On top of the World in Nepal
Trip Start
Aug 20, 2008
1
9
15
Trip End
Apr 14, 2009
Kathmandu,
Nepal
Monday, November 10, 2008
I had booked a direct bus to Kathmandu from Varanasi (direct being a two day odyssey) though when I arrived at the bus station it turns out that the agency I'd booked the ticket with had made a mistake. Instead of the modern VIP bus I'd been promised (read air conditioning and proper seats) I instead had to make do with one of the local buses that ply the route. It was a clapped out, Soviet-era, tin shack on wheels loosely held together with rust and (possibly) sticky tape. Any hoped for air conditioning, was to arrive through the windows when the bus picked up speed on the downhill
Durbar Square
. And so on we trundled, all tightly huddled together for a soul destroying, ass shattering 12 hour journey to the Nepalese border. The occasional rest stops, which lasted just long enough for a quick visit to the loo and a chance to buy more coconut biscuits, were conducted with such haste that at one stage I practically had to throw myself on the driver lest he drive off without a Eastern European couple on the bus. (I'm guessing their provenance due to their accents and the fact I didn't receive either a word or nod of thanks. Ungrateful bastards!)
Apart from that, any romance I had harboured about making an overland crossing at an international border were quickly dashed later on. Once off the bus, we were shepherded by tuk tuk to the Indian border control (one quick stamp and my passport was flung back) and then it was onwards for the few hundred metres to the Nepalese side where I eventually managed to wake the border official. For this inconvenience he kindly charged me extra. Then there was just enough time to check into the border rest stop and order food. Dinner, as it turns out, consisted of the desiccated remains of some vegetables sent to a watery grave in (what I hope was) curry. The room for the night looked as if someone had/would shortly be murdered in it. I doused the bed linen in insect repellent, had a shower and gingerly slid myself under the covers. To add to the fun, I couldn't even text or make a call in order to unburden myself
Feak Street
. As you can see I was in great form altogether!Thankfully the tranquility and beauty of Nepal began to reveal itself to me the following day as we slowly made our way towards Kathmandu. (The 200 kilometre journey took almost eight hours due to complete as we had to taper our way up and down a never ending secession of hills and ravines - though unlike yesterday I didn't mind. In fact I was captivated) As we approached the capital I was transfixed by the the stepped hills, which for all the world resembled mounds of green ruffled silk. The terraces left by intensive farming made everything look as if someone had shaken a giant blanket and draped it over the landscape. Beyond were cobalt blue skys. It was stunning.
Unfortunately, the first view of Kathmandu wasn't as impressive. As we rolled into town, we were greeted by an ugly mass of coloured apartment blocks. It looked like a an unfortunate cross between the worst excesses of communist brutality and a Dadaist happening! Thankfully the city centre had buckets of charm. But then so did the (mercifully moustache free) locals. After striking up a conversation with someone on the bus, who admitted most of what he knew about Ireland was that we say "grand" alot, he offered to share a cab into town with me. Somewhere along with way we were mysteriously joined by his friend. I had sudden visions of ending up in some outer suburb being held at knifepoint and not a bar of mobile coverage to rescue me
Up to the Stupa
. Instead, they directed the taxi driver to my guest house and carried my hefty rucksack to the front door. (I couldn't help but think if this was India they've had disappeared into the night and spend a happy few hours distributing their spoils) Ok I got stung for the (meagre) taxi fare but at least they were chivalrous about it!The first thing that stuck me as I walked downtown was how completely geared everything was to Western tourists. Shop after shop was stocked with souvenirs of every description, while further onwards were entire streets dedicated to trekking gear (it's the country's single biggest moneyspinner)
But shopping could wait. I was starving and settled into a restaurant, singularly geared for the appetite of people who love to climb mountains. After almost five weeks of vegetarian food, I was almost in tears at the array of grilled, fried, barbecued dead animal in front of me. Without even a pause, I ordered a steak the size of a hot water bottle. It was mouthwateringly delicious, though so unaccustomed had my digestive system become to tackling anything solid it felt like I'd swallowed a bag of stones. Still I was beyond content and even the short walk back to the guest house was made pleasant by the slight Autumnal chill in the air.
Kathmandu itself may be short of must-see sights but that's not the point
View of Kathmandu
. What it lacks in big-hitters it more than makes up for in charm. It's a small city and perfect for just strolling around. Though be careful. I'm sure more than one tourist has ended up here and just lazed their days away, only to panic at the last minute and make a dash for the local shops for a few fridge magnets and a yak hair pashmina for their (presumably bewildered) mother! And joy of joys they have real coffee. Another hangover from India was my acute caffeine withdrawl. The best you could expect across the border was a cup of tepid Nescafe (once in complete exasperation I asked in a hotel if they had any 'real' coffee only to be told "But sah, it is real coffee. It is in a sachet!")Once the coffee had done it's job I did manage some sightseeing. The main tourist sight is the redoubtable Swayambunath Stupa, famous the world over for it's 'seeing eyes Buddha' shrine. The image adorns every piece of tourist tat here from t-shirts to the aforementioned fridge magnets. In many ways it has become the unofficial symbol of the country. It's a hefty walk up to the shrine but when you're there you are rewarded with a panoramic view of the entire city and surrounding landscape. There's also a lovely cafe where you can see how fast you can eat your food before the monkeys (them again!) come to rob it. The other main attraction in the city is the enchanting Durbar Square, just round the corner from that great hippy hang out in the sixties, Freak Street (and yes despite a rechristening that's what everyone still calls it, though the bongs and bongos have long since departed)
The Stupa up close
. It's a charming maze of winding streets and temples, a perfect spot to savour the relaxed atmosphere of Kathmandu and of course gaze in wonderment at the stamina of the many sherpas at work. Every few minutes one of them walks by, bent over double as they haul an enormous load on their backs. The weight is supported by a strap around their head (so not a great pastime for migraine sufferers) but you readily believe that old myth that sherpas can lift more than their own body weight. It's a curious sight but adds to the feeling that you are in a very unique place.
Speaking of curious, one of the main sights in Durbar Square is the palace where the newly crowned 'living goddess' or Kumari resides. The child is revered as the source of prosperity by the people of Nepal and she lives in the palace until puberty kicks in after which she reverts back to being a mere mortal. The latest in a long line of pre adolescent deities was chosen back in March of this year. Apparently all the shortlisted young girls that meet the strict criteria (perfect teeth, skin, hair...) are put through a series of vigorous tests including being left alone with the heads of ritually slaughtered buffaloes and being taunted by a team of people wearing grotesque masks. The girl that doesn't cry or phone Childline is deemed to be worthy of the title. So it would appear that autism along with lovely teeth is a big help in being deemed the chosen one!!
Me at the Stupa
!With only a limited amount of time in Nepal, the pressure was on to do something a little bit more adrenalin based. After all the country is now well on it's way to knocking New Zealand off the top of the ladder as the adventure capital of the world. Time pressures put paid to an organized trek so instead I opted for the far more sensible option of doing a tandem Paraglide. So it was off to Pokhara, the country's adventure hub, so I could savour some stunning landscape and throw myself off the side of a mountain.
Now not being one who (a) is particularly good with heights or (b) wishes to die any time soon, I was a little apprehensive. After being transported up to our take off spot early in the morning, me and the other paragliders were given our instructions for the experience ahead. This mostly amounted to picking a spot in the middle distance, focusing on it as you ran head long off the side of the hillside all the time aware that the only thing that separated you from smashing into a million Humpty Dumpty pieces was a piece of synthetic fabric and a paraglide operator suffering from a very bad hangover.
Luckily before I had time to say "You want me to do FUCKING WHAT?" the wind picked up and I was airborne. God it was incredible. For almost 45 minutes we soared like eagles above the snow cabbed peaks and lake below. It was without a doubt one of the most thrilling experiences I've ever had. Just be warned that if you ever do a tandem paraglide you might want to skip breakfast. And the pub the night before. As winds were slack we spent a considerable amount of time circling in order to maintain altitude which trust me can leave you more than a little light headed. Still it was worth every penny and I'd gladly do it again in the morning.
The Stupa
Luckily Pokhara itself is a complete antidote to all the adrenalin pursuits being offered by tour operators. Nestling beneath the gaze of some of the world's tallest mountain peaks and situated in front of a crystalline lake, its a destination in itself and was without doubt the loveliest place I've visited so far. If you ever go to Nepal make sure you go there. It'll charm the socks off you. I genuinely did not want to leave the peace and tranquility it offered - though that does have it's drawbacks. Like the rest of Nepal, anyone expecting to party on until the wee small hours here will be in for a rude awakening. Everything here in under curfew, with shops, restaurants and pubs all shut by 10pm (if like me you were busy chatting to your other half on Skype late in the evening you might also have to walk home through empty darkened streets and bang on the door of your accommodation in order to be let back in!)Still the memory of all that blessed tranquility was rudely interrupted as I crossed back across the border to India four days later. One minute it was billowing zephyrs and dazzling scenery.......and the next you were back to chaos and cow shit. Time for one last Indian adventure!
