– ODO- 13722 – 13815km
– Location- Forest near Bhimeshwor, Nepal
– Weather- 21-36
I’ve been in Nepal’s capital Kathmandu for the last two weeks getting visas. I enjoyed myself so much on my Indian leg that my original visa expired days after crossing the border. The Indian visa process takes 5-7 days with multiple appointments at the visa service centre. I made sure to get a little apartment just ten minutes away so I could walk over after breakfast. There’s a great guide from the Nomadic Boys to guide you through if you’re ever in my situation.
With the Myanmar visa though, I was on my own. I couldn’t find any recent reports of the process because the Moreh overland border crossing from India has only recent been opened. I thought the Myanmar embassy would help. It turned out their embassy building was on the entire other side of the city. After several trips, $40 and several phone calls I was told I needed a full itinerary, photos of my bike and equipment and a letter of invitation from a local travel agent. Luckily the travel agents I spoke to set me right. After 7 days of hassle I filled in the eVisa form, paid another visa fee, and within 5 hours I had my approval. It’s hard to figure these things out for the first time. Someone should collect all the information somewhere.
Along with a rash and itchy eyes from the city pollution, I’ve also had a consistently heavy stomach for much of the last few weeks. Waking up just after sunrise I really didn’t feel like leaving the hotel. I didn’t much feel like staying either. What motivated me was the thoughts of leaving Nepal, leaving India and peddling into South East Asia – the first time I’ve ever been to this part of the world. Oh and some podcasts of course. They are my daily support.