Rose and Ron Krumpos in Nepal

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Nepal

Eating tandoori shrimp in Calcutta, then fainting in Kathmandu
Rose went ahead to Nepal on Thai International's non-stop flight. Ron had business in Bangkok and took a later connection through Calcutta (now Kolkata), where he had first entered India en route to Lucknow University. He ate tandoori shrimp for lunch at the Oberoi Grand Hotel downtown. That evening in Kathmandu, while we met with friends from Guam, Ron fainted.

Rose stayed with Jim Edward's Icelandic wife and baby at their home in Kathmandu, then moved to Hotel de I'Annapurna, our host, when Ron arrived. After our first trip, Ron's third trade mission took American tour wholesalers to Nepal. He went with two of them by helicopter - piloted by an Australian nursing a hangover - briefly hovering over Mount Everest then landing at a remote farm on a mountainside of the Himalayas. The rest of the party went to Tiger Tops, which the two had seen, as guests of Jim. At a shop in Kathmandu, Ron haggled for a Tibetan prayer pendant for Rose: three visits, three prices, sold!

Eating water buffalo at Tiger Tops Jungle Lodge
Ron had escorted a group to Tiger Tops, so he sent Rose on her own. Rooms were in the tree tops. The daily staple in the restaurant was water buffalo, also used as bait to attract tigers at night. Rose was stuck for four days due to weather in Kathmandu, commuting each day to the grass airstrip - on elephants through the jungle - with a German tour group. She became very fond of her elephant. Villagers staged a flea circus to entertain the tourists.In her tree top room at Tiger Tops Rose saw a giant spider...her screams woke everyone. We both experienced the jungle excursion by elephant, four people riding atop each on a wooden platform, straddling a post. We sought tigers, which are usually nocturnal, but only encountered rhinos. Rose talked with the mahouts who took great care of their elephants: bathing, brushing, feeding, and talking to them like dear friends. Kathmandu had no instrument landing system. Flights could not operate in the frequent thick fog. Australia contributed ILS equipment; RNAC couldn't pay duties demanded by Customs.

Meeting Boris Lisanevich at the Yak & Yeti restaurant

Boris Lisanevich ("it rhymes with son-of-a-bitch," he said) was a legend in Kathmandu. He was the first Westerner to open a hotel and restaurant in Nepal. Boris had picked up Rose at the airport and later met us at his Yak & Yeti restaurant. It served good Russian and East European food, among Ron's favorites. That day, Thai International's Tibetan airport hostess gave us a tour of Kathmandu.

Ron had gone to Nepal as tour manager for Travcoa, but our first trip together was on holiday. We went to Bhadgaon, Pokhara and Patan. A mean old goat, with a scraggly beard, chased Rose. Rose bought a necklace to ward off evil spirits, which she wore during sales at Neiman Marcus to keep nasty customers away. We have several photos of Thai International's accident at Kathmandu. The jet was stopped by a mound of dirt at the end of the runway, preventing it from falling into the valley below. Two Americans (each 300 lbs.) were injured seriously.

Lunch with Princess Rana, later fainting atop a Buddhist stupa
On our second trip together, Rose had a salad for lunch at the American Club with Princess Rana and the ladies of the 'mahjong club,' while Ron was working at Royal Nepal Airlines. Rose later fainted atop the 365 steps of Swayambhu Buddhist stupa (painted with eyes) and was carried down by an SAS pilot friend.

Princess Rana's small palace was covered with Tibetan carpets, but her prize was a shag rug from an American friend. She had a little zoo in her yard, including a bear. Ron met HRH Princess Helen Shah at a reception for the American tour wholesalers. Royal Nepal Airlines had manual typewriters, a mimeograph and recycled paper. Thai International in Bangkok had modern office equipment when Ron was assigned there for four months.

A dinner party at the home of the Soaltee's manager
While in Kathmandu on business we attended a dinner party at the home of Prabhakar Rana, Owner/Manager of the (Crowne Plaza) Soaltee hotel and a Director of Royal Nepal Airlines. The wife of India's Ambassador complained about living conditions, after moving from postings in London and Washington, DC. We were considering living there as advisors for SAS.

Ron was the only American member of the SAS team, financed by Denmark's DANIDA. When Prabhakar came to San Francisco we took him to Vlasta's, our favorite restaurant, for her incredible roast duck. He told us that SAS did not get the management contract, but offered Ron the marketing position with Royal Nepal Airlines. We declined because we would not have the security of SAS and Ron had recently become Director of Sales-North America for Mandarin Oriental Hotels.

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