Getting Here

Where to start?  I can’t begin to describe everything I have seen, heard, smelled, eaten, and felt since I touched down in Kathmandu four short days ago.  So I'm not even going to try, but instead will provide a brief synopsis.

The flight itself was an adventure.  In the 26-hour journey I saw two sunsets, had my mind blown by the Burj Kalifah,

the Burj Kalifah

 and flew over a mind-boggling list of places: La Rochelle, France; Turin, Italy, Istanbul; a corner of Syria; Baghdad; Pakistan; northern India, and finally Nepal.  I caught a tantalizing glimpse of the Himalayas in the distance just before the sun set.

Pakistan mountains

 As soon as I walked out of the airport in Kathmandu I was met by not one, but two guys holding signs with my name.  Trying to sort out the confusion through a sleep-deprived fog proved interesting, but five minutes later I was in the back of a car with three strangers careening through the narrow, crowded streets of Kathmandu.  I was totally overwhelmed by the motion, the lights, the crowds, and the noise of cars honking like it’s the national pastime.  I was completely lost and, in a jet-lagged haze, am still not totally sure how I managed to negotiate a room in Thamel, the tourist district (thanks to the help of Prem, my "guardian angel" and brother-in-law of Laura, the Executive Director of Eva Nepal).  The room was small and clean, and I was very comfortable despite the fact that there was no heat or hot water, and I'm VERY glad I brought my own toilet paper.

My room

View from room

The next day and a half were spent alternately attempting to recover from jet lag and braving the chaotic, narrow streets of old town Kathmandu, south of Thamel.

Streets of old town Kathmandu

Hindi shrine

Ancient meets modern

While I was wandering the streets, I fell victim to my first scam.  A tiny Hindi man approached me, dabbed a tika onto my forehead with red powder and sprinkled marigolds on my head as a blessing for long life…then demanded 200 rupees (about $2.50 U.S.).  Next time I will know to fend off the blessings.

Friday morning I caught the bus to Pokhara and proceeded to spend the next 7 ½ hours breathing a bit easier after escaping the Kathmandu smog.

Kathmandu air quality is terrible!

I also spent the time gawking at the beautiful subtropical foliage, colorful Buddhist stupas,
 

and tempting food carts we passed,

and sending positive energy to our driver who miraculously avoided sending us into a ditch or oncoming freight truck, and wondering what Pokhara would be like.

Will write more about Pokhara itself, and my first day volunteering in another post.  Today Prem and I are going to Kaskikot, the village where Aamaa (Laura's Nepali mother, and Prem's mother-in-law) lives.  Can't wait to spend a couple days in the mountains!