Oct 3. I'm off on a new adventure - Melbourne to Kathmandu.

On the day prior to my flight I checked and re-weighed everything, my bag weighs in at 10.8 kg, so I think the porter will be happy. On the way to the airport, I had great fears that I left my passport on the table at home. I could not find it in my pockets anywhere. Fortunately my anxiety was allayed, when I remembered I placed in the top pocket of my backpack.
The flight was smooth, and being a night flight I was able to sleep most of the way. Unfortunately like an overnight stay in a hospital, the hosts like to wake you up every few hours offering some unwanted snacks and drinks.

First stop Bangkok. What a huge cavernous airport it is a massive vacuous space, with hardly a soul around. I had to hang around in this sterile man-made  desert for four hours. Time moved along like the grass growing on the lawn. When it came time to board, people flooded in from no where.
Kathmandu, Tribhuvan airport is caught in a time warp: an antiquity. The interior decoration is very 50-60s era and the passport processing looked to caught in that era to. There was a huge queue to go through immigration, that looked like it wasn't going to be going anywhere in a hurry. It does, somehow diminish. We all get processed in an automated fashion. three sheets of paper and a photo to inspect. Order is the way, hand one to the first inspectory, move on to the next (who happens to be sitting next to the previous one) and so on. Lucky for us we were the first flight. 
 
I was forewarned about the visa fee. The Nepalese aren't interested in their own money, it can be USA, Euro or even our own Aussie dollar.

I met Rajesh, my guide outside showing a placard in the window. It was nice to meet the person behind the email correspondence and internet recommendations. I found Rajesh to be very friendly, and considerate given my foggy tired state from the long journey to get here.

Kathmandu is rambling bustling city with a mix of bitumen and dirt roads, narrow and wide. People, rickshaws, motorbikes, cars pouring out of its seams.  It was quite overwhelming at first coming from a comparatively quiet and staid manicured suburb of Melbourne.


I shouted dinner for Rajesh , at a "princely" sum of 625 rupee for the two of us in a nice restaurant.  We sorted out the final details and financial settlement for the trip ahead. Part of the trip was paid to cover permits and porter salary. (his salary was paid at the end of the trip.)

I bought some shoe crampons for $15 just in case I got to some icy sections.  I quickly discovered that the ATMs differ widely in transaction fee are not an economical facility for exchange. It would have been better to sort the money out at home. There are ATM providers in Kathmandu, most charge 400 rupee transaction fee, some have a limit of 10000 and others 35000. I needed to withdraw 150000 rupee, so the ATM fees added up. I did not feel comfortable walking round with that sort of cash, it felt quite bulky as well.

The hotel was basic but it served its purpose. I didn't have high expectations, so I wasn't disappointed. The staff were polite and the place secure.  I had a wash with a bucket, as the shower was non functional. Weather was warm and slightly, but not overly humid.


Bed at 8pm as it was dark and I was tired after the long haul. The city was particularly noisy as some sort of parade was going on with loud procession of drums. It turns out that I arrived in the midst of the Dashain festival.

I was awake at 2:30am and wrote these notes - no one can sleep with this noise !  I thought about getting up to go for a wander, but then thought wisely against it. Last thing I wish to do was to get lost in this place on my first day !

I slipped in and out of sleep restlessly. I dreamt with fears that Rajesh would disappear with my money. No address, no proof of transaction, oh dear what have I done ?  I need not have worried, Rajesh fulfilled his promises.

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Location: Kathmandu 44600, Nepal

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