Sam N Em Do The World 11th January - Nepal

Greetings! It’s been a while since writing. Let's catch up... We had a hairy exit from Nepal. Following a relaxing Christmas boating on the lake at Pokhara, we caught the tourist bus back to Kathmandu.

Nothing is straightforward on our travels though, so predictably the taxi I had so carefully booked the night before failed to show at 6:15 am. As if by magic another appeared, and its owner proudly told us how his car was 25 years old and going strong. Christmas warning bells went off in my head and I wasn't surprised when the car died 150 metres from the bus depot (the second time this has happened to us on trying to leave a city!).

We gave him a stern telling off and made him carry my bag to the station (but paid him heavily for it and thanked him lots). The driver of the bus was fresh out of school and sped round the slalom mountain bends to impress his half a dozen mates on board. I had images of not surviving the journey, but also felt unfazed because this is the way of the roads in Nepal. Instead a student demonstration and road block lay ahead, three hours outside Kathmandu ... this I knew would be trouble. They held an effigy of an Indian actor (star of "Mission Kashmir"!) who had proclaimed on television that he hated Nepal more than any other nation.

After an hour or so, our driver (who found the whole episode highly amusing, including the piles of burning tyres in the street, which he dodged rapidly) ploughed his way through the students. We travelled on for an hour and a half before being stopped by police, who barred entry to the capital. Seven people died (including a little girl caught in the police crossfire) and taxis were ignited, along with the piles of tyres. When we finally had to exit the bus and enter the chaotic city on foot, we saw two taxis hurtled with rocks - all windows smashed and drivers shaken. It was incredible and surreal. We were at the mercy of another nation's politics and patriotism (the Nepalese believe their government to be too pro-India).

We sweated the hour and a quarter trek, with heavy backpacks, to our Kathmandu Peace Guest House. The staff there are wonderful and were so relieved to see us in one piece. We bid a hasty retreat the next day and walked six and a half kilometres through lackened streets to the airport, where we were overjoyed to board our Thai Airways flight. After a strange meal, which included a pudding resembling frog spawn (coconut) jelly, we eased into the luxury of Bangkok.

We discovered that the Thai bus drivers are the fastest in the world and headed for the Leicester Square-style Khao Sarn Road (Banglamphu area). We stayed in the non-stop party zone for several sleepless nights, and took in a bizarre New Year's Eve street party. We were served our evening meal by transvestites (their height and lack of thigh fat gave it away) and were appalled by the drunken westerners (we had sobered up and dehydrated by then and realised how old and past-it we’d become in terms of alcohol consumption). Fortune shone on us and we upgraded to Tim and Priya's exclusive condominium, complete with fourth floor gym and open-air pool! (Tim and Priya are two school friends of Emily's, who have been teaching here for a few years and proved to be great Thai guides).

After dysentery attack number three, which has been slow to wear off, we caught the sleeper train to Krabi, on the Andaman coast. It’s so pleasant here and so convenient for island hopping. We visited Phang Nga (James Bond Island) yesterday, on a speeding long boat, and witnessed the worst of global tourism...I feel ashamed to be a part of it. However, the ride through the mangrove swamps and lunch at a local ‘Sea Gypsy’ village swung the day for me - the views of lush limestone stacks jutting out of the sea were photo-tastic! We plan to visit Kho Phi Phi of "The Beach" fame) anyway, as there seem to be no tourist-free zones here (not too far from Phuket - hope not to bump into Fergie and Prince Andrew). Then head north to Kanchanaburi (River Kwai), and Chiang Rai and Mai in the north, before venturing to Laos.

TTFN

Sam and Emily