This trip has been a long time coming. I was actually supposed to go with Karma Bhotia and his team last year, but I couldn't negotiate the time off. But now, finally, I'm here, and I'm thrilled! I've been looking forward to this for many reasons, and for many months.
I departed from Albuquerque Friday evening and arrived, exhausted, late last night (Sunday evening). I hadn't realized that I could have an opportunity to watch a year's worth of movies on the journey over the North Pole from NYC to Hong Kong. After a brief layover, I departed once again and landed in Jakarta for about an hour, and, finally, Kathmandu. I stumbled into the airport with one of my teammates, Gina. While filling out our Visa paperwork, we chatted with a Nepalese man next to us, who patiently waited to borrow one of our pens. He asked where we were from, and we told him, "Colorado." He replied that he was, too ("the Boulder area") and that he, his wife, and their 17-month daughter were there visiting family. He kindly gave us his brother's contact information in the city, just in case we had an emergency. It's funny how big the world can seem when you're looking out your airplane window at the black sky and bright moon for endless hours, and how simultaneously connected and small when you run into "mountain town neighbors" in a small airport across the globe.
Gina and I were warmly greeted by Shambu and John. Shambu is Karma's niece's husband, who was a guide on their trip last year. I am staying in his home, with his family. John is Shambu's brother, and, at 21, is studying forestry and will be one of our guides on this trip while he is on holiday vacation.
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| John (left) will be one of our guides to and from the villages. I have the honor of staying with this lovely family for a few days! |
I fell asleep and awoke to familiar sounds in developing countries: street dogs barking all night, and a chorus of roosters crowing in the early morning. I met Shambu's daughters over coffee and boiled eggs for breakfast. Tomorrow is Shambu's youngest daughter's 6th birthday, and I gave him some money to help with the celebration (to ensure that we would all get cake!). At almost-6, she has, quite possibly, the most beautiful English cursive that I've seen beholden by anyone, let alone a youth in her second language.
I've spent my first day here walking around Bouddhanath, where one of the major temples in the city remained in a dilapidated state from the earthquake this spring. I would have liked to have joined Gina for some shared sightseeing, but her hotel is about a 15-20 minute taxi ride away. Prior to a month ago, this would have been a simple and affordable venture. However, India has begun blocking imports into Nepal, including petrol, which has now become outrageously expensive. Even middle class families are resorting to cooking over fires outside because of this imposition. So for now, I won't be taking any unnecessary taxi rides.
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| Bouddhanath, including a pre-earthquake replica |
As an aside, I've encountered my first unwelcome moment as a large spider crawled over one of my bags today. Shambu's other daughter, who is 14, laughed as I cringed and ran away. She then excitedly explained to me how many and how large all the spiders would be in the villages. "They're everywhere!" She politely and matter-of-factedly offered that by the end of my time in the villages, I would no longer be afraid of spiders. (Miracles can happen, right?)
Namaste,
Marla