It's not as if this hasn't been done before. The road to Kathmandu is not exactly the road less-traveled. Travelers have been making their way here for centuries, and I'm at least five decades behind the hippie 60s, so don't expect National Geographic type of groundbreaking reporting here. It's just me, my wife, and my kids having fun, making friends, and exploring this amazing place. I hope you'll keep reading...
Our arrival on a rainy Friday evening should have been more auspicious. We were bumped from an earlier flight, non-voluntarily, so we arrived tired, hungry, and in no mood for the monsoon. The drive from the airport to our home was dark and damp, not much to see along the way except a few unfortunate individuals walking in the rain without an umbrella. We arrived at our house anxious to see the inside. The kids ran through each bedroom, each staking their claims, and all I really wanted was a shower.
Saturday was a drowsy blur. We slept and ate, and slept a little more, but mostly at odd hours. I tried to unpack, but didn't make it beyond a few items of clothing to wear that day. But we discovered our roof, that is, the terrace on our roof: a tiled patio that sits on top of our house with wonderful views of our neighbors. The rain kept us from lingering longer, so we returned back down to our beds.
Sunday morning, just before sunrise, I went up to the roof again. It was a clear morning, with a full moon dangling down, and the views were breathtaking. And then I had one of those moments. A moment of pure happiness that comes to those who travel, and find an exhilarating sensation of just simply being in a distant land. I smiled, full of gratitude, as I spotted the distant Himalayan peaks just beyond the gorgeous hills and mountains that surround the lively Kathmandu Valley. This was my auspicious arrival.
We spent Sunday mostly in awe, winding our way through the busy streets, venturing into Patan, the historic city across the river from Kathmandu. The Patan Durbar Square, filled with temples, shrines, goddesses, and birds, is one of the highlights of Nepal. It is a palace complex dating back to the 1600s, now open to the public with an excellent museum exhibiting precious artifacts and photographs. It's not too different now than it was 400 years ago. Truly a stunning sight.
Monday morning came a bit early; we were all up around 3:30am, wide awake. I went to work, and the kids went to summer camp, so we at least had some activities to keep us going. My first day at the Embassy was fantastic. It's a brand new building, only 3 years old, beautiful architecture outside and tastefully designed on the inside. My colleagues were warm and welcoming, and I knew almost instantly that I would love my job here in Kathmandu. The next few days passed quickly, with lots of meetings and paperwork to be done. I have been walking to and from work each day, taking in the sights, sounds, and smog of Ring Road, a major thoroughfare. Slowly we are becoming settled, and I can tell already that Nepal is making its way under my skin.
Our arrival on a rainy Friday evening should have been more auspicious. We were bumped from an earlier flight, non-voluntarily, so we arrived tired, hungry, and in no mood for the monsoon. The drive from the airport to our home was dark and damp, not much to see along the way except a few unfortunate individuals walking in the rain without an umbrella. We arrived at our house anxious to see the inside. The kids ran through each bedroom, each staking their claims, and all I really wanted was a shower.
Saturday was a drowsy blur. We slept and ate, and slept a little more, but mostly at odd hours. I tried to unpack, but didn't make it beyond a few items of clothing to wear that day. But we discovered our roof, that is, the terrace on our roof: a tiled patio that sits on top of our house with wonderful views of our neighbors. The rain kept us from lingering longer, so we returned back down to our beds.
Sunday morning, just before sunrise, I went up to the roof again. It was a clear morning, with a full moon dangling down, and the views were breathtaking. And then I had one of those moments. A moment of pure happiness that comes to those who travel, and find an exhilarating sensation of just simply being in a distant land. I smiled, full of gratitude, as I spotted the distant Himalayan peaks just beyond the gorgeous hills and mountains that surround the lively Kathmandu Valley. This was my auspicious arrival.
We spent Sunday mostly in awe, winding our way through the busy streets, venturing into Patan, the historic city across the river from Kathmandu. The Patan Durbar Square, filled with temples, shrines, goddesses, and birds, is one of the highlights of Nepal. It is a palace complex dating back to the 1600s, now open to the public with an excellent museum exhibiting precious artifacts and photographs. It's not too different now than it was 400 years ago. Truly a stunning sight.
Monday morning came a bit early; we were all up around 3:30am, wide awake. I went to work, and the kids went to summer camp, so we at least had some activities to keep us going. My first day at the Embassy was fantastic. It's a brand new building, only 3 years old, beautiful architecture outside and tastefully designed on the inside. My colleagues were warm and welcoming, and I knew almost instantly that I would love my job here in Kathmandu. The next few days passed quickly, with lots of meetings and paperwork to be done. I have been walking to and from work each day, taking in the sights, sounds, and smog of Ring Road, a major thoroughfare. Slowly we are becoming settled, and I can tell already that Nepal is making its way under my skin.
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