Timeline: 6th of February to 20th February 2005

"State of Emergency Declared in Nepal"

The situation which had occurred had been brewing since 2001 and which, as I knew we would be visiting the country, I had been following closely. I was not, however, expecting the timing to be so unfortunate.

In a brief synopsis of the situation, the current King, regarded by many as a megalomaniac, had come to power in exceptionally dubious circumstances in 2001. Unidentified gunmen massacred 18 members of the Nepali Royal Family; he was the only noticeable absentee from this gathering. The sole survivor, his sister-in-law, was killed some time later in a mysterious helicopter crash.

Concurrently since 1996 a movement of Maoists, enraged at wide-spread and whole-scale Government and Monarchy corruption, had grown from a group of rebels operating in the countryside to a sizeable nationwide guerrilla army.

Their scope of operations in this time has also grown from small-scale intimidation of local government officials to huge nationwide strikes (known as 'bandhs') that despite often being called at short notice have the authority to completely disable the country during their duration.

Over time the rebels have become more sophisticated in their attacks, targeting communications, transport and economic centres. Furthermore, the conflict has steadily encroached in from the countryside to the towns and cities, particularly the capital Kathmandu, and with it the bloodshed has increased.

It should be stressed that tourists are not, and have not been, targeted deliberately. On the contrary, any tourists who encounter the rebels have been met with a brief explanation of the Maoist aims before being extorted for money (usually around 5 pounds). A receipt for this transaction is then issued should any other Maoists be met en route. However, with the escalation of force on both sides the potential for casualties is increased.

In response to this growing threat by the Maoists and successive governments' inability to tackle it, the King on 1st February, decided to dissolve the Government, suspending parliament and fundamental rights.

A 'State Of Emergency' was declared. All communication links were cut including press and phone lines and the Army was stationed in the editorial offices of all national media outlets in order to censor. Air links and airspace were closed, roads blocked, other transport links delayed.

Leaders of major political parties, trade unions and student organisations were put under house arrest or detained and a joint Army-Police force was deployed onto the streets. In the days that followed a student demonstration in Pokhara was fired on by a military helicopter gunship leaving several protestors badly injured.

This undemocratic move caused alarm in the West and with neighbours India. The UK, India and the EU led the calls of condemnation and began to withdraw their envoys. Despite high-level meetings between western governments and their Nepali counterparts and the King's intervention urging foreign governments not to abandon the country, others followed suit.

We were in an awkward position, not least because by this time we were already in the Indian town of Gorakhpur, just three hours from the border. In addition, we had previously organised a trip of Tibet and onward travel to China for which we had to leave from Kathmandu -- this trip would subsequently fall through due to snow-bound roads.

There was no news coming out of Nepal, all information was either hearsay or rumours. The strongest of these, however, was that the border would open in a matter of days. We decided to sit it out and wait.

Disappointingly during this time the Foreign and Commonwealth Office was unwilling to offer even the most basic advice or evaluation of the situation. Neither did they reply to emails or offer anything more than a curt response when phoning for information.

But after three days and much deliberation later we were in Nepal. The delay had been caused by a Maoist strike enforcing a 72-hour blockade on long-distance public travel in and out of the Kathmandu valley.

During the journey from the border to Pokhara, Nepal's second city, the Army presence was noticeable and the bus journey was interrupted several times by joint Army/Police checkpoints.

The significance for the joint Army/Police patrols was later explained to me, once again by a local Nepali. Although open dissent and talking politics is a serious crime, punishable with up to 16 years in jail, I found that all Nepalis with whom I discussed the situation, were more than willing to voice their opinions and frustrations.

It transpired the Police, who had confronted the Rebels since the beginning of the conflict had made it known they could no longer cope -- although were careful not to admit defeat. Only the Army had the personnel and weaponry to face down the Maoists. The Army however are constitutionally banned from interfering in the lives of the people but by combining them into a 'super-force'; they had wide spread jurisdiction.

These checkpoints however appeared neither thorough nor intimidating; only males were taken off the bus for searches and only Nepalese and Indian men at that. And as the long arduous journey over Nepal's dreadfully poor road infrastructure took its toll; it became apparent that if the men didn't want to get off the bus at the checkpoints, they didn't actually need to.

In the main towns of Pokhara and Kathmandu it appeared business as normal, or as normal as it could be under the circumstances. Coming out a bar one night in Pokhara I saw a caravan of UN jeeps and officials. I didn't know whether to take this as a good sign or bad. But the situation was nowhere near as dramatic or chaotic or even dangerous as the Western press had described. Instead we found a people and a country struggling to get on with life despite, as one Nepali trekking guide put it, "Being trapped between two guns."

Support for the Rebels may be limited outwith the rural areas but support for the King is non-existent throughout the country.

During a short trek we walked to a ridge early one morning to look out across the Kathmandu valley. In order to get to this ridge we had to go through a hillside army base. The soldiers were washing and preparing for a patrol to the backdrop of a morning sun rising through the hillside forest.

It was like a scene from Apocalypse Now, if it wasn't for the empty beer cans and hungover squaddies lying about. It was the only time I felt slightly nervous and without a Maoist in sight.

But we travelled safely in Nepal, as did many others. Tourism is by far the main source of revenue for the mountain Kingdom. In the tourist enclaves of both Pokhara and Kathmandu the streets are densely packed with bars, trekking agencies, restaurants, hostels, and craft shops. There's not a single shopfront or doorway going to waste.

This financial attraction has lead to a substantial increase in the number of Indian owned businesses which has in turn lead to much resentment by local Nepalese. This is widely regarded as being responsible for little more than lowering standards while increasing prices.

The transport infrastructure may be bordering on non-existent but the people are genuine and friendly, it's relaxed, it's clean and the food's good.

But tourism has taken, and continues to take, a battering. There's a loss of confidence on the scale of 9/11. The streets are quieter than they should be as every shop owner, tour operator and barman laments. This is a highly competitive industry at the best of times but if the situation is not resolved soon or if it worsens, many families will be left with no income.

There are Westerners, just not many, and not enough to sustain the vast multitude of tertiary business that caters for the tourist. Of all those I spoke to, European and American alike, none felt unsafe or in danger.

Geographically Nepal is beautiful. Two thirds of the country is rolling, forest-covered foothills. When travelling through the countryside you are constantly surrounded by deep ravines and graded farmlands that white-water rivers cut through. Wherever you are, in the distance you can always catch glimpses of the various awesome Himalayan mountain ranges that run the full length of the country.

When the political fall out settles in Nepal, and the snow in Tibet, my return will be assured.