Arriving in Kathmandu, Nepal, April 2010

We saw Everest for the first time from our Thai Airways flight from Bangkok to Kathmandu.  After departing Bangkok, we traveled northwest along the cost of Myanmar and began going overland as soon as we reached the northern-most part of the Bay of Bengal, which touches Myanmar, Bangladesh and India.  Our trajectory took us over Bangladesh as well, but there were no distinct terrain features that made us aware of this fact.  As we continued northwest, we could soon see the Himalayas rising far above the flat land we were crossing.  The mountains were snow covered with dark patches of exposed rock that reminded us of their steepness and their exposure to the elements.  We could distinguish Everest by the enormous cloud that formed from the top of the mountain and trailed northeast into what must have been Tibet.  The face that we were seeing was black, clear of snow, and was obviously, even from a distance, a sheer cliff.  Just knowing we were seeing the highest point on the planet was a thrill, even from the window of a commercial flight.

We approached Kathmandu from the south and immediately could see that it sits in a high valley right as the foothills of the Himalayas begin.  The most noticeable feature were the many brick kilns that dotted the landscape and gave us a clear idea of the building material to expect once we landed.  Sure enough, the airport was entirely of natural and painted brick.

Once we were met by our Nepali hosts from Adventure Geo Treks, we were immediately taken by private car to our hotel.  The ride was an amazing collage of sights, sounds and smells as we took in one of the most unique places we’ve been.

The sidewalk concept hasn’t reached Kathmandu for the most part, or at least the streets didn’t allow for it.  People, cars, many motorcycles and even cows moved fluidly in a place without traffic signals or clear crosswalks.  Horns are used constantly but more to give notice of an approach to another vehicle and less as frustration or a message.  No one ever seems to collide or get upset, though the potential seems enormous.

We passed butcher shops that are just another small, dark storefront where pigs and goats are cut up before your eyes.  Flies were whisked away by sticks with strips of plastic bag attached, wielded by children, and waved over the merchandise every few seconds.

From the first moments on the streets, we saw that the children are beautiful and find highly creative ways to play outside in their no-technology world.  Cricket  in a narrow alley is a possibility, as is the classic stick-and-tire.  We even saw badminton played over a fence where neither player could see the other.  Green spaces aren’t required and are often filled with trash.  Our guide told us there were issues with where to take the trash due to political protests, as though this was a temporary problem, but it looked more to us like a chronic problem and we seriously began to wonder if the invention of plastic won’t be the thing that destroys our world.  It is everywhere and the most depressing sight in this city.  The parks, empty lots and even the river beds are full of little plastic garbage bags, foil snack packaging and lots of unidentifiable goo.  The city doesn’t smell as much as one would expect, which is remarkable for all of its disorganization and seeming poverty.

Kathmandu feels like a taste of what the large cities of India must be like, without the heat and with far less density of people and buildings.  It takes a couple of days to gain an appreciation for the city, but once you do, it will stay with you as one of the unique places in the world.