I Think I'm Going to Kathmandu

With all due respect to singer Bob Seger, it's easy said than done getting to Kathmandu, Nepal. 

On April 19, I walked my kids to school, went out to lunch with my wife and then loaded up my bags for the ride to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.  It was difficult to believe that the departure date had finally arrived, but I felt about as prepared for it as I thought I could be, and knew that the next three weeks would be an adventure.

With Nepal almost opposite of Minnesota on the globe, I had the option of flying east or west. Given the choice, I elected to go west and the first leg to Los Angeles was pretty uneventful. After grabbing my bags at LA and checking in with Thai Air, I ate a late dinner with most of the other travellers in the international terminal, courtesy of McDonald's, and got to my gate in plenty of time. We eventually got loaded up at about 11 p.m .and my second leg took off on time: a 17-hour, 8,300-mile flight across the Pacific to Bangkok, Thailand. 

I don't sleep well on planes, but the time went surprisingly fast. The food and service was good, and I enjoyed the extra room of being in Economy Plus (definitely worth a little extra money). I made the time disappear by watching three movies, reading a book, doing some crossword puzzles and playing some games on the entertainment system. Because of the peculiarities of crossing the International Date Line during the night, we somehow lost a day and landed in Bangkok early on the morning of April 21.

It was foggy in Bangkok, so I didn't see much upon landing. It was great to get off the plane and walk around the airport during the three-hour layover before my final leg to Kathmandu. I got a bite to eat, did some people watching and jotted some notes in my paper-and-pencil journal.

The three-hour flight to Kathmandu departed on time and was nice. I got a window seat and got to see the terrain turn from flat plains to mountain ridges. Once we got close to Kathmandu, situated in a valley in the southern foothills of the Himalayas, we got some exciting turbulence. My first views of the city were terraced farmlands, brick factories, and dense areas of colorful buildings. The landing was fine and I reset my watch to Nepali time - oddly enough, five hours and 45 minutes ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (London).

Item four through five on the customs form states that one can import only one tricycle and that it must be for personal use only.  After going through customs, paying $25 for a visa, and declaring that I had no tricycle, I walked out and got my two duffel bags. Walking out into the airport parking lot, I was bombarded with sounds, sights and smells that were almost overwhelming. I saw a man with a sign for my trekking group and followed him to a small van that had dents and scrapes on every surface - not a good testimony for the Kathmandu traffic. I jumped in and met a couple of my fellow trekkers that had arrived just before me - a lady from Arizona and a gentleman from Germany.

I was proud that I only closed my eyes twice (when collision appeared imminent) during the 30-minute drive the the trekking office. We checked in and I signed an authorization on my credit card for up to $20,000 in case of the need for a mountain rescue (not cheap, but my special trip insurance would supposedly cover it if needed). We then walked a block down the street and checked into the Kohinoor Hotel, a certified one-star establishment charging only $12/night. Since Kathmandu has blackouts for 14 hours a day, there was no electricity, so I opened my fourth floor windows and got a nice afternoon breeze. The bathroom was a bit primitive and lacked hot water, but at least there was running water and a flush toilet.

I met our guide, Raj, and he checked out my bags and equipment in the late afternoon. Being a former Army officer, I had my stuff squared away and very well organized, so I passed Raj's inspection. All of us trekkers then met in the lobby at 7 p.m. and walked through the busy alleys of the Thamel district to a Thai restaurant. The food was good and it was a great start on meeting and learning about each other. We walked back to the hotel and I got to bed by 10 p.m., hoping that the jetlag wouldn't be too bad.

Up next: The briefing for the trek and a flight over the Himalayas to the ancient city of Lhasa, Tibet (former home of the Dalai Lama).

Download the movie