Not Without My Backpack: Nepal

After several weeks back in western countries, Kathmandu was a bit of a culture shock. It took some time to adjust to the overcrowded streets, the dust, the smog, the stray animals (including cows wandering down the highway), and the, well, "different" standard of cleanliness in hotels. I never got used to the constant honking and could have done without the fear of being rundown by a motorcycle or car trying to squeeze by on a narrow road. This was of course worse when caught outside at night during one of the many power outages. Kathmandu has scheduled power outages and only has electricity about twelve hours a day. All of that being said, I found Nepal to be an incredible country with things to see and do that I never imagined.
We had only five full days in Nepal, so with the exception of a two day outing to the countryside, we stayed in the Kathmandu Valley. With more time, we could have gone trekking in the Himalayas or joined a tour into the Chitwan National Park, where tigers roam the jungle. With our short visit we managed to get out of the city by booking a white water rafting adventure. We left on a bus from Kathmandu early in the morning and drove about three hours to the Bhote Koshi River near the Tibetan border. The drive itself was worth the trip. Once I got over my fear of the entire bus falling over the edge of the steep cliffs or being in a head on collision on the nearly single lane winding road, I was able to take in the beauty of the green hills covered with terraced farmland. On our drive we made one stop for food and a second stop to pick up the rafting gear. We also stopped at numerous police checkpoints. We weren't sure what the purpose was since once we passed the first one, there was not any other way to get on the road. So, to be at the second and third checkpoints, you obviously would have already been through the first.
We finally reached our point of entry where we strapped on our life jackets and helmets, received our paddling instructions and climbed in the raft with our guide and five other teammates. We rafted for a few hours before having lunch on the side of the river. The first day was spent mostly drifting down the river and going through the occasional small rapid. The drifting allowed us time to appreciate the surrounding scenery. We passed small villages, farmland, and forest. Goats wandered the hillsides and children waved to us from suspension bridges. With day one of rafting complete, we loaded back onto the bus to head up river to camp. Rather than deflating the raft, it was tied on top of the bus. Apparently it was not tied tight enough because it was not long before our guide opened the bus door and using the open window as a step climbed on top of the roof - all of this while the bus was still moving! He stayed there until we reached camp twenty minutes later.
The campsite was right alongside the river. We had a permanent tent with beds and mattresses. The candlelight added nicely to the atmosphere. Dinner was included (albeit served much later than we had been told it would be) and we indulged in the buffet and ate at a low table, sitting on cushions, and chatting with our fellow rafters.
In the morning we had breakfast and drove to our starting point. Our "team" was split into two rafts. Ours included Simon and I, a useless girl who claimed she couldn't paddle because her arm hurt, the guide, and another guy who works for the company. We went through larger rapids and more of them than the day before. We had a great time being tossed about in the raft, trying not to fall out, and getting soaked in the process. After a few hours and another lunch by the river we headed back to Kathmandu.
In Kathmandu, we stayed in Thamel, the main tourist area. The busy, narrow streets are lined with guesthouses, hotels, restaurants, and of course shops full of items to interest tourists in search of a bargain. Shops selling cashmere, pashminas, and yak wool were the most common. Being the home base for trekkers heading out to the mountains there are numerous shops selling gear as well. I would have thought most people would bring what they need but the amount of shops catering to hikers makes me believe that plenty of people arrive in need of supplies.
On our first full day in Kathmandu, we walked from our hotel to Patan and had a look around Patan Durbar Square. Durbar square simply refers to a square by a palace. Later we went for a wild taxi ride to Swayambhunath. The ancient Buddhist complex sits atop a hill that overlooks the Kathmandu Valley. It includes a stupa and various shrines and temples. Monkeys wander around and happily accept food from tourists, including ice cream cones.
The next day we went to Bhaktapur where a portion of the historical city has been pedestrianized. We wandered around looking at the Hindu temples, had lunch in one of the several impressive squares, and did some shopping. It was nice to get away from the hustle and bustle of Kathmandu for a day.
After returning from our rafting trip, we had one last day in the Kathmandu Valley. We visited Boudhanath, said to be one of the holiest sites in the Kathmandu Valley. The Bouda Stupa is the largest stupa in Nepal. To round out the day, we also visited Pashupatinath, which is one of the most significant Hindu temples in the world. Since only Hindus are allowed to enter the temple itself, we had a look around the premises and could view the interior of the temple grounds from a hill on the opposite side of the river.
First thing in the morning, we began our long and frustrating journey to Bangkok.