Backblipped from Pokhara in Nepal


Quieter day today – still raining with fog, low cloud, mist and then later a few pockets of clearer weather that soon filled in with cloud again.  First off I had a ticket for the Northeast Frontier Railway from Darjeeling up to Ghum– the only remaining bit of the teeny steam engine pulled train that used to bring people up to Darjeeling from the plains below.  There sere several little steam engines fired up and coal was being delivered and taken in bowls on heads to the firemen to bunker.  It poured with rain all the way – our engine pulled us backwards so I looked into the headlamp from my seat at the front.  The fireman had to sit on top of the coal with an umbrella for the journey as he had to shovel in the coal all the time. We had to stop for water half way and then another stop for people to get out (in the rain) to take photos.  I have divided the picasa photos into train and others so that if you don’t like misty pics of steam engines you can avoid them. The rail followed the contours of the mountain, sometimes against houses, sometimes shops, much of the time beside the road which it crossed on several occasions – the traffic seemed to know and stop for us. We looked over precipices and up at mountain sides – extraordinary feat of engineering. The line does go down the mountain from Ghum to to a little town.  They use a diesel engine for that.  Then I went to a tea garden which wasn’t functioning except to sell teas - in a couple of weeks, especially now after the rain, they will be picking again. Drove and walked around to see the sights and sites but didn’t take many pictures for they are all on the internet.  My driver is the son of a Ghurkha officer and they have the most amazing house built on the side of the mountain with nothing in front of them except the view of the Kanchenjunga range.  They have terraced the ground underneath them and grow fruit and vegetables there. Walking through the town with him was a bit like walking with the Queen – waving this way and that, acknowledging people – he played football/goalkeeper for the Darjeeling  and clubs all around for 12 years so is instantly recognisable.
After the trials of yesterday’s visit – for which many thanks for lovely comments etc. – I have been told I cannot go into Nepal by bus for there are violent strikes, people have been killed in the Terrai … so have had to bite the bullet and get two air tickets from the border to Kathmandu and on to Pokhara – so I will be arriving one day earlier than expected. Probably won’t be able to blip tomorrow.
railway pics in cloud, mist, rain & fog

Darjeeling views & monastery