformed cannibals, and so on. It sounds like it's going to be a fantastic trip.       

I've been in the dreaded Thamel awaiting my visa far too long now. Three whole nights! Tomorrow I'm free.