The Nepalese Adventure: Day 26 and Day 27
Day 26 - Thursday
A good nights sleep in a proper bed. Once again amazing and totally underrated by most of us.
There was no time to hang round today as I needed to be at the meeting point for 5:45 am for the 100 km, four hour bus journey out to The Last Resort where I was scheduled to do a Bungee jump followed by a swing through the canyon.
Well I got there a little before 5:40, not wanting to be late. I shouldn't have worried. At about 6:00 people started showing up and then the bus was loaded and set off around 6:30. The bus was a pleasant surprise. Air conditioning, upholstery and everyone got to sit inside.
We passed through a part of Kathmandu I had not experienced on my last visit. This was a modern city. Some high rise buildings. Real roads, traffic lights where some vehicles actually stopped when they went red. A few times we stopped at what appeared to be army checkpoints and the drivers assistant (no idea what else to call him) would go and have a few words before we went any further. I learnt on the way back that this is a timing checkpoint to ensure vehicles don't speed. You may not arrive at the next checkpoint before a certain time has elapsed. I'm not sure how effective this was because our driver seemed to be on the cannonball run. Every time he came up behind a vehicle he would flash his lights and sound his horn until the vehicle in front pulled over slightly and then he would pull out into the oncoming lane to overtake. This seemed to be oblivious of the blind bend or whether there might be oncoming traffic. About an hour into the journey we came across a similar coach to ours strewn across the road with its front smashed in. I am surprised we only saw the one!
After 2 hours we stopped for a break and some breakfast. Omelette & toast. I skipped the curried potatoes.
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| The Last Resort |
Arrived at the resort after a little over 4 hours total journey time. A steel rope bridge crossed the gorge. We weren't initially allowed onto the bridge as there were bungee jumps in progress from the center of it. Eventually we got to cross and entered "The Last Resort". This was a pleasant surprise. An oasis of calm after a frantic journey.
After a quick coffee (heaven) and being allocated lockers to leave our valuables, we went back to the bridge for our jumps. I wasn't nervous at all whilst waiting, but then generally I don't overthink things in advance. It's only time to panic when you are about to step off into the abyss! Both physically and metaphorically.
In advance of getting harnessed up, each of us was weighed, I've lost 6 Kgs since leaving the UK!
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| The gorge I'm about to jump into, |
I put on a harness (like an abseiling harness) but also with broad 6-8" straps around my lower shins linking my legs together and connecting them back to my waist/hip harness. You have to shuffle (they said like a penguin though I thought it was more aptly likened to a shackled inmate on death row) to the edge of the jump platform. Then you have to jump! Headfirst as if diving into a swimming pool. Only the water was a long long way away and you definitely don't want to reach it. I don't remember any major bounce at the bottom. What I do remember is thinking OH NO!!!! (or words to that effect)! as I plunged headlong to certain death. On the third bounce I had to release my ankle straps which caused me to spin to a more upright position and then the crew above lowered a winch rope for me to attach to the harness to be pulled back up. Wow! At 160 metres, I was told that this was the 5th highest bungee jump in the world. I researched and its actually 10th. Its still high!
However, the "fun" was not yet over as I also signed up for a Canyon Swing. This entailed the same harness without the shin straps. This time you are attached to a rope that is already at the top of a pendulum swing. The other end tied off (tightly?) to a point some 100+ metres down the gorge. So when you jump you just free fall into a pendulum motion and swing an approximate 240 metre arch. Think about that. That's nearly a quarter of a kilometre! Absolutely nuts, This was far more frightening than the bungee, which was bad enough. I genuinely thought I had committed suicide. This is how I will end it if someone puts another Dahl Bhat in front of me!
It was all filmed and I expect to get the link to download the video in next couple of days.
For the bungee jump you are winched back up, from the swing, you have to grab a rope that crosses the gorge and is raised from the floor once you've finished swinging sufficiently. Than you have to pull yourself to the side, un-clip your harness and take the long walk back up out of the gorge. At least half an hour.
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| Humble tent accommodation |
Back at the resort we all had lunch (a super enhanced Dahl Bhat but which was actually more of a curry as we would know it) which was delicious. After lunch, everyone except me got on the bus back to Kathmandu. I am staying the night for; a day of abseiling tomorrow.
I was allocated a tent for the night. Not quite the hotel, but very luxurious by recent standards, There was almost no one staying at the resort (one other couple) so I had a peaceful evening, a great dinner and an early night.
Day 27 - Friday
Woke up at around 6 needing a wee. It was very very quiet. It was only the zip on the tent that disturbed that peace. Managed to go back to sleep until 8 when I ventured to the shower block, following the signs for "Hot Showers". Found them and had my shower. I think that the sign perhaps should have just read "Showers".
Breakfast: Omelette and toast + melon.
A busload of activity participants from Kathmandu arrived at 10:00 when we had a briefing on the abseiling activity. We changed into our wet suits, me looking better for the 6 Kgs less, then off to rapell down 8 different rock faces or waterfalls. Then the long climb back up for lunch.
Lunch: Enhanced Dahl Bhat but with multiple additional dish options, vegetable curry, chicken curry, poppadoms, pickles etc. Basically: Curry!
As some were then doing the bungee or swing, I had a relaxing afternoon waiting for them to return before the 4 hour bus journey back.
Arrived back at the hotel. No reservation for me. They quickly reassured me that they had a room for me anyway. I headed for my room and was told my luggage (which I had left with them) would be sent up, along with a coffee!
20 minutes later still no luggage (and no coffee). Tried to phone down. No working phone. So I walked back down from the 5th floor. The guy behind the reception said that the concierge (my word, not his) was just looking for the luggage as the room had been sorted out and they were trying to locate my bags. I said I would go and point them out to him. That had to be faster than him checking for matching labels. I was taken to another building by door security, up some stairs, to a room which was locked up (certainly no one looking). There were about 6 cases/backpacks in there. all of them looked to have long earned the "left luggage" status. None of them mine.
I returned to reception. The porter was there and had my backpack. He then asked me to accompany him to the luggage room. Again? I'd just got back from there! I thought I would play along just in case there was another luggage room. There wasn't. On returning to reception, there was my case! It seems they called the manager at home as they were concerned, who told them it was in his office. Seems I was being given VIP treatment to ensure the luggage was safe. Though it seemed nobody there knew I was a VIP. That about sums up the whole trip. No longer VP and definitely not VIP. At least I know recognition of my senior status will be intact when I get home!
The exciting days are drawing to a close. One more day tomorrow with very little planned. Some local sightseeing, perhaps some shopping. There wont be much to report on (I hope) but I'll keep writing till the very end.
In the meantime, a massive thank you to those who have visited the donations page and made a donation. Those that haven't had the chance yet, a reminder of the link is here:
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| A Bugs Life |
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