Recent events have impacted the beauty of Kathmandu but the exotic remains. The civil unrest in the country has driven hordes of people seeking safety and opportunity into the city greatly overwhelming Kathmandu's capacity to serve its citizens. On approach to the city you descend into smog reminiscent of China and India. The streets are overrun with every form of transportation, usually loaded far beyond capacity - motor scooters carrying four adults with an infant wedged in the middle. Tuk-tuk like vans built for four crammed with twelve. City buses with passengers sitting on the drivers lap. The city is without electricity for fourteen hours each day. The formerly pristine river running through the city known for golden trout is now a sewage ditch lined with trash and destitute migrants.
With all this, the city is still fascinating and wonderful. Nepal is 90% Hindu and the people are gentle with a quick smile and warm greeting even on the bustling, noisy streets.
In typical National Geographic fashion, we were almost immediately posited in the midst of the swarms for intense cultural immersion.
We left this magical place on a charter to Bhutan. A fascinating flight by one of only eight pilots certified to land in Paro, Bhutan. Truly an E ticket ride. More of that in the next blog.
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Location:On Approach to Palau
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