After thirty six hours we finally arrive to our destination. Looking over the vast valley where Kathmandu sits I can make out houses that slowly grow larger and start to make up a large town surrounded by lush hills and further back by white capped Himalayan mountains. The scenery seems surreal and completely different from anything I had imagined previously. Houses seem to have a mix of Indian and Middle Eastern influences as they are each dipicted by a different color and all have flat roofs where families often grow plants or hang laundry to dry in the sun.
Once we acquire our baggage we go out to meet Anya's contact in Nepal who has offered to take us to a hostel in Kathmandu. As we drive along the streets of the bustling city I notice the trash linned streets, unfortunately for the people of Nepal there is no organized trash maintenance and therefore trash is often littered on the side of the streets. However, amidst all this trash I soon notice that cleanliness is of high importance for the people of Nepal, and will often be seen sweeping around the outside of their shops. Additionally, it is culturally required that one removes their shoes before entering a home as not to dirty up the living areas.
As we continue along the crowded roads of Kathmandu I can feel myself starting to grip the seat and get tense as our car seems to be doding other cars, motorbikes, people, animals, anything that may enter the street. Among all this chaos, however, there seems to be a bit of orderliness as I never witness a crash and people seem highly confident in crossing the street.
Once we arrive to our destination we are immediately shown our room and offered dude chia (milk tea) as is customary in Nepal. Our family is very interested in us, and as the next few days unfold make it their mission to know as much as they can about us and the country we come from. Although we seem normal within the homestay household, on the streets we are often stared at regularly, but when I say stare they don't look away when you look at them they just keep on staring like you are some sort of insect they have never come across before. We are often laughed at by the younger generation and it probably doesn't help that Anya and I coincidentaly have matching blue down jackets which makes us look even more ridiculous.
Kathmandu is filled with culture, in the few days that we were there I must have seen fifty temples and stupas. The worlds first or second (I'm not sure which) largest stupa lies outside Kathmandu in the heart of Bouda and is stunning. Surrounded by a circle of prayer wheels the stupa lies in the middle of the square teaming with prayer flags on each four sides and is lit by butter candles at night to illiminate its beauty. After only a few days in the city we are off to the tea growing regions of Nepal called Ilam. This is where Anya will do the majority of her field work for her thesis assessing the sustainability of tea tourism in Nepal.
The flight there is astonishing, Nepal is interesting as the Himalayas lie in the Northern portion of Nepal and the plains lie in the Southern portion. Therefore, the entire plane ride is spent with eyes glued to the windows looking at the Himalayas, and most of all trying to spot Mount Everest which lies among this chain of massive mountains.
Once we reach Badropour it is somewhat of an oasis in comparison to Kathmandu. The landscape is spotted with farms and the streets are now only scattered with tik tiks (people being moved around by bicycles) and motorbikes. The air is fresh here as in comparison to the often polluted air of Kathmandu. Everywhere you venture there are cows, goats, chickens, and babos (babies). Babos are everywhere! It is as if each family group had one babo within the last one or two years, and Nepali babies are the cutest things ever.
The next day we go up to Ilam, specifically a tea estate near a town called Fikkal. The tea growing regions lie in the hills of the country which is surrounded by lush asian vegetation and tea of course. I have never consumed so much tea in a day, sometimes I must drink 5 to 10 cups of it. Especially when we venture to the farmers houses and are offered tea at each house in which we stop. The farmers houses seem very unique in comparison to other houses in the city. They are often amidst a large span of tea plants and are often overlooking the valley that sits below their mountain. I can imagine it is very beautiful during the summer when it is not so foggy.
During our time here we have had the chance to stay with a few of the farmers and experience their way of life. More then often, however, they seem to feel like hosting us as in a hotel. We are often placed at our own table for dinner to eat alone. The food in the homestays is all so fresh and scrumptious, it often is comprised of dahl bhat and two or three vegetable sides ranging from potatoes to cauliflower. I never realized how many different types of dahl bhat could be made, my favorite so far is a creamy dahl that tastes slightly like potatoes. Although I am starting to get sick of eating dahl all the time and am therefore looking forward to returning to Kathmandu where they have delicacies such as sandwiches, middle eastern food, and dessert.
Within the next few weeks we will be going back to Kathmandu and then will be off to Chitwan and Pokhara before we enter India. Until then!
