I landed here a few hours ago. It’s a few days before Chris and Seema will be making it over. So I’ll take the chance to jump on some first impressions on the chaotic charm that is Kathmandu.
First the trip. I bounced from Stockholm to Istanbul to Delhi to Kathmandu. We passed over Iraq, Iran (just over Tehran) and smoothly just around Afghanistan, which was a bit surreal to say the least (pictures of the inflight map on our Flickr feed).
Kathmandu is situated among the Himalayas. The landing at the airport was breathtaking. Trying to drop a commercial jet in such adverse conditions gives me a new profound respect for pilots. Landing a plane here is like dropping a turd perfectly from 40,000 feet into a thimble, without touching the sides. Sorry, that’s the best metaphor I could come up within the panicking moments as we landed.
Twenty-four hours of straight traveling (and waiting in airports) has landed me in a city where hot water (and heat) is a luxury, dirt and pollution is a hot commodity, and life for the common person is constant struggle.
The drive from the airport was eye-opening and left me silent as I observed children and families atop garbage heaps looking for food. The stench of burning garbage and filth is everywhere. Traffic is a mess which a few cops try (unsuccessfully) to control. The buildings are rundown, with massive vats of water atop them provide a substitute what we Westerners call plumbing. The poverty is overwhelming and the the struggle to survive is apparent.
It’s what I came here to see. I expected it and I acknowledge it and to a certain extent I appreciate it. This was never supposed to be a vacation, but an adventure; an enlightening and eye-opening experience and that is just what it has proven itself to be. Most people appear to come here for the experience of seeing Kathmandu as an energetic and lively culture and as a stopover for mountain trekking, but not as a historic landmark. You can see the remnants of some beautiful historic temples and palaces, but it’s overshadowed by the crowds of people, businesses, and modern everyday life.
Hotel Courtyard is a pleasant oasis in a “touristy” part of town. One of the owners is an American married to a Nepali and she’s helped me to shoulder the blow of culture shock. The guests include a lot of Americans who have some fantastic stories to share. Most of them are trekking. Sightseeing is less of a fad in a place like Kathmandu.
I took my first shower here, which felt great. I mean, after bathing in my own sweat and dirt for 24 hours, it’s tough to imagine what wouldn’t feel great. After managing to figure out how to work the heat, I squatted and quickly bathed myself under the shower faucet. I couldn’t figure out how to get the hot water to come out of the shower nozzle. The water smelled mildly of gasoline and this didn’t bother me one bit.
The weather is a brisk 50-65 degrees Fahrenheit (10 – 15 degrees Celsius). Seema recommended dressing warm and I’m glad she did. There is no indoor heating here. Hotel Courtyard has some area heaters and really thick layers of blankets and comforters.
And I’ve already met two teams of Rickshaw Runners! So I’ll be grabbing a bite to eat with them tonight in the town. I’ve taken some pictures (not nearly enough) of the hotel’s immediate surroundings. Check out the Tuk Tuk Goose Flickr feed for those.
Day 1 has been exciting so far! I’m looking forward to dining locally tonight, to embracing the nightlife (probably mostly at the hotel) and to trying to get a good night’s sleep under my layers of blankets.
