Welcome to Nepal

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Our flight from Bangkok to Kathmandu was unremarkable, despite flying on Royal Nepal Airlines. No delays, catastrophes, or mid-air collisions. The plane was more modern than I would have expected (Boeing 757). Based on our one experience, I could almost recommend them, if only the toilet on the plane would have been working. A backed up toilet is an ugly thing at best, but when you are trapped inside a small metal tube at 30,000 feet you really can't escape it. As the normally spectacular Himalayan views offered on flights into Kathmandu were obscured by cloud-cover on the day we arrived, there was nothing to distract from the constant stream of water and raw sewage eminating from the forward head, running under the door and down the center aisle. I'm sure I heard passengers in the aft section of the plane wagering if the stream would reach the tail section before we landed.

Kathmandu is an easy city to settle into, especially in the Thamel district where we stayed. With so many Guest Houses and restauraunts attempting to offer western fare (some quite successfully), the touts, carpet salesmen and tuk-tuk drivers are necessary reminders that you are, in fact, in Nepal. We took a room at the Kathmandu Guest House, a converted palace in the center of Thamel. Probably the only 'budget' accomodation with a laundry service, gift shop, photo center, barber, masseuse, travel agent, movie theater and museum in the world. Certainly can't complain.

The current Maoist uprising and resulting State-of-Emergency in Nepal has not posed any real problem for us and those few other travellers who are here, despite consular warnings from most western countries (only Canada has specifically told their people not to travel). Other than the 9pm lights-out and curfew, frequent police check-points on the road into Kathmandu (only young, Nepali males are actually forced off the bus and searched), and occasional news of fighting in the west, or bombs exploding in government buildings in Kathmandu, you would never guess there was a problem. In fact, the only real danger we have felt since our arrival has been on Nepali buses.

Our first, and most memorable/frightening bus ride was a hair-raising adventure from Kathmandu to the Royal Chitwan National Park. Try to imagine a small, winding single-lane road carved into steep cliff-like mountains with a river gorge far down below. Now picture old buses with bald tires and a tendency to break down, packed with people, bags, farm animals, etc. racing down these treacherous roads. So far so good. Unfortunately, this single lane road conveys traffic in both directions, and the aforementioned buses and large trucks insist on jockeying for position, passing without regard to the narrow road, winding curves, and on-coming traffic. Just about the time we began to relax our 'white knuckle' grip on the seat in front of us, having emerged unscathed from numerous near head-on collisions as the drivers played their version of Chicken, lulled into a false sense of security by the experience of these drivers who obviously plyed their trade on this road daily, a forced stop due to a newly created traffic jam dispelled any illusion of our invulnerability. Just ahead, a somber crowd of Nepalis had left their vehicles to peer over the precipice, almost obscuring the damaged strip of metal that previously served as a guard-rail. Unattended vehicles blocked both lanes of of traffic, as the onlookers looked on helplessly. The wreckage of a small bus was only apparent if you craned out over the edge, extending your neck beyond the dangling guard-rail and followed the plunge over the cliff, into the river some 300 feet below. Only the undercarraige and rear wheels were visible, the remainder of the crushed vehicle was submerged. Eventually we made our way past this accident, but perioudically our anxiety was renewed, as we passed a head-on collision (bus vs. large truck) and several areas where landslides had almost erased the road on which we travelled. Gratefully, we emerged unscathed at the rivers edge in Royal Chitwan National Park.

Royal Chitwan was very enjoyable, allowing us to relax and enjoy the wild life. Elephant and walking safaris allowed us to see rhinocerous daily, as well as numerous birds and smaller animals. Unfortunatly, we didn't see any tigers or leopards, but did find tracks of both. Another highlight was bathing the elephants (see photo), great fun!