The Wandering Chocoholic

Kathmandu, Nepal

I saw Mount Everest today. That is all.

Okay, I lied. I actually saw quite a bit today. But really, the Everest part is all you care about anyway, isn’t it? I don’t blame you. It’s pretty spectacular.

Because it’s there

Another pre-dawn wakeup today. They’re becoming the norm on this trip, and I confess, I won’t miss them. However, this time I didn’t mind, because we were heading up in a plane to see the big mountains. Yep, it was Everest-viewing time.

“Because it’s there” is basically my life’s travel philosophy, so seeing the mountain that started it all was a must-do. Now, I suppose if I were really in shape, motivated and had lots more time, I could trek there. But I’m way too lazy for that. Yeti Airlines it is, then!

We headed to the airport and got our seat assignments. The plane was tiny — maybe 30 seats total — and we had most of them. Everyone had a window seat, and the flight circled around so both sides got a decent view. (Pro tip for anyone going in the future: they’ll tell you it doesn’t matter, but the lefthand side has better views.) I was a bit concerned that it was foggy, but we took off and quickly rose over the clouds and there they were, the majestic Himalayas in all their glory.

Each of us got a turn to go up to the cockpit to take photos out the front. And we snapped about a million other pictures from the air. We were given maps to help us pick out which mountain peak was which; Everest is only a couple hundred meters higher than the next-highest peaks, so it doesn’t exactly stand out unless you know what to look for.

They served us “champagne” on the flight (actually apple juice, I think) to celebrate our Everest viewing. And we were given certificates when we landed. And that’s that: I’ve seen the big one. Another bucket list item checked off.

Durbar Square, palaces and temples

After paying for our flights, we went back to the hotel and had a nice breakfast at the same restaurant where we’d eaten dinner last night. Then, Adi had to leave to go back to India, so we said our goodbyes. Thanks for a great trip, Adi!

Before he left, Adi had arranged a local guide for us to get a walking tour of Kathmandu. So we spent the next three hours or so getting a really informative, interesting overview of parts of the city.

We walked up from Thamel towards Ason Square and the main markets, where we did a bit more spice shopping. Durbar Square and the palaces and temples. The area was hit very hard in the earthquake; an estimated 80% of structures were damaged or destroyed altogether. Given that, I was really impressed at how much was actually still standing. We were able to enter the palace and walk around, seeing beautiful wood carvings, courtyards, temples and pagodas. Nepal is a mix of Hindu and Buddhist, with the religious structures nodding to both traditions. The guide briefed us on Nepali history — both ancient and recent — and politics, and gave us a ton of information about each place. It was really great to have some context.

We saw the Indra Temple, which is an important temple for local people in Kathmandu. Inside the palaces, which used to house the monarchy until they were overthrown in 2008, we saw the various structures under different states of repair. The palace is a UNESCO heritage site, and the government has committed to restoring it within the next 5-7 years, funding permitting. Some of the wood structures had erotic kama sutra art carved in the pillars. The Taleju Bhawaru temple, which was the temple for the royal family, was mostly still standing with only minor damage. The Kasthamandap Temple, for which the city of Kathmandu was named, on the other hand, was nothing but a pile of rubble in the middle of the square.

At the end of the tour, we saw the courtyard where the Kumari girl is kept. This really disturbing tradition still goes on today: a young girl of about 5 or 6 from one of the local clans gets chosen on the basis of beauty and fearlessness to be the Kumari, a virgin girl worshiped as a sort of god. She’s kept in the courtyard and minded by a caretaker family, but she’s basically a prisoner, only allowed out a dozen times a year for festivals. Her feet can’t touch the earth, so she gets carried. The rest of the time, she’s shut up in there, worshiped by everyone (including the king, back in the monarchy days) but not really allowed to have any kind of normal childhood. Until she reaches adolescence and then she’s sent back to her village and replaced by a new girl. I know that’s their religious belief and all, but really?

Chilling out in Kathmandu

After the walking tour, we went back to the hotel and chilled out in the garden with some cards. The tour is officially over, and everyone is leaving Kathmandu at different days and times. So the stragglers are just sort of hanging out.

We went for a bit of a wander to the shops by mid-afternoon, checking out the souvenirs and dodging the motorbikes. I picked up a couple more small scarves — somebody stop me from shopping, please! I also headed over to the Momo Hut, which one of the ladies we met in Delhi who’d been to Kathmandu had told us about. In addition to momos, it bills itself as Kathmandu’s primary spot for craft beer, so you can imagine I was interested. However, once I sat down and asked for a drink menu, the waiter informed me that they didn’t actually have any craft beer at the moment; only the same commercial or imported **** we’ve been getting everywhere else. The beers advertised on posters all over the wall were unavailable until Monday. Highly disappointing, I tell ya.

For dinner, some of the others wanted to go out to an Irish pub. But I was exhausted and so was Chris, and we ended up just meeting up with Des and Kajia at the same restaurant yet again. Hey, it’s close, cheap and good, so why not? After a light dinner, we headed back to the hotel for showers, packing and an early night. And that pretty much wrapped up our Kathmandu experience. I know there’s loads more to see here, but it will have to wait for another trip. Stick a fork in me; I’m done.

Reflections on Nepal

This is my last night in Nepal. Tomorrow I’ll be heading to the airport to start the first leg of my long trek home. I have to say, I’ve really liked the past week I’ve spent here. It’s been a great taste of a fantastic country.

Overall, I appreciated India, but it was exhausting and challenging and not necessarily all that much fun at times. In contrast, I truly enjoyed Nepal. This country’s got beautiful mountains, lakes, forests, rivers and scenery. The people are lovely. The food is delicious. I didn’t do any trekking, which is the main reason western tourists seem to come here. But even at that, I had a great time.

To be sure, Nepal has its share of problems. The devastation from the earthquake is heartbreaking, and the effects will be felt for a long time to come. Survivors of the quake are still living in tents while they try to rebuild their homes and lives. Infrastructure, historic temples and buildings, and commerce and industry have all been hit hard. The spirit of the Nepali people is incredible, and there’s obviously a real sense of pride inherent here. But the quake was just too big and its consequences too far-reaching for the country to have rebounded right away.

Furthermore, there are political challenges here. Since overthrowing the monarchy and becoming a federal republic in 2008, Nepal just passed its first constitution last year, and has been struggling to unify its diverse districts, ethnic groups and peoples. There are rivalries, power struggles, and human rights issues. Sandwiched between the two giants of China and India, Nepal has to work hard to fend off too much influence from one or the other.

Still, the people I’ve spoken to are incredibly optimistic about Nepal’s future. You can see that, everywhere you look, people are looking forward and ahead. Every second advertisement is for education, university or study abroad programs. The tourism industry took a hit since the earthquake, but it’s rapidly returning. This is a truly great place, and I’m really glad I came.

Namaste and thanks for the hospitality, Nepal! I’m sure I’ll be back one day.