Nepal

Travel Woes – Departure from Delhi was hectic and in question for a time. All in all, we left on the same flights for around the same price. So just big headaches and no dramas. We booked our tickets online, were issued record locators, billed over a month ago… and then denied boarding passes?! Apparently, international flights on Jet Airways have to be booked manually. Even though by all accounts, we were booked! They even had our meal preferences! To make matters worse, their credit card machine was broken, so I made a mad dash to another terminal to grab cash for 1 way tickets. Upon arrival, the onsite ticketing office would not let us buy the return flights in anything but US dollars, not even in Nepalese rupees because he didn’t have time to do the paperwork!!

Pokhara – A serene lakeside town was the perfect respite. We even sprung for some nicer accommodations on the water: it was a Nepalese style hut, but a duplex – first floor was a sitting area with fireplace and a bathroom and upstairs was the bedroom. A starting/stopping point for trekkers, this charming town was well equipped to the point of touristy. I could spend a lot of time here.

Before dawn, we taxied and hiked up to Sarangkot lookout to watch the sunrise over the Himalayas, but our efforts were thwarted by the fog. Even so, we hung around for a while, until it was well into day and time to leave. The trail twisted down the backside of the hill, but we could pick out a peak over the top. We scampered back up, and seemingly growing from the fog layer above the foothills, got to see the Annapurna Range! (The best time to go is September/October when the weather is clear all day.)

Zapped from the previous day, we relaxed around the lake, took a walk, and ended up in a soccer game with a bunch of locals.

Kathmandu – Upon arrival, we went to the airline’s main office to pay for the return tickets which were mercifully still reserved on business class. (Don’t get excited, they were the last tickets available, and we paid full price.) We laid our bags in the Thamel area and headed out.

Bhaktapur – Before Nepal was unified to create the current country, the Malla kingdom was divided among his 3 sons, to produce 3 kingdoms: Bhaktapur, Kathmandu, and Patan. Still a functioning city, we roamed the narrow alleys that connect the 4 main squares, inspecting traditional art and architecture. Did you know that the pagoda design originated in Nepal?

The Holi festival was starting the next week: everyone celebrates by throwing water balloons at each other! The children were starting early, and we managed to dodge all but 1 balloon attack. A magic balloon hit Scott in the shoulder and then splashed me. Well played.

Pashupatinath – A Hindu pilgrimage area, this is Nepal’s most important Hindu temple. The holy Bagmati River trickles through it and hosts ritual cremations and daily activities. The Shiva-devoted village seemed like a smaller version of Varanasi. Areas seemed overrun with monkeys and were creepy.

Again, we witnessed funeral processions. These ceremonies were a lot more emotional and human compared to Varanasi, where it seemed like a well-oiled business. It was depressing, and I left quickly.

Bodhnath Stupa – A Buddhist pilgrimage destination, draped in prayer flags, that has a square built around it. Walking clockwise around the circular stupa and spinning each of the 108 prayer wheels is a form of meditation, saying mantra at each wheel. There are additional prayer wheels, shrines, and meditation rooms inside. One such room had 2 giant prayer wheels larger than people.

I liked seeing all the Buddhist pilgrims in their maroon robes and sandals. One guy even had on New Balance sneaks that were color coordinated... very cool.