I've arrived in Katmandu

March 17,2009 7:30am

I am typing this in excitement this morning. It’s the first time I’ve actually had electricity while awake in my room. I’ve been told it is most often on between 4:00am and 8:00am. So I woke up took a cold shower again…. They say I have hot water if I let the water run for 5 minutes. I swear it ran for at least 10 minutes including the time I shaved, washed my hair and my body. It seems such a shame to waste so much water.

I’m staying at the Horizon Hotel off a main street in Thamal the “Pham Ngu Lao” of Kathmandu. It’s a much larger area lined with Indian and Tibetan shops. Kathmandu is a country that is a mix of both of these cultures. The colors and Hindu religion of India and the religion and kind generous nature of the Buddhists in Nepal.

I’ve met two very nice girls. Julia is a Norweigan girl whose mother is Japanese so she blends in a with the Nepalese although they find her absolutely beautiful because they see something exotic and different about her they just can’t place it. She has been traveling already for about 1 ½ months through India and Nepal. She has been in Nepal already for 3 weeks and will probably stay another couple of weeks before going to Iran. Kathyrn is a social worker from England and has only arrived about a week ago and I’m not positive about her itinerary.

Upon arrival I was met at the airport by Lokendra and his fast talking partner Bhagu. Lokendra is a soft spoken man in his early 40’s. He has 4 children. A 16 year old girl, and 3 boys, 14,12,10. He hopes an Australian couple who has promised to help him will reception his daughter in Australia after she graduates from High School so she can study Hotel Management.


Bagnu is a single man. Who was married to a Japanense woman that was living in Bangkok for 4 years. He is from Lokendra’s home town and says Lokendra was his teacher when he was young. Now it is pretty much Bagnu who runs the business that they have started together. Bagnu used to be a guide.

My first day was spent a bit in a daze…I met the guys at their office and we discussed what I wanted to do. Bagnu asked when I’d be ready to pay and I said not now. I wanted to get a better feel of the town and relax a bit first. “I’m in no hurry.” Then Lokendra and I took a walk through the city up to the famous Stupa Swayambhunath. It’s contruction started in AD460, added to over the years and by the 13th century was an important Buddhist center. Stupas and stairwells were added again by King Pratap malla in the 17th century It is located on a hilltop to the west of Kathamandu. It supposedly has wonderful views but all I could see was a brown haze over what looked like a flat brown conglomeration of buildings.

We then walked back down to Durbar Square. This is the old town and city center. It is where the city’s kings once ruled. It’s an amazing place to wonder around and get a feel for the “real Kathmandu” The Square was designated a Unesco World Heritage Monument in 1979. From Durbar square there are lots of alleys leading off in different directions lined with people selling there wares. (see pictures.) Yesterday I spent the entire afternoon with Julia wandering around and taking pictures.

From there Lokendra and I walked down Freak Street. This used to be the hippie backpacker center. Now there are still many middle aged hippies wandering around in there local colorful garb with a pony tails poking strait up out of the middle of the heads. It reminded my a bit of Pai in Thailand.

Oops electricity is done Just as I was told. 7: 58am. More later. I leave today on a 3 day trek.