Kathmandu

I am now in Kathmandu, Nepal after three flights, five time zones and about two hours of sleep in the last 24. I'm exhausted but I want to stay up as long as I can to help adjust to the new time.

It was an interesting trip getting here. I left Spain on an overnight trip to Qatar, then a short flight to Bahrain, and finally on to Kathmandu. It was strange being in the Middle East again even if was just the airport. I suppose it's because, in my mind, I wasn't going to the Middle East. Anyway, it was all pretty uneventful. Somehow I ended up in Business Class on the flight to Kathmandu. Ah, life is sweet up there: fully reclining seats, gourmet meals, fine wine. I found myself wishing the flight would last longer. Oh, this was interesting: At one point, I crossed through the flight attendant's station to get to the bathroom and one of the attendants, obviously Muslim, had their prayer rug down and was in the middle of one the daily prayers.

When we were about thirty minutes out of Kathmandu I looked out the windows on the left side of the plane and there they were. The Himalayas. There was a blanket of cloud obscuring the ground but a few dozen or so massive, snow covered peaks pierced through the clouds, rising into the sky. We arrived at dusk so all of them were lit up in that magic, late afternoon light. It was breathtaking. Have you ever visited something you've only seen in pictures? Do you know that hyper-realistic quality those things take on when you finally see them in person? That's what it was like seeing those peaks today.

After quick processing at the airport, I was spit out into Kathmandu. I always feel the most vulnerable in a new country right outside the airport. Everything is unfamiliar. How much should I pay? What's the exchange rate? Can I trust the taxi drivers? I've come to accept the fact that I'm usually going to be taken advantage of and hustled a little.

Luckily things weren't too bad. I did make the mistake of not picking a hotel before I got into the taxi. The drivers get kickbacks from the hotels, so instead of just being dropped off in the area I wanted, he insisted on taking me to one. You know, "to help me out." No big deal, it's a decent place in the area I wanted.

And what a ride. Taxi rides in third world countries are always exciting. Traffic flow is a bit more, shall we say, organic. Headlights? Who needs 'em.

It was also intoxicating. I love the overwhelm of the senses you get when you first arrive in a new place. There was so much to see, smell and hear: the ubiquitous Coca-Cola signs, something burning, incessant car horns (as the driver said, in Kathmandu, no horn, no drive) just to name a few.

I'm loving the prices after Spain. Just to give you an idea: The hostel I stayed in in Madrid just before I left was almost $100. Believe me, it was nothing special. The hotel I'm staying at here in Kathmandu is actually pretty comparable and is $10! It's actually more than I need with a private bath and TV.

I'm pretty exhausted, so I had dinner here at the hotel. It was tasty local fare very much like Indian ($3!) and a nice change from Spain. I don't understand their fascination with ham, but I'll be more than happy if I don't see any "jamon" for a while.

Tomorrow I'll venture out and see what's what.