The adventures of Trent

Nepal....

So we're currently sitting in Pokhara, which is about 7 hours east of Kathmandu. Its a nice place, but unfortunately its been the place where we've had a number of bad experiences that have really given a bad impression on this place. Well pretty much every single time we go to eat or just go to buy anything in general, someone tries to screw us over.

Yes this is a tourist place, in which I blame all tourists for what happens here, but when you know whats going on and how much something is supposed to cost, then its frustrating. Ok so back in India when you get a bottle of soft drink, the price is printed on the side of the bottle and you can go to 100 shops all beside each other and they'll all charge that price. Yes maybe its different here, but....on the bus from kathmandu to pokhara, we stopped in at some roadside food place and we rocked up to their little shop and we're like, can we have a bottle of fanta, so she gives us the bottle of fanta with N INR 32 written on the side (which means it costs 32 bucks), and she's like thats Rs. 70. And we're like pardon me what? It says Rs. 32 on the bottle and she's like, no thats indian rupees, so we're like, umm, its actually nepalese rupees as it says that on the bottle and even if it were indian rupees then its only Rs. 52 (as the nepalese rupee is pegged to the indian rupee at Rs. 1.6) and she's like umm, arr and then this dude rocks up and he's like no its actually from bhutan....so thats Rs. 70, so we just said thanks and walked off.

and the crappiest thing is that this happens everywhere. Every meal we've sat down for, every place has tried to overcharge on something or give back less change so its taken almost as long to fix the bill as it has to actually eat the meal. So yeah...thats my two cents worth....But unfortunately these small shitty experiences have added up to give me a bad impression of nepal and a real need to get back to India as soon as possible. I'm sure if i came here at some other time, for some other purpose it would be different, but at the moment..........

So yeah, this is a place I want to come back to, but specifically to do a trek and get out of the cities and see the real nepal......cause that is where i really feel the beauty of this country lies.....

well thats it from me, until next time......

posted by Trent @ 9:21 PM