Kathmandu!

Well there are two options for going from Pokhara to kathmandu.  The first is to fly. A bit more expensive but about a 20 minute flight.  The second is a bus in varying states of mechanical distress.  I chose option 2 as a way to see the "sights"!  

This was my chariot for 8 hours...

The distance by road is approximately 100 miles and it took all of 8 hours...check that off of the bucket list of things I never have to do again. 

Always interesting people though.  I sat next to a really nice guy from Belgium who quit his job and hitchhiked from Belgium to Nepal over the course of 6 months and was trekking in Nepal.  Nice guys with lots of good stories.  His best quote "bad ideas usually result in great stories."  So true.

This bus was palatial compared to many others

So back in Kathmandu the chaos never rests and you are immediately thrown right back into a dizzying amount of pollution, animals, vehicles etc.  There are no stop lights, no traffic circles etc.  at main intersections, cars just sort of go in a well choreographed zipper like dance.  As a non local you swear your going to hit something or someone but rarely have I seen it happen.  Although it is interesting to note that 40% of all traffic fatalities in Nepal are accidents involving pedestrians.  Look both ways and remember they drive on the opposite side as we do in the US.

The festival of Dasain had just finished a week prior and the day I flew out was the first of the 5 day Tihar festival which is a celebration of animals and family.  The whole city lights up with what we would call Christmas lights which is really cool.

I spent my last day and half visiting some temples, and doing some last minute shopping and just taking it all in.

An awesome guy in the Thamel touristy area that actually remembered me from last year and asked where the travel monkey was!

Durbar square.

Powder colors for celebrating the festival.

An alter space built into a very old tree.

The monkey temple with a great, albeit smoggy, view over the city.

Antique bikes turned mobile fresh produce store.  They are all over and some even make smoothies.

Next: the journey home.

Homeward bound

So the trip back retraces the same steps as the way to Nepal.  I headed the airport at 8:00pm for my 11:30 flight.  Last time it took over 2 hours to clear Nepal immigration and exit stuff.  This time it took all of about 10 minutes.  Go figure.

Just cleared security.  

Kathmandu airport has all the charm of a World War II pow camp.

Shared part of my sandwich with this hungry feline at the gate prior to boarding.  Never a dull moment in Nepal

 So after a 6 hour flight to Doha from Kathmandu, a six hour layover in Doha, a 15 hour flight from Doha to Chicago, a 2 hour layover, and a 90 minute flight to Minneapolis I was home at 6:30pm on Saturday night!  

777 from Doha to Chicago. 

Can't even explain how good it felt to be back and hug Cathy and the girls.  It's amazing to go to far away places but even better to come back to the cherished ones.

Thank you for reading the blog.  I had fun writing it.