The Road to Delhi - Part 4 Bardia to Delhi and Away Or Kia in a KIA

It has been a long time in coming, Its the last part of the Road to Delhi!!! I hope,it was worth the wait!

Its 6.30am on the 10th November, and sadly we had to leave Bardia. Why 6am? It was going to be along day. We had to get to Bambassa in India by the evening to catch a express night bus to Delhi. By now, we were experienced enough to know that we needed to start at dawn. We were aiming for the 7am bus to Ambassa Junction. we missed it off course. Just! The next one left at 7.30am. Not much of a wait. We were accompanied by Jack and his gang who were heading to Nepalgangj. As the bus trundled along the road, we passed first the 7am bus and then the 6.30am bus. The journey is only 30min. What the hell happened to them?

The plan at Ambassa Junction, was to flag down a min-van heading west to the town of Mehendranagar, then onto the border at Gadda Chauki. As yet, in all our travels in India and Nepal, we have not travelled by mini-van - its a mini-bus but they call them a mini-van - They are either Toyotas or KIAs. We were hoping for a KIA. Then I would leave Bardia with Kia in a KIA. After waiting for a hour - drinking a couple cups of massala tea and bidding our farewells to Jack and his gang - a mini-van with space arrived. It was a KIA! It was going to be Kia in a KIA - it was not a set up. We did not refuse any offers from Toyotas. Honest! - However, it was not going as far as Mehendranagar but to a junction about 40km were we could change onto a local bus.

In difference to our journey to Bardia, the journey to Mehendranagar was uneventful - the mini-van was packed solid of course. Along the route we crossed Nepal longest bridge - I cannot remember its name. Kia? Rosi? Rajesh? - We did have a small scare. Just before the junction, the road was blocked. This time it was a demonstration by local farmers. As We started to grab our backpacks to walk to the junction, they demonstrators were cleared from the road. Back in the KIA for a few minutes. We were then rushed onto a local bus. The local bus then moved 50m in 30 min. It would leave when it had corralled enough passengers. It was the smallest bus so far. We were sitting in the front and I have to admit a pleasant way to end our long distance travel in Nepal.

In Mehendranagar after our last Dhal Bhat Takari. We caught a shared TUk Tuk to Gadda Chauki. That was fun! Myself and Kia shared the front seat with the driver.

We had to find Nepalese immigration - Gadda Chauki is a busy crossing. However they are mostly Indian & Nepalese nationals who do not need to pass by immigration - They were not overworked. Our arrival precipated the hunt for a key to a cabinet were was kept the register of exit. AFter shaking the dust off, they proceed to enter - slowly - our details. I do not kid you, but it took us 20 min. They also acted as a bureau de change were we exchanged our Nepalese Rupees for Indian. AFter a 20-30 min walk, we arrived at Indian immigration. Here it took 2 people, working painstakingly slow to enter our details into the registry. Welcome to India. We then walked for another 20-30 min across a bridge. There is a very wide river acting as the border. After crossing the bridge other side we gave up walking and jumped on a rickshaw to Bambassa bus station.

I use the word bus station loosely. A bus stop is a better description. We were indicated the Bambassa to Delhi Express. And it was the worse bus I have seen in my whole life. In every sense. The bus was a skip on wheels. The rubbish inside was unbelievable.

We arrived in Bambassa just as the sun was setting. Around 5.30pm. The bus was leaving around 7.30pm. Just before leaving we met a couple of Brits, two women from Cardiff, who have just arrived on the bus from Delhi. They said it was a nightmare journey. As it was dark, they decided not to try to get to Nepal. However they needed an ATM. Which they did not have in Bambassa. They had to catch our bus back the next town for money and a guest house. We did have time to recommend a few place in Nepal.

We both sat in the front of the bus. Close to our backpacks. A hour into our journey, the passenger in front leaned against the window, and to ours and his supprise, they fell out. One at first, but the second soon followed at the next major bump in the road, as it was held in by the first! The remain 8 hours we travelled with a gapping hole by our side. And it was getting colder and colder. Thank god we had a Yak Cover which I bought in Kathmandu to protect the laptop. It is light, warm and so comfortable. Never less, we were barely warm the rest of the journey. As the driver was driving like a mad man. Not easy to sleep. He took the corner so sharply and at speed, that a couple of time I was thrown sideways off my seat when I dozed off. As we were in front, we unfortunately had a a clear view of his driving. It has to be said that the driver was skilled; At the speed he was going and the lack of visibility we got to Delhi in one cold piece. And as an aside it was certainly an express. It sopped only at main bus station.

We arrived at 6am in one of Delhi's major bus station. No idea of its location to this day. After a quick Tchai, we negotiated a Tuk Tuk to our final destination in Delhi. Here, via the Lonely Planet, Kia found us a peaceful Oasis. A Tibet Guest House. We thought great. We can finish our days in India eating Momos.

45min after leaving the bus station - we did not believe how far outside the centre we were - the Tuk Tuk dropped us off on a dual carriage and pointed to the other side. We could not see the guest house. At this point we were wondering if he understood us. He insisted that it was the right place. We crossed the busy road and skeptically searched for the guest house. No sign of it on the road. We then asked a few people who pointed to a passage way off the main road. As we walked through the passage way we entered another world. A little corner of Tibet in Delhi. Full of Tibetan Guest Houses, Shops, Restaurants and Temples. We found the guest house from the book. It was full. As it turns out, they were a lot of Guest houses. We just found another one. The place we arrived at is know as the Tibet Colony. On the river bank between the River and the Dual Carriage. Officialy it is classed as a Tibetan refugee camp. However the Tibetan do not see themselves as victims. Using money from Tibetan communities from around the world, they have built a permanent community. However this community can be bulldozed at any time by the Indian authority. The colony is the stopping point in Delhi for the Tibetans heading or arriving from Dharamsala - the HQ of the Dalai Lama. The Lonely Planet is not really explain the nature of the Tibet Colony. it gave not indication that there was a community let alone many guest houses and restaurants.

We spent two pleasant days and one night in the Colony. Eating and shopping among it narrow street. At one point we bumped into one of Rajesh Brother-in-law. he told us that when he comes to Delhi for business, he always stays in the Tibet Colony.

As We both flew out the 13Th, Kia at 3.30am and myself at 4am we decided not to sleep the 2nd night at the Colony but to head out about 5pm to the airport and spend the night there.

Kia wanted to take a slow Tuk Tuk to the airport. I was being stubborn could not face a bumpy ride for a couple of hours.

Howevever whilst we left the tranquility of the colony and onto the main road to face in battle for the last time the Taxi and Tuk Tuk drivers, I changed my mind. After our last tussle with them, we hired ourselves a Tuk Tuk. And I have to admit it was a pleasant way to end our time in India - I am pleased I changed my mind. The Tuk Tuk driver gave us a guided tour on the way out. We even stopped at a petrol station to fill up the Tuk Tuk. We then discovered that Tuk Tuks use LPG.

As we being dropped off. We had such a pleasant ride that we gave the driver his intial asking price. A genuine smile crept across his face. We then entered the waiting area of the airport.

A few hours later, myself and Kia went our separate ways, sniff, sniff, Kia to the cold of the UK - unknown to her at the time, a couple of days later she flew with Martyn to the Maldives - and myself to Bangkok via a quick stop over in Hong Kong...

(Photos to come. Not many were taken during our journey to India)