Sunday 13 December

The hotel hallways are very echoey and there are ppl being very loud. At 1:30am Malcolm calls up to complain and also to ask for water, but ends up cancelling it. Sleep is very patchy after that. We learn later our guide called them up 3 times. But it seems nothing was done. Some shushing was done too by another in our group. I felt ok asleep, but when I get up I feel rotten. We leave just before 5am. The roads are pretty chaotic even at this time! Of course the roads are pretty poor and pretty bumpy. There is a delay a few hours in and we have to turn around and take a long detour. Apparently it's due to local elections today. We end up missing our breakfast stop point. We stop at a truck stop a short while instead. I listen to some podcasts on my phone. It's not too much further and we get to another stop. We have brunch. I get nann bread and some fried rice. I'm feeling a bit better and it's warmer too. That makes the journey easier. We see ppl celebrating. I guess their votes won. A little girl dances to music on a flat roof top. We come to a one way bridge with a truck broken down on the other side. We are nearly off the bridge when a bus passes the truck and also tries to enter the bridge. It results in some load discussion. We have to try inch off the bridge. It's pretty close. Driving here is so chaotic! It's like all the rules and nil and void. Except occasionally a red light! It makes for many near misses. It's easier to just close my eyes sometimes. There seems to be very few accidents considering. At the border town we get out and walk to the immigration office to fill leaving forms. If course they want some smoothing money! The roads seem to be in a jam stand still. Hopefully our baggage in a rickshaw makes it through ok. Getting to the border is like an obstacle course. There is a small no mans land. Except there are what look like little stores there. Free land? We fill out forms and pay for visas. Then it's another few hours journey. There are definitely less horns here and everything seems slightly less chaotic. It's after dark when we stop on the mountain side for a light dinner of noodle soup. It's really good and has lots of fresh veggies. Malcolm doesn't eat much. I hope he recovers quick. After another hour or so we reach the Nepal accommodation. I think it's close to wildlife and a national park. Over tea and coffee our guide tells us of tigers and leopards on the hotel grounds in past years! Rhinos nearby. Maybe we might see something. We decide to skip a bigger dinner and head to our rooms. They are nice and huge! Almost safari style. Hopefully hot showers. And wifi! Free. It's so nice to have messages to read.
The shower isn't too bad and it's nice to just unwind after a long day! Hoping for a peaceful rest.