MY GREAT HIMALAYA TRAIL X RANDY SUN
Finally I come to the start point of my Great Himalaya trail! There was moments when I thought about cancelling project because of pandemy of COVID-19. But fortunately situation turns to the better and here I am, in Kathmandu.
Yes, travelling today is much more difficult task than in was before. Difficult, but manageable.
To enter Nepal you need: valid passport, visa (but you still can get it upon arrival), fresh PCR test (swab should be collected not later than 72 hours before departure), bar-code from Nepal CCMC system (ccmc.gov.np) and booking of hotel room for the quarantine time. Vaccination is not necessary but desirable.
If you have to shots of vaccine you can stay only 7 days on hotel quarantine (or 10 days on home quarantine). If you are not vaccinated — the quarantine will be 10 days in hotel. But people say that possibly quarantine for vaccinated tourists soon will become shorter.
My hotel (Hotel Thamel) was only recently approved for quarantine purposes and I the only guest here. So for now I can walk around hotel and not to sit only in my room. Good thing here is to sit on rooftop of hotel with cup of masala tea.
Now here is monsoon season. But today in not rainy — I hope that the main part of monsoon is already over and I will see just occasional rains.
Now only quarantine days and some formalities in Immigration office are standing between me and starting point of Great Himalaya Trail at the Far West of Nepal.