Bus Jesus DE

Travel diary · 2021–2022

Journey to Nepal

The goal was always to drive my own vehicle to Kathmandu once one chapter of my life had come to an end – despite the pandemic and political upheaval along the route, and in a 30-year-old bus. Here's the whole trip, week by week.

Preparation

  1. 11/21Trip preparationRoute, health, paperwork, vehicle and tools
  2. 11/21Dress rehearsalTest drive with the new AAZ engine – and straight away the first tow truck

The journey to Nepal · 16 weeks

  1. W01Week 1 – So it beginsGermany, Czech Republic, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia
  2. W02Week 2 – Sea to SkyCroatia – Montenegro – Albania
  3. W03Week 3 – Off the beaten trackAlbania – Greece
  4. W04Week 4 – Teething troubles and the first accidentGreece – Turkey
  5. W05Week 5 – Limping to the finishTurkey: Istanbul – Ankara – Cappadocia
  6. W06Week 6 – Up, up and awayTurkey: Cappadocia – Ankara – Black Sea
  7. W07Week 7 – Between the bordersTurkey – Georgia – Armenia
  8. W08Week 8 – Omicron, oh OmicronGeorgia – Turkey (Kars – Van)
  9. W09Week 9 – Parting waysTurkey (Van)
  10. W10Week 10 – Familiar roadsTurkey (Erzurum) – Georgia (Batumi, Akhaltsikhe)
  11. W11Week 11 – HibernationGeorgia (Tbilisi) – Armenia (Yerevan)
  12. W12Week 12 – Namaskar NepalArmenia – Nepal (Kathmandu, Sauraha)
  13. W13Week 13 – To the roof of the worldNepal (Bharatpur – Kathmandu – Lukla)
  14. W14Week 14 – Goal reached.Nepal (Lukla – Namche – Gorak Shep)
  15. W15Week 15 – Back down to lower groundNepal (Gorak Shep – Lukla – Kathmandu)
  16. W16Week 16 – Time to say goodbyeNepal (Bharatpur – Dhulikhel – Kathmandu)

Nepal, India and back

  1. 05/22Volunteering at a technical schoolOne reason I travelled to Nepal was to dig deeper into one field through volunteer work – and to help a little.
  2. 06/22Annapurna CircuitAfter volunteering, I wanted to explore a bit more of Nepal's north.
  3. 07/22By train through IndiaIndia borders Nepal directly and influences the highest country on earth in many ways.
  4. 08/22Georgia – home port in the CaucasusAfter my time in South Asia I travelled back to Armenia, where the bus had been stored for four months.
  5. 10/22Central Asian adventureAfter Iran, a friend and I headed on to Central Asia: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and possibly Uzbekistan.
  6. 11/22The way home – the endAfter Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan I went back to my temporary home in Rustaveli, Tbilisi.