Monthly Archives: February 2010

I had a 31 hour layover in Dubai on the way from India to Egypt. Even I arrived, the sun was setting. I decided ahead of time I’d spend the night in the Dubai airport, but I didn’t arrive at … Continue reading →

The Puri Express train was pretty good. It had some electricity near my berth so I could use my computer. Puri is a small town near the ocean and it was a little quieter and relaxed than some of the … Continue reading →

The next day I wanted to visit the ancient university of Nalanda. It was a long walk to the bus station in Gaya, but I got an early start. I crossed over a dry river bed (it is the dry … Continue reading →

I was on the Nepal side of the border when I woke early in the morning. It was maybe an hour walk to get to the border, so I woke up the hotel staff, checked out, and they unlocked the … Continue reading →

I did my research ahead of time and was able to find a hotel with Wi-Fi in Kathmandu for $5/night. In the middle of the world famous Thamel backpackers area, it was quite a relief after the previous places I’ve … Continue reading →

  Crossing the boarder After a half day on the bus from Gorakhpur, the bus stopped near the border. I needed to pay for a Nepalese visa and I was concerned that I didn’t have exact change in US Dollars. … Continue reading →

  Kushinagar Express This train was my first chance at spending the night in Sleeper class in India. This means you get no pillows, no sheets, no blankets, no air-conditioning, no privacy curtains, and you get to share your space … Continue reading →

Sanchi The AC sleeper train went smoothly but it wouldn’t stop at Sanchi, so I had to get off at the next largest city named Vidisha. From here I asked around about buses, but everyone was saying it was a … Continue reading →

Sarnath Among the patrons at the guesthouse was a scholar from Oxford University working on translating Indian and Tibetan texts. After experiencing so many hours of no electricity at this guesthouse, I decided to check out after one night. This … Continue reading →