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By Camilla Hvalsoe
I love the mountains, and any chance I get I'm out there hiking, trekking or climbing. This was my first trip ever to Asia, and the mountains of Nepal seemed like the ideal destination for my debut to this magnificent continent. I was also looking forward to meeting the wonderful Nepalese people – known for their openness, smiles, and warmth. |
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| No matter how much you've heard or read about Kathmandu, nothing prepares you for your first visit to this exotic and lively city. All my time in Kathmandu was spent in a state of shock! The traffic is insane – looks like there are no rules but you drive where you can get ahead - doesn't matter what side of the road it is, as long as you use your horn all the time. Crossing the street without being run over by a taxi, bus, motorcycle, rickshaw, or a cow takes talent – and courage. And if the traffic isn't enough to keep you on your toes, you have to be careful not to step in the food offerings laid out all over in the streets, remember to walk left around the sacred monuments, and at the same time try to politely avoid the tiger balm, flute, jewelry, and fabric sellers in the streets offering YOU a special deal. I LOVED it! |
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Kathmandu has very few street signs, so it took me a while to be able to find my way around. I got lost several times, but getting lost is actually a great way to see the smaller and less touristy parts of Kathmandu. This is when you discover beautiful houses with incredible wood carvings on doors and windows, meet people who are less hurried, and find the explosion in colors from flowers, buildings, people, and their clothing. After hours of exploring Kathmandu, it was wonderful to return to the Malla Hotel and sit in its peaceful, beautiful garden drinking a glass of papaya juice and trying to comprehend it all.
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For me no image is more strongly identified with Nepal than the one of stupas and the pair of eyes representing the all-seeing nature of the Buddha. You'll see stupas all over as you travel through the country, but the most impressive stupa is without doubt Bodhnath just outside Kathmandu. Besides being the largest stupa in Nepal, Bodhnath is also the religious center for Nepal's considerable Tibetan population. The symbolism of all the elements in the stupa is fascinating to me and the more I learn (and trust me…there's a lot to learn) about the Buddhist culture and religion, the more I'm intrigued by it. As I walked clockwise around the stupa, spinning prayer wheels, it was as if the powerful eyes followed me all the way. It made a very strong emotional impact on me.
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| I couldn't wait to leave Kathmandu behind and fly to the mountains. On the other hand, when I saw the tiny Yeti plane and sat down - daypack in lap and two large, noise-reducing cotton balls sticking out of my ears, I had a few second thoughts. But thrill quickly replaced fear. On the 45-minute plane ride we flew very close to mountains and hillsides, and approaching Lukla we could see a strangely man-made line on the side of a mountain out of the pilot's cockpit. Our landing strip: 1476 feet long…not wide! Nestled between two gigantic mountains, balancing on the edge of a cliff, the whole landing strip is on a slope that would probably have me get off my bike at home and push it instead of riding it! The purpose of the runway's incline quickly became clear - without it the plane would not be able to stop before colliding with the mountain! |
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For more information and reservations, please contact:
Mountain Travel Sobek
1266 66th Street, Suite 4
Emeryville, CA 94608 USA
Toll Free (USA and Canada): 1-888-831-7526
Phone: +1-510-594-6000
Fax: + 1-510-594-6001
Email: info@mtsobek.com
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