Nomad Chronicles – Week 45, 2025 (Nov 4–10) | India & Nepal Adventures
Nov 4 – Pokhara Prep: The Last Quiet Day
Rise 8:30. Breakfast at hotel café: eggs and toast (250r). Light workout in seating area - the calm before the travel storm. Free handstand holds 3sets + 100 shadow kicks. Back neck bridges on bed 3sets. Booked Plaza Hotel, paid 750r cash for double room with desk. Morning walk around the lake. Lunch at Turkish spot (400r). Gym: back neck bridges 3×21, light site work, stair jumps with one leg, box jumps. Hike from dam side to panoramic viewpoint. Hike down to dock. Considered canoe ride (650npr) but took empty trail back - prefers isolation. Shower, rest, stretch. Dinner: buff momo + chicken thupka. Celebrated Indian eVisa approval with wrap (580r). Booked KTM–Delhi flight Nov 7. Booked KTM Checkpoint Hostel for Nov 6 (5.4 USD). Evening walk along lakeside road and boardwalk. The town feels temporarily safe.
Nov 5 – Travel Prep & Bus to Kathmandu: Engineered Chaos
Rise 8:00. Made instant café at hostel. Breakfast falafel (400r). Picked up snacks at Goose. Checked out at noon. Leisure walk to tourist bus terminal. Swift bus 7 PM (1300r, 3-seat rows) - the confinement begins. Quick park workout: agility drills, slow sprints, lean push-ups into tree. A necessary release of kinetic energy. Dinner during bus stopover: chili + fried rice (750r). Light nap on bus - the motion makes genuine rest impossible.
Nov 6 – Arrival in Kathmandu & Thamel Adventures: Sensory Assault
Arrived KTM Thamel 4:50 AM. The city hit immediately - cooler air, busier vibe. Walk to Checkpoint Hostel (dorm not ready til 1 PM). Chilled in coworking space, worked on site. Laundry 2.3kg (400r same-day). Grabbed momos (120r). Pay woman 780r for bed and stash bag in locker. Walked to Patan Square: nail clips (80r), round key padlock (50r). Lunch: keema noodles with chicken and egg (280r). Hair cut 300r + 50r tip. Walked around Patan Durbar Square. Zoo: 2000npr for foreigner (skipped - avoids the unnecessary expense/crowd). Grabbed chicken wrap kathi roll (160r). Long walk back in choking traffic; laundry pickup (400r). Shower and rest - a desperate scrub. Dinner: mutton dalbat with roti and naan (620r). Shopping: souvenir pouch + socks + padlock + nailclippers (280r). Chilled in coworking space. The day’s noise still ringing.
Nov 7 – Flight Chaos & Unexpected Luxury
Rise 7:20. Café in coworking space; breakfast chowmein (120r). Checkout Checkpoint Hostel 9:10. Powerwalk to KTM airport (~1h 5min traffic) - a constant battle against the crowd. Flight delayed to 6:10 PM; SpiceJet said food as compensation. Worked on site outside airport, explored Gorknath Temple (free). Flight cancelled due to operational issues. System failure. Group bussed to Crystal Pashupati hotel, 4-star with buffet dinner. Feel oddly insulated by the group, safety but unfamiliar. Forced transition to unexpected luxury - the air feels sterile, unreal.
Nov 8 – Delhi Arrival & Hostel Hunt: Into the Grid
Light sleep; construction noise is a constant, unwelcome presence. Breakfast buffet at Crystal. Flight delayed again, finally boarded just before 4 PM. Short flight < 2h. Land Delhi 5:50 local. ATM kept asking for lower amount - trust is immediately questioned. Withdrew 10k INR (170 CAD). Metro to Shivaji Stadium for 55INR (rs). Walk to Paharganj - the density is overwhelming. Grab local thali (120INR). Checked into Hotel Kuber (1100INR). Pomegranate juice (100inr), chicken biryani (120 INR). Explored streets - chaotic, high-pressure environment.
Nov 9 – Flixbus to Rishikesh: Escaping the City
Rise 8:00. Black tea (30INR). Flixbus ticket to Rishikesh (419INR). Fresh OJ (40r), curry with roti and rice (245r). Checked out Kuber 10:30. Bus ride with stops. A navigational error: overshot Nepali farm by 20km. Catch another bus back to Nepali farm for 200inr - costly mistake. Tuk-tuk to Tapovan (200INR). Checked into Blue Jay Hostel (385INR). Explored local streets; veg fried rice. Scoped a few hostels - searching for stability. The air already feels lighter, less aggressive.
Nov 10 – Settling in Rishikesh & Celebrations: Finding the Vibe
Slept surprisingly well in the dorm - quiet for once. The silence is noticeable. Woke around 9:40 a.m. Paid another night (₹400 on Visa). Grabbed free hot water at the café downstairs - good vibe. By 11:30 a.m. I was walking around, crossing the Ganges on the half-finished bridge - a temporary structure holding immense weight. Stopped at a roadside stall for a veg thali - only ₹70 with refills. Simple but solid. Back at the hostel I hit a short push-up workout on the terrace; did some handstands (2 out of 7 holds, not bad). One arm push-up on the chair - easy. Fed push-ups 1 × 15, 4 / 10 effort. Walked farther down the main street, checked out hostels on the west side - most pricier, some nice views. Grabbed Burger King for a meat hit - same two-burger deal for ₹103. Crossed the construction bridge again, looked at more hostels - found a single room for ₹500 but a bit rough. A sadhu handed me some weed and took me and another traveler to the river; bought a small pouch (₹370) and smoked by the Ganges. Quiet, warm, and peacefully surreal. Later a tuk-tuk blasted mosquito spray thick through the air - sprinted through it. Bridge was blocked, so I ate another ₹70 thali at the same stall. Crossed again at dusk while workers were still hammering. Watched a fire festival light up the riverbanks - very India. Chilled in the common room and published blog post “The Power of Minimalism.” Ended the night wandering for food - few options left open. Tried Mama’s Cookie, a hippie vegan café (₹300 quinoa plate, not filling). Grab street veg momos for ₹60 on the main road. The constant flow of the river is the only constant.