The air here in Kathmandu is extremely polluted and dirty. That was no surprise. The affect it would have on my respiratory system for some reason didn't occur to me before arrival. Mucous and boogers are not white, yellow, or green here. They're all black. For the past month, chronic congestion and sore throats have been an almost daily problem. I decided to leave the city and find some fresh air for a night.
Nagarkot is a small town sitting on top of a ridge overlooking the whole Kathmandu valley. On one side of the ridge is the Kathmandu valley and on the other a beautiful view of the Himalaya. Julia (a volunteer in much need of some fresh air as well) and I left on Friday around noontime and arrived in Nagarkot around 3:00 PM via the extremely uncomfortable and unreliable public bus system. The trip there was anything but relaxing, but my body gave a sigh of relief immediately when I stepped off the bus in Nagarkot.
I really can't explain the relaxation I felt being away from Kathmandu. Living in the city has made me almost forget about the unbelievable natural beauty this country possesses. During this time of the year the mountains are nearly impossible to see, and in Koteswor, the part of Kathmandu where I live, I spend many days confined to the inner city with just run down and unfinished buildings for scenery. Don't get me wrong, the city has it's own charm, but the charm wears off after an extended stay. At least that's how I feel. The tourist industr has currently hit some seriously dismal times, so Julia and I had our pick of places to stay. After a bit of shopping around for a room with the best view, we found a great place with a balcony. $20.00 for a big room with 2 great beds and a hot shower. Expensive in Nepali terms, but we decided that 10 bucks a piece would be a reasonable sacrifice. At least for one night.
We spent the rest of the afternoon indulgin in chocolate, pringles, beers, all types of tasty food, and a bottle of wine to end the evening. I don't know if I mentioned it before, but a majority of Nepali food has a very bland taste so this bombardment of flavors was indescribable. The weather was great and the views were fantastic, especially the sunset. I can't forget about my personal favorite part of the evening. A hot shower! Something I haven't had since I left my hotel room in New York over a month ago. I never wanted it to end, but had to give Julia her turn before the hot water ran out.
The next morning I got up to watch the sunrise over the mountains. It was a crystal clear morning which made for a fantastic site as the sun rose over the mountains. We had breakfast at an outdoor cafe (toast and porridge) then both took turns using the shower again. After a small pot of tea and some exploring, we decided to hit the road. Or should I say trail? Instead of taking a bus back to Kathmandu we chose to go for a dayhike to Changu Narayan, A Hindu temple perched on a hill some 12 km away.
The walk there was great. We hired a young guide for 300 rupees (about US$4.00) and he took us along a back trail which avoided any contact with the main road and lead us through all kinds of beautiful fields and small villages. The weather was great all day.
Half way to our destination Julia noticed a flag sitting on top of a hill and asked our guide what it was for. Turns out that a very important religious man called a Baba lived up there. Babas spend the whole day smoking dope, studying scripture, and being a hospitable host to all that visit. We decided to take a short detour and visit him. How could we pass this opportunity up?
The view from his little perch on top of the hill was amazing. We went into his small hut to see what he was about and he didn't dissapoint us. As soon as we entered we were handed a guest sign in sheet. There were signatures from all over the world. The Baba knew a decent amount of english and was stoned out of his mind so it turned out to be a very interesting visit.
We reached Changu Narayan around four in the afternoon and treated our young guide to a late lunch. He was a very smart and likable young kid of about 16 years. He invited me to his home to meet his family and have dinner sometime in the future. I might take him up on the offer.
After our meal our guide left us then Julia and I wandered around the town and temple for a little while. The absence of foreign tourists was again very evident here in the empty streets and restaurants of this small town. Great for me, but horrible for the many local businesses that depend on tourism.
The bus ride back to the city limits was by far the worst experience I've had with the public transportation yet. There had to have been at least 70 people inside and hanging off the side of the bus. Even after it seemed like cramming anymore people in was impossible, the bus continued to stop and allow more sardines to squeeze in. With all of the stops the ride took about 45 minutes. After my relaxing night up in the hills, this was a fitting return to Kathmandu.
|  | 
|
