Nepal – Land of Namaste

Nepal has always held a certain mysticism. Perhaps it is the rich history of the Kathmandu Valley. Or, maybe it is because it is home to the tallest mountains in the world. Or, possibly it is for the colorful and unique character of its people. Or best yet, perhaps for the fact that it is the birthplace of Gautama Buddha. It’s hard to say with any certainty if there is just one reason people feel a longing to experience Nepal. All I know is that it indeed is a land of wonder and beauty. I remember seeing all the news about the devastating earthquake that struck in 2015 and empathizing with the people who lived there. I feared that it would make Nepal an even more difficult place to visit in the future and wondered if I would ever make it there. In reality, though I think it really only made the yearning to visit that much greater.  

We chose to start our six months of travel in Nepal – it was the greatest thing we could have done. Given that Nepal is among the poorest and least developed countries in the world, with ⅓ of its population living below the poverty line it served as a sharp contrast to our familiar home in the United States. It indeed was way outside our comfort zone and pushed us deep into our courage zone. The lessons we learned about ourselves, happiness and spirituality could not have been discovered anywhere else. After getting through Nepal, we could take on anything that travel or life could throw at us and all with a renewed perspective.

Our Nepali journey started on the plane flight in from Bangkok. As we neared Kathmandu, the pilot came over the PA and let us know Mt. Everest was clearly visible on the right side of the plane. Out the window, towering above the clouds stood Mt. Everest in all its grandeur. Seeing Everest and the rest of the Himalayan Mountains for the first time is inexplicable – I’ll never let myself forget the feeling. Mt. Everest was high on the bucket list and checking that off felt both exciting and gratifying.

Kathmandu airport was very close to how I imagined it would be. It consisted of a single runway with a moderate-sized red-brick terminal; no-frills by any means. We exited the plane straight onto the runway and walked into the terminal. The Visa waiting area was bustling and chaotic. We were surrounded by people from all over the world – it was exhilarating. There were backpackers ready for trekking, some families on holiday, gentlemen in suits on business trips, a myriad of other travelers and then us.

We made our way through the visa line and purchased a 15-day visa.  At that moment I was already beginning to think we were not spending enough time in Nepal… After Visas, we worked our way through the currency exchange counter and purchased our first Nepali Rupees. With our passports stamped and Rupees in hand, we made our way out of the airport and into the chaos of taxi and transportation hustlers. It was a bit overwhelming at first, and we weren’t sure what an appropriate fare was for the ride to our hotel in Thamel, Kathmandu. After a bit of confusion, we decided to just go with a prepaid transport option that we found at a small kiosk just before the airport exit. We felt it was better to just pay up front rather than be surprised with a high fare at the end of the trip. We ended up spending about 15 USD for our ride to Thamel, which I now realize was a steep price for the trip, but I wasn’t as savvy then as I am now. Next time we will just go out and haggle a ride down with one of the hundreds of cabbies just outside the airport.

Within the District of Kathmandu, there are many neighborhoods for travelers to stay in. We chose Thamel because it is the hub for backpackers and most travelers. Thamel is also centrally located with many top sites and shopping bazaars all within walking distance.

The drive into Thamel was nothing short of an adventure. The roads are sparsely paved, mostly dirt, and VERY uneven with some enormous potholes. At first, it seemed it was every driver for themselves, but after a while, it began to look more like organized and respectable chaos. The car/motorcycle horns that harmonize to create the prevailing soundtrack in the city is not out of aggression like we are used to in the United States. Instead, the horn is lavishly used to notify of one’s presence behind, intention to pass or plan to turn. Here was our first lesson from Nepal – acceptance of that which you cannot change leads to happiness. No one on the road whether on foot, in car/bus, or on a motorbike could do anything to help the congestion on the streets. They were all in it together and would eventually make it to their destination. The term ‘Road Rage’ would probably seem so silly and foreign to them. Why bother cultivating rage within yourself over something so trivial?

As we neared Thamel, we began to see many trekking supply stores, travel offices, shops, and restaurants catering to western tastes. Thamel was a bustling area and every person whose eyes briefly met mine I wondered if their journey was just getting started as ours was or if it was just ending. Thamel permeated that feeling of limbo between adventure and rest. It was a very transient feeling place. There were very few travelers not carrying large packs on their backs walking down the streets.