Back in Kathmandu

Nepal's staple diet, Dal Bhat

Friday 4 April: I've arranged an afternoon cookery course and am going to learn how to prepare Nepal's national dish, Dal Bhat. Sherpas and porters eat this twice daily, once mid-morning as a late breakfast and again in the evening at the end of a days work. If it's good enough to get them up mountains it's good enough for me. The main elements are dal (a sort of lentil soup), sag (steamed spinach), a lightly spiced potato and vegetable curry, rice (of course) and chili pickle which is mixed-in on the plate to get the right level of spiciness to suit your taste. It's a great course run by Social Tours.
Sunday 6: To break up my journey back to India I overnight in the Village Lodge at Lumbini, Buddha's birthplace. It's a relaxing place to stop and the proprietor kindly offers me a lift to the border for a small fee.
Monday 7: Back in India and a three-hour shared taxi ride to Gorakhpur where I have a 2nd class sleeper booked back to New Delhi.
Tuesday 8: Overnight in New Delhi.
Wednesday 9: Depart India for Thailand.
Slideshow of Back in Kathmandu.
Slideshow of Lumbini from January 2012.