When I started this journey, India was probably the one country I was looking forward to seeing more than any, if only because I knew relatively little about many of the other countries on our itinerary. Unfortunately, as we head toward the border with Nepal, I have to say I am relieved to be leaving. I guess I wasn’t quite ready for the over-crowded conditions, the filth and the levels of poverty that are prevalent in the parts of India I have seen.
When the road reaches the border, it turns into an avenue of shops and stalls, with customs and immigration tucked amongst these. It is Diwali today, a Hindu / Sikh festival, and there is a party atmosphere here, with fireworks popping all around. I buy some crackers on behalf of big John and let them off in the street (there aren’t any ‘elf n safety’ worries here), but they all turn out to be duds.
In contrast, as soon as we cross through the arch marking the border, there is calm (the Nepalese being Buddhist). There is also a rubbish bin, which is the first one I have seen for several weeks. It is late by the time we go through all the officialdom and we stay at hotel a few hundred yards from the border, with the campers pitched up on the lawn at the front. Though there are now outdoor bins available, the toilets have not necessarily improved (is it mud? Is it hmmm?), and I opt to use God’s loo.
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