Kathmandu - Week 1 (or so)

(My apologies for the delay on the first post. I just got internet access at the Shedra on Monday morning. We’ve been here a little over a week now, and I found that once I started writing, there was a lot to say.)

Well, we’ve been here just about a week. We arrived last Friday night. Getting through customs and getting our visas was a surprisingly easy process. Claudia, from school, met us at the airport with a driver, which was great, because as soon as we stepped outside, we were bombarded with at least two dozen people asking us if we needed a taxi. It was dark and raining when we arrived, so after a brief and rather disorienting drive, we arrived at our new place. Flashlight in hand, Claudia opened the gate for us and we walked down a narrow concrete walkway past the garden and up the steps to our flat. Luckily when we arrived there was still power, so we were able to turn on the lights and have a look around. The didi (housekeeper) had a meal waiting for us, rice, dal, and paneer and potato curry. We heated up the food after unpacking and unwinding for an hour or so and ate. The food tasted good, and we went to bed and tried to sleep.

We all woke up sick. What a way to start our year in Nepal! The first few days were rough, what with dealing with food poisoning and jet lag. We barely ate anything for several days, and slept a lot. By Monday, we were feeling better. I must say that Leela has dealt with this transition way better than either Dave or myself.

On Monday we met our Didi, Yashoda (the “Ya” is pronounced like the e in bed). Her English is limited, but we manage to communicate. She does all the cleaning and laundry, as well as some cooking, shopping or whatever else we need her to do. She comes Monday-Friday, although we may cut back to 3 days/week once we get into more of a routine, I don’t know. How can we afford such a luxury? Her salary is less than $50/month. Leela is fascinated with her, and they seem to like each other. I’m not ready to leave Leela alone with her yet, but I may use her for babysitting eventually, we’ll see.

Monday we went out to lunch in Boudha, to a place called the Garden Café. The food was good (the first real meal I had since Friday), and the place was clean. I didn’t manage to do too much the rest of the week, except a couple of shopping forays, but just the little bit of walking around we did do was good to get a lay of the land. I feel like I know my way around our little part of Boudha well now.

On Saturday we met the Rinpoche at the Gompa (monastery) where the Rangjung Yeshe Institute is located. He was very nice, and gave me a booklet on the Dharma. We then went to a teaching by the Rinpoche (he does a weekly lecture for Westerners when he’s in town), which was very interesting. He spoke through a translator for the most part, but was very engaging.

Sunday we went to check out Swayambunath, and then to a luncheon thrown by a couple of Carleton alumni that Dave was referred to by his old advisor. This was the first time for us taking a taxi, and the ride over to Swayambunath was relatively easy, requiring very little bartering.

This was our first time on the Ring Road, which surrounds Central Kathmandu. It is a crazy jumble of pedestrians, bicycles, motorbikes, cars, trucks, busses, etc. Our taxi driver swerved in an out of traffic with an incredible combination of skill, recklessness abandon, and sheer luck! Imagine an 8-lane highway squeezed into the width of a 2 lane highway, with no middle line, and cars swerving over the line and back in with motorbikes weaving in between. It is INSANE.

Swayambunath is a complex of shrines, sculptures, and temples, set up on a hill on the other side of Kathmandu. In the center and top of the hill is a large stupa, similar to the one here in Boudha. To get up to the stupa, you climb an incredibly long and steep stair. I had Leela on my back, and it was a serious challenge! It was really very beautiful, if a bit touristy, and we’ll definitely go back when we have more time to spend. As it was, we only had about an hour to explore before we had to head to the luncheon.

The house we were going to wasn’t far, about a kilometer or so, but after climbing that stair and walking around all morning, I was in favor of driving rather than walking. Our first taxi driver wanted to charge us more than half of what we paid to get to Swayambu. The next taxi driver wanted to charge us even more! We kept walking to find another taxi, and finally found one that seemed willing to go on the meter. However, once we got in the taxi, the meter went up 10 rupees every several meters! Then the guy took the wrong street. At this point we got out of the taxi, got directions from a helpful shopkeeper, and walked the rest of the way, another 10 minutes.

Now, of the couple whose home we visited, one is a writer, and the other is a very high-level executive with one of the foreign aid agencies here. They live in a beautiful home in a gated community, complete with guard, driver, gardener, and several housekeepers. They had a beautiful view of the surrounding valley and the nearby stupa. The other guests were also in high-level positions at other agencies, and I sort of felt out of place among them, although everyone was very friendly. We were certainly the only ones that arrived on foot! One couple there also had a seven-month old, but unlike us, they brought along their governess, so I didn’t see much of their baby. Dave and I, on the other hand, had our hands full with Leela, while trying to eat and converse with the other guests. It was a very interesting experience, a glimpse of how it could be VERY easy to live in Kathmandu. I think if I lived where they lived, I wouldn’t even ever want (or need) to leave home. A driver alone would be priceless, especially after our experience haggling with taxi drivers!

Tonight I am planning on going to a "Ladies Night" to meet some other mothers in Kathmandu. I'm a little nervous about traveling around by myself at night and having to deal with taxis. Hopefully all goes well!

The Adventure Finally Begins!

At long last we are on our way to Kathmandu!  After a 2 hour drive to the airport, and a 13 hour plane ride, we have arrived in Abu Dhabi and are hanging out in the hotel.  The flight was actually only 13 hours (only!) instead of the 15 I thought it would be, but it was still long.  Leela did great! A few very brief spells of fussiness, but otherwise great.  She slept and nursed well, and even Dave and I managed to get some sleep.

When we arrived in Abu Dhabi, the sun had already gone down.  I never like arriving in a new place when it's dark.  It's impossible to get a lay of the land, and I like to see where I am relative to my surroundings and, of course, to see the scenery!  I'm looking forward to the sunrise, which should be in a few hours.  Because Leela is still on her EDT schedule, we're not quite wide awake with her at 3 AM.

In less than 24 hours, we will finally arrive at our destination!  I hope Leela is as good on the second flight as she was on the first one.  She'd better get used to it, because there are many more in her future!

Crunch Time!

Well, it's coming down to the wire now, and we're both excited and (at least for my part) nervous.  We have exactly one week to go before our departure.  We successfully moved out of our apartment last week, and are now busy with last minute shopping, packing, and preparing for our journey.

Having never flown with a 7-month old before, I'm starting to get nervous.  Some people have told me it will be ok, and that most people are understanding of people with children; others have told me it will be intense and difficult.  Now that she has started crawling and pulling up to standing, that's all she wants to do.  Trying to get her to stay still in her - make that my - seat sounds like an exercise in futility.

If any parents are reading this, I'd love to hear about your travel experiences - good or bad.