Kathmandu, March 29 -- By the time I reached Sankhu, my shoes looked like they were made of mud. My motorbike's engine and its tires too were coated with several inches of mud, and in a remote corner of my mind, I wondered about the wisdom of my decision to travel to Bhotechaur for a quick getaway.

The night before, it had rained for hours, which had turned the road from Boudha to Sankhu into everything you don't want a road to be. By the time I reached Sankhu, my motorcycle had waded into several potholes of varying depth--from a few inches to a foot of muddy water. My motorbike had almost slipped twice on a notoriously slippery stretch from Thali to Sankhu.

But things got better once I reached Jarsing Pauwa, which is 7 kms from Sankhu...