What is the experience of taking a bus from India to Nepal?

If I want to go to Kathmandu, a beautiful mountain city at the foot of the Himalayas, can I go by bus? Yes, you can. It depends on where to start.

The first time I learned the anecdote about traveling to Nepal by bus, I heard it from three young Indian girls.

"We went there by bus, and it took us almost a day." Indian girl s said. In fact, a 24-hour bus journey is not uncommon in India. However, S tells this experience as a psychopath.

Bus phobia

They booked a comfortable air-conditioned luxury bus in advance. When they arrived at the bus stop, they were told that "the bus had already left". Then, the three little girls were inexplicably stuffed into another cheap bus without air conditioning, and they went on the road inexplicably.

On the way, S took sleeping pills and fell asleep. The male passenger next door has been leaning on her. Not bad. Even more thrilling, a drunken passenger walked up to C, took off his pants, peed on her, tried to jump out of the car, and was finally beaten to death by the passenger.

Everyone doesn't know that South Asia is a very safe continent, and people always like to "meddle". When a nasty drunk wants to jump off a car, everyone will be so laborious. Too many cooks knocked him to the ground and locked him in the car to protect him and others.

These are also "ok". S said that the most terrible thing was that it was the rainy season and the road conditions were extremely poor. It took the bus 48 hours to arrive.

For girls from India, Kathmandu is really a wonderful place: the government is disabled and the economy is far behind India, but many services such as internet, taxis, accommodation and catering are extremely expensive. As a world-famous hiking center, Kathmandu is more international than Indian cities.

The picture shows a photo of the Living Goddess, a belief of indigenous Nevard in Kathmandu. Goddess is selected from girls aged 3-7 who belong to a specific caste. After being selected, you are not allowed to go out and keep your feet on the ground until the girl abdicates at menarche.

The relatives of the goddess became boyfriends.

At that time, I listened to these stories carefully for a while, but a few years later, Xiaohua, a good friend who also studied in India, made a relative of the living goddess as a boyfriend. At that time, I didn't know the class system of Nevard people, only that they belonged to the most noble caste in Kathmandu. I just imagine her boyfriend as a Nepalese prince who looks like Sakyamuni.

The little prince, a relative of Nepal's living goddess, is a silly and sentimental handsome boy. He closed his restaurant in Kathmandu and went to Goa, the most famous beach resort in South India, to make a living with his friends. On the beach, they wear short-sleeved shorts, triangular hats, play guitars and sell sweaters, wool hats and gloves from the Himalayas.

"What? You sell fur hats on the beach! Is this right? " I asked.

"Do you think this is stupid? Haha, you don't understand this. Many foreigners who spend their holidays in Goa come from very cold countries, such as Russia and Canada. After the holiday, they will buy souvenirs for their family and friends before going back. Tell me, what gift is more intimate and cool than woolen goods from the Himalayas? " He said.

Sandy talked about the beaches, bikinis, beer, guitars and foreigners in Goa, and the whole person was swaying and smiling. Sandy wanted to marry China's bride and go home, but his family was frightened. As a relative of the goddess, if the son of a priest marries a foreigner, it is equivalent to destroying the pure bloodline of the family, so the only son cannot inherit the family business.

Xiaohua recalled the true love clue of their first date: "We made an appointment to travel to Goa. From Delhi to Goa, I vomited all the way, which was embarrassing and ugly. " But he still likes me, and I thought, this should be true love, right "

There is a deep dependence between Nepal and neighboring India. Nepalese don't need a visa to go to India, and many people work across the border like their third brother. Nepal's fuel, medicine and other important daily necessities are imported from India.

Nepal adopted a new constitution in 20 15. In September, India closed its borders until February of the following year. According to the third brother and Xiaohua, the life of the local people is in great crisis. There is no fuel to drive, no fuel to cook, no goods to supply, shops to close, people to burn firewood and make a fire, and live together.

There was only one major earthquake in Nepal in April that year. The old house of the third brother's family was destroyed by the earthquake, and the disaster was heavy. But according to him, the impact of border closure on life is greater than the earthquake.

Don't honk, just use your mouth.

Kobanawa's brother often runs in Nepali after falling in love, and sometimes he goes by land without a ticket.

Before I met Xiaohua, my brother took my friend's crazy transnational bus. After I got a girlfriend, the route I chose was full of twists and turns: from Kathmandu, I took a minibus of 1 1 hour or a half-hour plane to the border of Bhairahawa, and spent one night crossing the border the next day, taking a taxi to Gorakhpur, the nearest railway station, and then taking a train of 14 hour.

I asked, "Is it so complicated? Why not take the next bus? " The third brother said, "It's too bad to sit there. There will be many strange people."

The first scenic spot I visited in Nepal was Sandy's home. Avoiding the "terrible" bus, I chose to fly. It's very close from Delhi to Kathmandu, an hour and a half by plane. After taking off, the plane has been flying towards the north and the mountains. When the plane broke into the Himalayas, I felt that the surface of the earth was getting closer and closer to us, so close that the plane almost grazed the treetops at the top of the mountain. Soon after, an open, large plain and dense houses appeared in front of me. This is Kathmandu surrounded by mountains.

It was May 20 17. On the way from the airport to the third brother's house, the third brother said that drivers are suffering now, because the government has just announced the policy of "no horn city" in Kathmandu, and it is forbidden to honk the horn indiscriminately, and they will be fined.

Coming from India, I can understand the pain. "Chaos" honking is the communication between car owners: before overtaking, honking is to tell "I want to pass"; Press when the red light turns green to remind the car to "go"; When traffic is blocked due to various factors, all drivers on the road will honk their horns to express their dissatisfaction-in a place where there is always traffic jam and it takes 1 hour to drive 4 kilometers, it is really a kind of collective "relaxation".

When the government prohibits vehicles from "confessing", it really suppresses drivers. I saw a motorcycle trying to pass through the crowd with my own eyes. The driver made the sound of "Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep". You can always press your mouth without honking your horn.

A "good" and "sitting" city

During my trip to Kathmandu on 20 17, I had a big task and two impressions of this mountain city.

A big task suits me very well: the third brother and Xiaohua want to get married, but their parents object. In fact, it is not really necessary to continue dad's priesthood. What parents are most worried about is that foreign brides are not used to local life and diet, and their marriage will be unhappy.

The relative of the third brother married a Japanese wife a few years ago, but the other party didn't like it and divorced. Although the flowers are completely barrier-free and the diet is completely integrated, it is obviously unconvincing. Actually, it doesn't have to be too hard. The food is really delicious. Nevard's priestly class did not eat eggs, ducks and buffaloes. Its cuisine is less oily and more refreshing than that in northern India, and it is closer to the taste of Chinese frontier nationalities. Sesame is often used in cooking, which is very intimate. My mother looked at how happy I was eating, and her eyebrows were bent with laughter.

One of my impressions of the mountain city is the cockroach in Kathmandu. I have been afraid of cockroaches since I was a child, and the radar is particularly keen. When I feel it, I will definitely fly before the cockroach. Kathmandu is winter all year round, with cold nights and strong sunshine during the day. The hot water in the third brother's house is "solar energy", so it is best to take a bath in the afternoon.

The first time I took a shower, I went into the bathroom and closed the door. Turning around, I found a cockroach parked next to the latch! I wonder if the cockroaches in the mountain city are more "good-natured" than those in the city and look less greasy and disgusting. This cockroach stayed there quietly, motionless, and it was not the first time for me to rush out.

I calmly took off my clothes and finished washing and dressing under the attention of "it" It was calm until I opened the door and went out. "Good nature" must be my overall impression of Sandy's family and Nepalese, which is projected on cockroaches. Good-natured, they really don't have the insidious cunning of urbanites.

The second impression of the mountain city is the intimacy of the buildings in the old city. There are slightly lower platforms everywhere, which are very suitable for resting, staring blankly and chatting. "Everywhere" is not an adjective. I can see stone steps, pavilions and stool-shaped objects in almost every corner. Old men make pottery, old women sit and eat popsicles, old women rest in the sun in front of the door, and men and women chat under the pavilion.

On that day, Sandy took us to visit the scenic spots and the ancient buildings on the outskirts of Kathmandu. At the end of the day, I found myself patting the person sitting. What a city to sit in!

In the evening, we arrived at Patan Square. On the stone steps in front of Gu Lou, there are rows of young men and women sitting after work, where they fall in love, chat and hang out. For a long time, the sky was getting dark and the cool breeze came slowly. I am excited inside, longing for the idleness and joy of this moment, and reluctant to leave.

Author | Sonayu

Contributing Editor | Jiang Wen

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