The last few days have been unimaginable. We’re writing from the relative safety of a hotel room in Kathmandu. There’s still no water or electricity across the majority of the Kathmandu Valley but we’ve luckily found a place soldiering on sporadically with a generator.
We arrived in Bhaktapur on Saturday, half an hour after the initial quake, to a scene of panic, bodies being laid in the streets and JCB’s munching through the rubble like aid relief dinosaurs. Blessedly a day later than planned due to me being taken ill on the road, I’ll never think of Delhi Belly disfavour-ably again! We weren’t sure what to do amongst the labyrinth of the towns famously archaic streets, which turned out to be her achilles heal. Buildings and temples dating back 700 years turned to dust and brick in seconds as the tremors consumed the city for the next 24 hours.
Crumbling Bhaktapur
That first night was spent half under the rafters of an old hotel and half in a square with 200+ locals, police, army and tourists. The scene looked bleak the following morning and on walking through the city to see how precariously stacked the remaining standing buildings were, we decided to head for the hills and what we thought was safety.
Communal sleeping in Bhaktapur
No sooner were we out than the major aftershock struck, registering 6.8 on the richter scale. A 30 second quake that left you feeling as if you’d been flung from a speeding merry-go-round. To experience the earth move like its become a liquid is terrifying. With our vantage point now above the Kathmandu valley, it was horrifying to think of what further havoc had been caused to buildings that were left hanging on knife a edge. We could but only sit, wait and watch as the tremors picked up for round two.
Buildings on a knife edge before the aftershock
With no sleep the previous night and in the openness of the mountains we stole a relatively good nights kip. Waking up every hour from tremors quickly becomes the norm. As heavy rain and thunder joined the chorus, it felt like things couldn’t get worse for the people below. Unfortunately, Brian also woke the next morning with thunder in his belly and my bug I’d kindly passed on.
We managed to hide out in the mountains for the day until an army officer and his patrol came to inform us a tiger and her cubs had been sighted in the forest a fortnight ago. We didn’t have time to consider whether this was a ruse to get us to move on as it was now 5.30pm and the light was fading. We packed our kit faster than a sausage in a wind tunnel and chased the setting sun to the Thamil area of Kathmandu. Where we’d been informed accommodation was still available.
Many of the Kathmandu Valleys famous temples have been reduced to piles of rubble
With only 1200 rupees left we bargained our way into a hotel for the night, which is where we are now. Brian’s knocked out and we will be spending the afternoon finding a cash machine and re-stocking our cooking gas and food supplies. We understand it will be a week before they get electricity back here so we’re thinking of heading on to Pokhara where things seem a little less affected.
People are wandering the streets in a daze. There are campsites across the city in every open space like human archipelagos in a sea of destruction. The prices for food and water are obviously rocketing, though we haven’t stopped bargaining! We’ve never felt so lucky to have a tent and our lives in the bags on our bikes. The mobility has and will be our continued saviour, as well as the company of a kindred soul.
Hopefully the next time we post, things will be looking better for the people of Nepal, the quakes will have ceased and we’ll be in Pokhara safe and sound.
Thank you all for you kind messages of love and support. It means a lot to us both. Though please rest assured we’re still grand and looking after each other 🙂
Tommy and Brian
xx
The Adventures of Donkey & Horse 
Hello Boys,
Firstly my apologies for not being in touch, I have swept up in a tornado of my own making, but God hearing you’re in Nepal made my heart jump into my mouth. I have been reading all your mails and Tom you are quite the skilled writer. Very busy here, have raised enough money to take a team of young poets to perform on an HBO poetry slam in Atlanta this July, so that is exciting. Have met a new woman, who is two inches taller than me, but what I lack in altitude I make up for in cockitude. Once again, summer is gonna to be a challenge financially as I just don’t earn enough, but I am back putting the finishing touches to my novel, I have an offer on the table for it, but I think I am gonna shop around. I’ll just finish by saying despite my lack of mails I have missed you and am immensely proud of you both. Here is a joke. Why does Noddy have a bell on the top of his hat? Because he’s a cunt! Love, hugs and recreational drugs xxxx
Sent from my iPhone
>
Cheers Steve. Lovely subtle joke there for our readership! Any chance you’ll make it out to join us at some stage or are the financials too precarious? B
heart goes out to you anne and minnow x
You should be here! Thankfully you didn’t come. It’s bad enough as it is. Xxx
So glad you are both ok, been thinking of you. It is so awful what has happened there. Mind yourselves & safe trip to Pokhara
Cheers Marie. We’ll be fine now. The aftershocks have stopped I think and we’re nicely holed up in guest house with electricity so we’re grand.
Thank “God” yee are safe. Barry.
Cheers Baz. We’re grand now in a cozy guest house with electricity on our water filters. It’s the poor beggars outside in the torrential rain with nowhere to go and no food or water. Unimaginable.
Have a friend (former tour guide) in Kathmandu, and have Emailed him but no reply yet.
You certainly are having a tough route…elephants, earthquakes, tigers!
Things must be pretty horrific in Napal, so hope you can stay safe,
Jack
Cheers Jack. Hope your friend is ok. There’s no electricity in most places so he has probably just ran out of juice on his phone. Fingers crossed.
Thanking god that you are both safe x
Thanks Kim x
Keep safe lads .. sounds like a difficult journey to Pokhara .. can see its less affected than where you are .. thinking of you both all the time..
Joe & Mary
We’ve been asking around and the road looks grand at the mo. We were planning on making a diversion to Ghurka but it’s 70% demolished so we’ll head straight there. Thank you for your thoughts M&J, we’re thinking of you all and missing the home comforts of Waterford! Xx
We can’t imagine what you guys have experienced – it makes life so much more precious. Our hearts go out to those affected and we hope you both have a safe onward journey x
We’re definitely grateful for every second on the road my love 🙂
So pleased you’re both ok. So shocking to see the devastation – so unrecognisable from a few years ago.
Thinking of you both and sending our love.
Wayne & Luis
Luis and Wayne – not sure if you got my note yesterday and thank you for your message 🙂 Everything is crazy here and the information is coming through very slowly from various sources. Using the BBC and Guardian websites for our news as no live feeds possible. So sad to think of all the beautiful history destroyed in seconds here but our hearts and thoughts are with the people and families who’ve lost everything. Hope all is well in married life for you two beautiful people. Sending massive love as always and thanks again for your note. Thomas & Brian xxx
Glad to hear you guys are doing ok. Thinking of you both and all the people affected x PS. a guy I know posted on facebook saying he left Kathmandu for Pokhara yesterday only to get stuck in the longest traffic jam which was on a road under a vertical drop and river below. Just be careful
Thanks for the heads up Elaine. We’ve heard the road is grand for the last two days but we will be peddling on with caution to be sure 🙂 Thinking of all our family safe and sound and sending you lots of love. T&B xxxx
Hi Tom Tom and Brian. So you are still with us and you have not been eaten by a tiger!!!! So glad you have found refuge, hope the tremors a little less frequent!
Thinking of you all the time. Stay safe and remember we love you so very much.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Yvonne M Thompson Boarding Manager Craighead Diocesan School 03 684 2253 or 2251 027 662 6446
Poppy Paulie and I are thinking of u both soooooo much, millions of positive thoughts for ur continuing safe travel and maybe a bit less of the Delhi belly …. although perhaps it saved your lives …. HALLELUJA FOR DELHI BELLYxxxxxx
You’ve gotta love a touch of speedster tummy eh!! Hope you’re all well and we will hopefully catch up with ye all from Pokhara in a few days time. Xxx
Hey Tetley, Hope you manage to eat better, drink cleaner and sleep more comfortably soon. Keep the updates coming and let us know your escape plans. Much love, zero advice (apart from don’t stroke any pussies as they might be tiger cubs) and positive vibes from us all DownUnder xxxx
Nothing more dangerous than a hungry pussy!! We will probably hit the road early tomorrow now so will keep ye updated as we go. Thanks for all the messages and look after each other there. Xx
Hey Thomas and Brian, glad you are safe xx
Ah Cherish thank you for your message my love 🙂 We’re still in Kathmandu but hoping to move out of here soon…. Hope all is well with you and your new job in London! Lots of love from us both xxx
Tom en Brian. Hoop dat jullie veilig verder kunnen fietsen . Wat vreselijk die aardbeving in Nepal. Wij wensen jullie het allerbeste toe en hopen dat jullie snel verder kunnen.
Ah Josein thank you for your message 🙂 We are hoping to get cycling again tomorrow as Brian is still not well 😦 The road should be safe and it will be a relief to get out of Kathmandu. We hope all is well with you and your family in Holland. All our love to everybody 🙂 Thomas & Brian xxx
Pingback: Water-to-Go: A helping hand in Nepals Great Quake | Time to adventure·