I love mountains and nature, so I have always wanted to go to Nepal. However, getting there from India would not be an easy thing. Thankfully I had made some friends to make the trip up easier. I met Tegyn in the Delhi train station and together we figured out how to get train tickets. He was going to Nepal to do a month long mountaineering course, and was telling me how nice Pokhara is supposed to be. We went our separate ways and met up again on the train to Varanasi, the starting point for the road to Nepal. We met John at our hotel in Varanasi who was looking at a map of Nepal at the time. He informed us of the night train towards the border and the 3 of us refined our plans from there.
I would have to say that I enjoyed Nepal more than I did India. Not only because it was cleaner and quieter, but also because the people were a lot friendlier. There was a lot more that could be done in Nepal. I went paragliding for the first time in my life. I also did a day trek along the hill range that overlooked the beautiful Annapurna Mountains. Kathmandu, unlike Pokhara, was more like a big city with the noise and pollution. Yet, outside the city there were countless possibilities: trekking, hiking, mountain biking, white water rafting, bungee jumping, rock climbing, etc. My only regret was that I didn’t have enough time in Nepal to do all the things that I wanted. Next time I would love to do a week or two trek to Tibet… if only the Chinese would leave them alone.

Nepal Photo Gallery - For my photos and comments.

Nepal Photo Gallery

Why did I go to India? I still don’t know the answer. It was a place I have never been to and didn’t really know what to expect. The experiences I had in India, both good and bad, really opened my eyes in a way. Especially coming from a country like Japan it was really hard to adjust to a country that was in most ways opposite of what I was used to. India was a very dirty, poor, and noisy country. The streets literally were the trash cans as well as the toilets. Everyone who talked to you only wanted to get money in some way. Getting into a car in India was a whole experience in itself. Drivers used their horn more than their brakes and lanes were nonexistent. Admittedly, India does have a deep history and religious aspects. However, I was not very interested in either. So will I ever go back to India? - Probably. India is such a huge country that it is unfair to judge it based on the 5 major tourist cities in the north. I was told that the small towns in the south are very nice and the people are welcoming. I would love to go hiking in the mountains of Cashmere, or do a desert safari in Rajasthan. Most of the people I met on my trip were in India for a few months. Even then it is not enough to see the country. My trip was still very interesting but I think I only got a taste of what India is like.

India Photo Gallery - For my photos and comments.

India Photo Gallery