July 14, 2007 – Stranger in a Strange Land

True to the country’s reputation, the first thing that appeared on my initial descent into Nepal was a huge mountain poking its peaks through the clouds. As we broke the puffy cover, they were soon followed by rolling hills, dense forests, and pastures so green my eyes hurt. Before touchdown, Kathmandu, the capital city, exploded in a cluster of houses, factories, and phone towers.

When I finally made my way out of Tribhuvan International, I met Chris, my coworker. As he noted in his e-mail, he was easy to find— the only white person at the gate. He grimly noted upon our meeting that the taxi driver union was on strike again today. As such, we were forced to settle for a renegade cabbie who would only give us the 20-minute trip to our guest house… for 1500 Rupees. That’s about $23 US Dollars. I was getting better rates in NYC :/

The taxi ride afforded me an intriguing look at Nepal’s capital, though, and it really cemented in the realization that it’s developing. Women wash clothes by hand in ditches by the side of the road while Toyota SUVs thunder past. Momo-vendors cook dumplings off open coals under massive billboards advertising Motorola mobile phones. The streets are exploding with microbuses, motorcycles, and rickshaws, but there are almost no traffic lights. Dogs, goats, and cows freely roam the streets. “It’s two years in prison for killing a cow,” said Chris, punctuating my thoughts. That’s right. We’re in a Hindu country now.

Despite the glaring inequities of this heavily urban center, there’s a certain charm about the city. Everything is a mix of old and new (technology, buildings, culture, and people), and it works. As my guidebook notes, Kathmandu is a sensory overload of strange sights, sounds, and smells; but a fascinating place to be.