Tatopani, Kodari, and Hott Springs

Tatophani is located near Kodari, which is located near the China border.  These two cities are only ten kilometers from where I went bungee jumping.  My bungee friends told me I can come back anytime with them on the tourist coach so I decided to venture off back to Tatophani for the hot springs, some trekking, and a border visit.

Arriving at the Last Resort, I say bye to my friend and inquire about the Tatopani bus.  The lady responds shaking her head and saying “Traffic Bada,” which means there is a traffic stop and no bus to Tatopani.  In my mind, I am thinking “I will find a way to Tatophani” and I did.

I saw a truck and asked if I could hop on, which other locals were doing the same due to the no bus situation.  We came to a stop and the boys said that it was time to start walking.  I say, “No, no walk to Tatopani.” They start laughing, “No choice traffic jam.”

I start walking with the nice young teenage boys dressed in nice fashionable shirts and jeans.  I am walking with a sour look on my face with disappointment with walking.  Normally, I would not mind trekking-it is just one straight road along the river to Tatopani, but with only a few hours sleep my energy was on an unusual low.  I keep looking behind me to see if the cars were moving. Luckily a car came through and then a couple motor bikes. I hitched a ride with a nice, older man and we were off.  I thought,”See I made it.” Until.. 

Next came another stop and check point with many police searching. Although no one could tell me what they were looking for, I know they were looking for something.  My new thought, “Maybe I should have just stayed put near Kathmandu.”

Only ten minutes pass and we get the green light to go. We pass my friends who are walking and they laugh knowing I managed to find a ride because I was not in the mood for walking.  The Bhote Kosi river is glistening white and I pass by many waterfalls.  My friend drops me off at the hot springs where I meet two new local friends.The town is full of locals Nepalese, Chinese,and some Tibetan running their local shops, guesthouses, and restaurants.  It is not tourist heavy and it is quite peaceful away from the “Krazy Kathmandu.”