 |
Arrival at Kathmandu: Tuesday, 28/4/98
|
|
|
Arrival at Kathmandu: Tuesday, 28/4/98
|
|
The Monkey Temple at Swayambunath, just outside Kathmandu |
• What a shock on arrival. As I go out of the airport building, a heaving mass of people press against the rather insubstantial barrier opposite me and compete with each other to carry bags, offer taxis, hotels etc. As the first to be processed through customs and immigration I am the only show in town at the moment. • Everyone waves at me and creeps closer, like a pack of feral dogs gaining courage from their numbers. • But there is no Terra Firma sign to be seen. What do I do? Do I wait, or get a taxi into town? And where would I go anyway? • Wait a moment, I remember that our hotel was called the Hotel Shree Tibet. Great, there is a sign for that hotel. I take a chance and acknowledge that sign. |
Boy, was that a mistake! It was a signal for a free-for-all. Bodies descend upon me from every direction. The hand-baggage is grabbed from the front by someone whom I think is from the hotel, but simultaneously my suitcase is whipped out of my hand and fought over like Patrocles’ body in the Iliad. I haven’t been in this place two minutes but now I’ve lost both bags in different directions…
The police, guards etc just look on indulgently. I try to catch up with my suitcase. Thankfully the bags both find their way to the taxi. Of course I have no Nepali money because I was going to be met at the airport. They accept English money, but the whole thing costs me a tenner because that is the smallest English money I have. (That would probably have paid a porter’s wages for a whole week. I have probably lost all my possessions and single-handedly unbalanced the whole Nepali economy in one fell swoop).
|
I am dying to get started. But there is admin to be done, such as getting trekking permits. This will take a couple of days, so I may as well enjoy dusty Kathmandu. |
 |
Forward to: 
Bhaktapur, city of temples
