Day 2: Kathmandu

11/17/19

We arrived in the dead of night over a thrumming city. The airport experience was memorable as we disembarked and applied our limited post-travel patience to their “state-of-the-art” electronic immigration system. There at the airport where a computer asked you to scan your passport but a pleasant Napolese officer standing next to each machine told us to input everything by hand because the scanners don’t work and to “write anything” in many of the required fields because, “your answers don’t really matter”.  Then we went to fill out some handwritten forms (yes, I am as perplexed as you), and finally to pay them for our efforts, in cash. Then on through security where we were sorted by race, whites going though a shorter line and even if the metal detectors went off they still waved us through... odd really. Finally, we reached the horde. It was an electrifying throng of taxi drivers, “guides”, “baggage helpers”, and awaiting family members. Amidst the chaos there was a short but highly excitable Napolese man in a bright blue coat ecstatically waving a sign reading, “John and Debbie”. While fighting off the multitude of ”helpers” he navigates us towards our ride while simultaneously adorning us each with a wonderfully fragrant Marygold necklace to drown out the ripe city odors.

Unfortunately, Dad fell pray to the mob of “helpers” surrounding him shouting with their hands out demanding tips for carrying his bag 5 feet (you can imagine the grumbling sounds he made for the duration of the ride to our lodgings now).  Then we set off in a rickety van through the smoky and dimly lit city narrowly avoiding pedestrians and motorists alike in true blind NASCAR fashion towards our beautiful housing.

  Whilst everyone settled in,  Ben and I wondered into the midnight streets in search of some cold beers and thought provoking company. We found a little hole in the wall bar (ironically called Hole in the Wall Bar) that measured 10x10ft and chatted the night away with a pleasant Armenian couple over local beers.  At about 1am we crashed hard into our bunks and slipped blissfully into sleep with the sounds of Katmandu bustling outside our window.

This morning I awoke to the sounds of Ben trumpeting as usual. We met the rest of our party down in the serine hostel gardens for a light breakfast which included papaya and toast and instant coffee. It hit the spot in more ways then I can describe. We then met our guide, as energetic as always, who took us to the Monkey Temple (see tons of great photos).

This beautiful temple sat atop a great hill in the center of smoggy Kathmandu and was adorned with fraying prayer flags, strong incense, candles, and brightly colored pilgrims coming to prey.  We learned that you must walk clockwise around the temple for good karma. And, there were monkeys everywhere!

Babies to full adults, and they were fearless of the tourists ogling them. The whole scene was surreal but hampered a bit by the ever present greasy smog and putrid smell of the ancient city. Next, we strolled through the hectic streets and alleyways winding through throngs of merchants peddling their wares and came across a momo restaurant (dumplings).

They were delicious. We laughed and shared stories and had a grand lunch. 

After a well desired nap we congregated in a coffee shop where we spent the remainder of the day teaching and playing Dutch Blitz, and solving the US healthcare crisis. Bedtime was early today as we set out to hike from Lukla to Phakding hitting an elevation of 8364’. Stay tuned!