4/3/2012 Varanasi, India to Lumbini, Nepal

We had a 4am start for our 12 hour bus journey from India to Nepal which was difficult after our early start for sun rise the day before also… The drive was crazy, the distance wasn’t actually much further than Hobart to Launceston (around 300km) but the roads were so bad and the bus not much better that it took 12 hours!! There was also a fair amount of traffic including animals crossing as they pleased. The immigration stop at the border was interesting, basically a shed with some curtains around it but we weren’t allowed to take photos. We drove past some amazing country scenery which was nice to see after our time in the crazy Indian cities, especially Varanasi! The bus made a nice change from tuk tuks (at least the horns weren’t blasting straight into our ears – they were definitely still blasting though!). It was very nice to cross into Nepal, as we drove through the country side the traffic thinned out, the road improved, we got a better bus on the other side of the border and there was not so much chaos and horn honking - quite peaceful! We had a relaxing evening in the hotel in Lumbini after a long day on the road.

At the petrol station just out of Varanasi 

At the petrol station! 

Driving through India to the Nepalese border 

Driving through India to the Nepalese border 

Driving through India to the Nepalese border 

Driving through India to the Nepalese border 

Driving through India to the Nepalese border 

Driving through India to the Nepalese border 

Driving through India to the Nepalese border 

Driving through India to the Nepalese border 

Driving through India to the Nepalese border 

Driving through India to the Nepalese border 

Driving through India to the Nepalese border - chillies! 

Driving through India to the Nepalese border 

Driving through India to the Nepalese border 

Driving through India to the Nepalese border 

Driving through India to the Nepalese border 

Driving through India to the Nepalese border 

Driving through India to the Nepalese border 

Driving through India to the Nepalese border 

Driving through India to the Nepalese border 

Driving through India to the Nepalese border 

Driving through India to the Nepalese border - not sure if this thing would move! 

Driving through India to the Nepalese border 

Driving through India to the Nepalese border 

Driving through India to the Nepalese border 

Driving through India to the Nepalese border - from the bus window 

Driving through India to the Nepalese border 

Driving through India to the Nepalese border 

The border crossing between India and Nepal! We had to walk across... 

Arriving in Nepal 

Driving to Lumbini 

On the way to Lumbini from the border 

On the way to Lumbini from the border 

On the way to Lumbini from the border