Day 1 complete, well sort of.
So after we went through customs and got our visas, we left the airport and prayed that someone would be there waiting for us - thankfully there was. There was also a pile of people trying to take our bags and help us to the car in order to get tips. It was a little overwhelming. I realized just how different this trip would be from oki since I was no longer a contractor for the military. I dont have American contacts here, and I am not staying safely on a base. I am at the mercy of the locals.
Kathmandu is one of the most chaotic places I've been. It's sensory overload. The smell of incense, curry, marigolds, trash, and unwashed bodies all mixed, the noises of the people and animals and cars making themselves known to the world, the narrow and towering streets where every item can be found, it's all magnified. At first there seemed to be no rhythm to the madness. There are obscene amounts if people in the streets while cars, motorcycles and bikes lay on horns and weave in and out. I'm not kidding when I say that cars will tear by a foot next to you, you'll be walking, hear a honk, turn around, and have to leap out of the way of a moped. The more time I was on the streets today the better I was able see the rhythm. The natural order of things. I've only been here a day so I'm not in sync yet but I'm trying. If I survive the streets of Kathmandu it will be a miracle.
We had breakfast in the hotel. Joy had only bread (surprise) but I had some curried veggie stuff and more bread. I guess it's the traditional breakfast? It was good! Then we went to our yoga class. I was really looking forward to this, thinking it was a Nepalese yoga class. It wasn't. It was all Caucasian people and the class was mostly just stretching. My arms are still sore from downward dog (what's new) so it was still beneficial.
Next we had a tour of the city. The travel agency we went through has been stellar so far. The same driver that picked us up from the airport came again with a new guide. He took us to the monkey temple which has temples for both Buddhism and Hinduism. Our guide was amazing. He knew everything about every place. We then went to the temple like place Kathmandu was named after, to the "hippie square", the palace, and to freak street. It was absolutely information overload. With the mix of Buddhism, Hinduism, the dynasty that only ended in 2001, the rituals are elaborate and the history rich. It was hard to follow but snaking to learn so much. After that he walked us back to our hotel. It's amazing he knew where to go. All the streets are the same chaos, there are no street signs, I was amazed he kept his sense of direction. If you ever visit Kathmandu, get a guide to show you the city. You see and learn so much more.
The rest of the afternoon was uneventful. We got an early dinner and then went back to the hotel as the jet lag was rearing its ugly head. Our hotel is small but clean. We have running hot water which is amazing. The walls are thin, just now I can hear a woman retching, the hotel employees chatting, the madness that is still taking place outside, and the forever honking of horns. They might as well all be in our room. But honestly? I like the sounds of the city. It's a vital characteristic of this place, and it's growing on me.
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