The Anglo Australian Comfortable Coach Company

The Anglo Australian
Comfortable Coach Company

Details of the Kathmandu to London tour, October-November 1979 by Nick Whetstone.
Part one - Kathmandu-Lahore

October 30
Departed Kathmandu for Pokhara (Passenger list). Camped by lakeside and had supper in Snowlands.

River crossing without bridge

October 31
Early start and drive down to cross Indian border and arrive in Ghorekpur for the night. Stayed at Hotel Ambur (bed bugs).

The road from Pokhara to the Indian border

November 1
Drove to Lucknow where we were held up by some religious festival so stopped for lunch. Continued via Kanpur to Bognipur where we camped in the grounds of the Canal Rest House.

A common sight on Indian roads

November 2
Reached Agra by lunchtime. Stopped for visit to Taj Mahal before continuing on to Delhi. Camped at Delhi Gate campsite.

Tombs inside the Taj Mahal

November 3
Stopover day in Delhi to try and get Iranian visas and find more passengers.

November 4
Second stopover day in Delhi but discovered we can't get Iranian visas. Leslie and Gilly leave us to go to Goa.

November 5
Drive north to Amritsar stopping for lunch at Ludianha. Saw Indira Ghandi on the way campaigning for re-election as Indian Priminister. Arrived in Amritsar early evening and stayed in Youth Hostel. Evening meal at the railway station restaurant. Visited Golden Temple.

Indira Ghandi on her election campaign

November 6
Bought bread in Amritsar for breakfast and were at Pakistan border before it opened. Got through border formalities in two and a half hours and drove into Lahore. Camped on lawns of the International Hotel. Bruce and Graham take train to Islamabad to get the visas for Iran.

The Golden Temple at Amritsar

November 7
Stopover day in Lahore while we wait for the Iranian visas. Shopping, sightseeing, laundry etc for the rest of us. Bruce phones to say visas will only be issued to personal applicants but Tim H goes to Iranian embassy and they agree to let Bruce have ALL the visas. Bruce arrives back late evening with visas for Iran.

The Grand Mosque in Lahore