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Published: December 18th 2007
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Tibetan Mastif Puppies
As it relates to Papa San's Comment. Here are the puppies I saw; probably all for sale. Dogs are very popular in Nepal The shortest flight thus far seemed to be the longest as the anticipation of reaching nepal was unbearable. Before we began our final decent, I already was able to look across the plain to the Himalaya range (which was at least at eye level with our airbus320).
The airport was as unofficial as I've ever seen. And this trend seems to be part of the nepali way. At the "visa application counter," a man in regular clothes asked for my disembarkation card. There was a line for the $30 visa, and I got a receipt no more official than what jim carey gave as an IOU in dumb and dumber after he spent all his money on a lambo and some furry shoes. That receipt, I gave to another guy. He placed a sticker in my bluebook, and I was in. No signs to baggage. Just had to walk around and find it on my own. Yes, there was still customs guards, but the tension i usually feel when i walk through those stresstraps was not palpable. I was even able to break a smile for the officer, and he said, welcome to nepal. "That's it?"
Outside, I was immediately greeted
Thamel District at Night
Enjoy the Chaos, it's quite charming by a group of desparate taxi husbands, obviuosly vying for my fare. But since I smartly took the advice of my parents, choosing Red Lantern Journeys (an American based company), I knew to expect a sign with my name on it. "My friends just over there, i'm going with him," I said to one of the taxi drivers, as he insisted still on walking me to my friend. I was greeted and hopped in the backseat of a white toyota. After leaving the airport, I immediately noticed a few things. The street was covered in dirt, there were a ton of people on the streets, and across the way, behind a fence, lay an 18-hole golf course. It was PACKED!
The rest of the drive was not so glamorous. There is in fact only one stoplight in kathmandu. (When I walked the streets later that day, during rush hour, the light was not even turned on). It was hectic to say the least. 5 motorcyles and 1 tractor for every car. There were no medians, no blacktop (as they call pavement), no street markings. Simply a controlled chaos. Cars crossed intersections with momentum alone. Surprisingly though, everyone was moving along, and there were no near misses; only one biker with a passenger who couldnt make it up a short hill and almost had to ditch his bike or face certain pain.
A most ballsy move was that oftentimes, slow cars would be passed by quicker ones. Only this was on a road with cars going in both directions, and only room for two cars side by side. Notice I hesitate to call is a two-lane road, as there was not strictly any lanes.
Regardless, we made it to my hotel: Shangri-La. Upon first pulling into the hotel, I was in sheer amazement. It really looked like a shangri-la, if there could be such a look. The contrast was something I would expect in Africa (Hotel Rwanda, like that). Since we were driving through utter poverty, with only spots of clean-looking houses with legit roofs ontop, when we pulled into the hotel, with its shiny white walls and posh driveway (not to mention the gateway), I was immediately taken back.
My first impression, though still accurate about the beauty of the hotel, must be recanted in regards to the rest of the town. In fact, it is true the sidewalks are uneven, the streets are dirty, and the cars don't come to complete stops. However, there is a certain charm that permeates through the town. The people are friendly. It is relatively safe. Every shop has something pretty enough to buy (or cheap enough you can't resist: ie. The 'Real' North Face shop had a winter jacket for 20 bucks). And the food was delicious as well.
Since I arrived, I have been greeted by my kathmandu guide, my trekking guide Buddhi (pronounced like Buddha, but with an 'I'), and the overall operator for Nepal, Jenny. Everything on their part is thus far well-organized and unnofficial to the point where my relationship with them does not feel corporate or plastic.
As I walked into the hotel, Buddhi and Jenny greeted me with a "Namaste." We went to a fairy-tale like garden in the back of the hotel and had some ice tea over a conversation about what to expect on the trip.
I guess the fairy-tale feeling was a combination of a few things. First, the pollution verges in Los Angeles, so there was a haze that you'd typically expect in a cinema-dream. Then, I was a bit dazed from traveling since 7pm the night before, when it was in fact 1pm the next day (although i must admit I had a really nice nap at the singapore airport at the transfer hotel).
I went with Jenny and her ?boyfriend? to dinner at a very nice cafe in the tourist district, Thamel. In general, due to Hindi customs, cow meat is not consumed (and other red meats do not seemed to be favored). Rather, they eat lots of rice and veggies. So, at the cafe, I had a rather vegetarian meal of penne pasta with juicy zucchini and olives. It was so tasty, the veggies especially, that I wonder if nepal could one day become a vegan mecca.
AHH!! I just lost the rest of what i was writing!
Well, i've gota busy day ahead of me tomorrow, so gotta get some needed rest!
LOVE
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Mom
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You've arrived!
Glad to hear you arrived safe and sound. Thanks for the call this morning. I only hope you will be able to journal often in the next ten days so all of us can continue to experience your journey from our homes. XOXO Mom