First steps in Nepal
After leaving Finland my first destination of this three month Asian tour was Kathmandu, Nepal. I only had a vision about opening my eyes in a warm jungle at morning, seeing those Himalayan snowy top mountains while having the first cup of coffee of a day on some nice sunny rooftop. Did I got it?
First I took a flight to Kathmandu throughout Doha maybe two weeks before departure and it was 300$.
Have to mention Qatar Airways has to be the best flight company of them all. That 300$ ticket included everything. Two meals, snacks, drinks, movies, music, earphones, blankets etc. Even alcohol was free. Flights took total 13 hours with change. Arrival was as scheduled something about 10 or 11 AM.
Kathmandu airport looks like it's built from clay and bricks somewhere around 70s. We hanged at the airport with two scandinavian guys. Swedish Joakim was sitting in front of me during Doha - Kathmandu flight. And Finnish Akseli I met in Doha airport.
In Doha I had very hurting back after few hours flight from Helsinki and couldn't stand another one without someone clicking my back while I lay on my stomach on the floor. Akseli looked like only one there who might have some kind of common language so I decided to ask for a favour and it helped. Thank you Akseli.
Handling visas in Kathmandu airport was easy. You can get tourist visas on arrival to Nepal. Only Indians doesn't need visa to go to Nepal.
Prizes for tourist visas on arrival:
15 days 25$
30 days 40$
90 days 100$
I took 30 days with 40$.
We connected facebook and also talked about seeing later with Akseli and Joakim. Haven't seen either of them since airport but I've noticed that's quite common in travelling. You travel with someone in a bus or a train or airplane and you are like a family during travel. But after arrival everybody just goes their own ways. Nice concept. That way you're never alone. Still of course might be nice to see those guys some day somewhere again.
Now I was in Nepal. Weather feeled nice and warm. I had booked accommodation for first week from place called Changu Narayan. It's about 20km from Kathmandu and I had given some instructions how to get there. First I had to take a bus or a taxi to Changunarayan and then take stairs down and pass a school and big banaya tree and see blue house called Dhrubas place which was the destination. The bus would cost 0,4$ and taxi would be 20$. Decided to go for a bus.
Just had to find a bus stop. There should be direct busses from airport to Changunarayan or if not there should be bus to Bhaktapur and I could find a bus to Changunarayan there.
Just when entering outside from airport I started to face taxi drivers, travel agency representatives, jewelry sellers, beggars, dogs, cows and random guys who wanted to be my personal guide. Everyone asking where I come from and where am I going.
"Which country?"
"First time in Nepal/India/Asia?"
"Where are you going?"
"How long you stay?"
Those are the questions you keep hearing all the time no matter which city you go in Nepal or India. Some places are extreme with this like Varanasi. But you're gonna get used to it. In best scenario you learn to laugh and enjoy all the hustle and craziness around you.
"I'm going to Changunarayan and I want to go with a bus", I kept telling them.
"Theres no busses, I can take you with a taxi, only 30$", they kept saying.
"No, please tell me where the bus station is"
"It's very far from here, you can't walk, please come I take you to bus station with my taxi, 10$ only"
Everything in Asia costs something only. No matter what, prizes are always something only. It reads everywhere and if you ask for example taxi prize it's some dollars and and then comes word only. I've been thinking does they really know what does it even mean.
After walking few hundred meters with my backpack and too heavy laptop I met another group of taxi drivers. I had no sim card or internet yet and was a bit lost with a direction. And now the ride was only 5$ only so I took it.
Traffic in Kathmandu was a shock. There seemed to be no rules at all. Everyone just driving with their cars, motorbikes, scooters, busses, trucks through the smallest possible holes they could find from the traffic. And it was left sided. This must be very dangerous I thought. But they are doing this all the time so maybe you not gonna die with 100% odds every time.
It actually looked like it's gonna rain and I wasn't so comfortable with the idea of bus full on pickpockets.
"So ok, let's do it. Take me there", I said finally.
Afterwards came out some things the driver wasn't completely honest. Busses are safe in Nepal what it comes to pickpockets. And it didn't rain but could've. The ride took almost an hour so the prize wasn't too bad. And with a bus it can really take up to 3 hours believe me.
During taxi drive we passed some wheat fields in Bhaktapur and at the same time I smelled strong aroma of cannabis. I looked outside and made a diagnosis that it's growing everywhere. Tried to ask something about it from driver but he couldn't understand what was I saying.
Some weed growing at our backyard in Changunarayan. Not season time yet.
Finally we ended up to the top of the hill. "This is Changunarayan", driver told me.
I didn't trust him at all. I had got that feeling already from Nepal that everyone are always completely sure about their thing even if they have zero percent real knowledge about it. And they so much wanna help you they give always advice for direction even they don't understand a word of your question. Maybe they're just pointing you to someone who speaks English, who knows.
The driver pointed me some tree and told that's the big banayan tree from my guide book. I was sure he hadn't any idea what tree it was and he just wanted to get rid of me after he had gotten his money. Also tried to ask from someone else but they didn't speak English.
Ok. I have no better choices right now. I started to walk downhill and passed the tree and ummm.. that might be a school. Not the same modern clean sophisticating looking school we have in Finland. It brought my mind more like old abandoned school building. Didn't see blue house anywhere so I continued path/road downhill.
The village were not very big and it was built to the slope of Changunarayan hill. More downhill you go the views changes from village to countryside.
There were lot of garbage and shit all over the place. Plastic water bottles, candy papers, single usage shampoo pack covers. That's something they should focus on in Asia if I have anything to say. Life is more beautiful when you don't see waste around you all the time. But the thing is complicated. It's different style of thinking, different style of life.
This photo actually is from village called Sankhu, walk distance from Changunarayan.
And so much animals. Dogs, chickens, goats were everywhere. And also few cows.
Sheep eating banana skin.
There were no western people at all and no one seemed understanding or speaking English. I kept walking until I saw green house and finally some western people sitting on frontsteps. At least they might know if am I in a right village.
"Namaste.", they said.
"Hello. I'm looking for a blue house, called Dhrubas place or something...", I said.
"I think you're in a right place", brown haired lady said and smiled.
She was from Holland and they stayed there with her husband just until next morning. I'm bit sad we didn't change contact infos with them but maybe we'll meet again some day somewhere.
"So who's the host?", I asked.
"She is", everyone said and pointed to the lady next to them. She was wearing local clothes and had a red point in the middle of her forehead. Her skin was also remarkably darker than any five of us.
She was Menuka, our hostmom in Changunarayan.
"Namaste.", she said and put her hands against each other on her chest and smiled for the sign that I shouldn't offer my hand for a handshake.
I did the same as she. "Namaste", I said.
"Please sit down, I bring you tea", Menuka said and walked away.
I dropped my bags and sat down.
There were four travellers staying in Dhrubas house also. Three from Holland and one from UK. The accommodation costed from 5$ to 8$ depending if you do work or not. Prize included breakfast, lunch, dinner and as much tea you drink. Not so bad deal.
We changed few words with other travellers and tried to learn each others names.
"I'm Panu"
"Palo?"
"No, Panu. P-A-N-U, Panu.
"Aaa, P-A-N-U, Phanu?"
"Yes"
They were Phil from UK, Julie and the couple from Holland. I was lucky to get spent few days with Phil and Julie.
I had some stereotypes of drinking arrogant British travellers but Phil was not that type of a human being. He's smart, funny, neverending curious and friendly British traveller. He even tried to claim himself lazy British one day but that's a lie. No lazy guy does Annapurna tour.
Soon Menuka came with five cups of tea.
I had travelled 20 hours total from my stay in Helsinki Finland. I was exhausted. All of that craziness of taxidrivers, beggars, sellers, mountains of garbage and free walking zoo or a farm definitely jumps to your face when arrive first time to Asia from Scandinavia.
I raised my eyes to the Himalayan middle hills and tasted the tea. Felt the sun heating my neck and thin wind painting my cheek. I was in Nepal. And it was overwhelmingly the best tea in a world.
Kommentit
Lähetä kommentti