Biratnagar

So tonite we are in Biratnagar, and the Hotel Ratna. It probably was a very fine hotel in its day. Now it is a little threadbare, but the rooms are spacious, the staff are nice, and I checked - there is hot water. There also seems to be a very good restaurant, and the building is adjacent to a school for hotel people. There is however no internet. I will check tomorrow to see if there is a cyber café nearby. I wouldn’t dare go out now – it gets dark soon, and the vehicles might not see me in the dark.

There is one peculiar thing about the bathroom. In the drain of the sink is a walnut shaped piece of urinal cake. Why? I don’t know. And I don’t want to speculate!

We flew on a bigger plane this time, and could view the Himalayas quite nicely from the air. I sat next to a dear man, with good English, who ran a business upgrading the training of the high school teachers. He told me the name of the mountains, and rivers, and since he had the window seat, took a couple of pictures for me.

Biratnagar is SOOOOOO much nicer than Birganj. It is obviously more prosperous, there is a lot more asphalt, people look healthier and better dressed, and is quieter. There are, like in Birganj, many rickshaws, which is not surprising because the land is so flat. It has occurred to me that my travel wardrobe is drab, especially compared with the beautiful saris and kurtas that the local ladies wear.

We visited the office here this afternoon and will go back tomorrow. Security here is a problem as well, since the Maoists operate in this area too. They had a bomb blast last year in front of their building, but no one was hurt, and it did not do much damage. Although the building is dark and smelly it is a far sight better than the one in Birganj.

Well I must call downstairs. Don’t think my room has any power. And I’d like to follow that blast in Mumbai. There but for fortune……..