
Crossing international borders over land can be full of headaches, from filling out paperwork to bureaucratic delays, insidious money changers and scams galore. After convincing myself to finally leave Nepal, I clearly had the desire for more adventure because instead of making the trip from Kathmandu to Darjeeling, India with new friends, I decided to leave a few days ahead of them and go it alone.
Re-reading the Nepal-India Border Crossing, I'm reminded of the tropical heat and humidity which surprised me upon stepping off my Yeti Airlines flight in eastern Nepal. I can taste the dirt kicked up from the roads, which necessitated a bandanna be tied around my nose and mouth. I can hear the excessive use of horns on the roads once inside India, and see the utter mayhem firsthand - a mix of trucks, cars, tuk-tuks, rickshaws, bicycles, pedestrians, and livestock jostling for position.
Thankfully, one thing I cannot recall, is the smell of the bathroom in that tiny Nepal airport.