First impressions of Nepal

My first impressions of Nepal are mixed. It isn’t my first trip overseas, but it’s the first time I have picked up my life and moved to another country. The journey was delayed due to the civil war. Luckily, both parties signed a peace treaty for 3 months and I was on my way as one of the first tourists to arrive in the country since the war began.

My first diary entry reads: “I hate it here. There’s no hot water, and we nearly had at least ten accidents on the way from the airport to my hotel”.

My second entry reads: “It’s my second day in Nepal and I’m loving it”.

First days

It’s pretty easy to fall in love with Nepal. The people are so friendly, and as you walk through town, the glimpses of snow on the Himalayas take you to another world. The different tones and pace of the Nepali language make you feel fair and square in the middle of South Asia.

The first two weeks go by in a haze. It’s incredible how quickly you can adapt to something so different.

Surprisingly, my immune system is coping well. All those sand pies and dirt desserts I had as a child must have had a positive effect.

I’m also learning to live in a country where English is not the first language. The hotel staff have taught me namaste (hello) and ali ali (a little), and my Nepali lessons are coming along nicely. Most importantly, I can now order tea and coffee without sugar. Why do all Nepali tea and coffees come with three sugars by default?

My home

I met my host mother, Shanti, on the flight from Bangkok. While I’m in Nepal, I’ll be staying with her and her family. I’ll live with her husband, Prakesh, their two children and a housemaid.

My bedroom is upstairs on the fourth floor, and while it comes with its own “ensuite,” the term is slightly exaggerated! It’s a small room with a squat toilet and a bucket for a shower.

Traditional dress

My first foray into town is to buy a Kurta. The Kurta is the traditional dress in Central, West and South Asia. It consists of a long tunic (top), pants and scarf. As you can see below, mine is a beautiful light blue.

We shopped in the Nepali section of town, avoiding the touristy section of Thamel. It is a sight to behold – the way cars, bikes and rickshaws dodge each other is mind-blowing. And you can buy everything you can think of from stalls on the side of the street—fruit, vegetables, kitchenware, earthenware and incense. People carry their purchases home, whatever they may be. I’ve even seen a refrigerator on the back of a motorcycle ridden by a man, his wife and their two children.

First trips

Over the first two weeks, we’ve visited most of Kathmandu’s tourist sites. The main sites reflect the region’s religious importance, with both Hindu and Buddhist sites across town.

Religious sites

The oldest and holiest Hindu temple in Kathmandu, Pashupatinath, honours the Hindu god Shiva as the protector of animals. The temple (in gold below) and its grounds are so sacred that only Hindus are allowed in. The entire complex has over 500 temples, shrines and cremation sites. Many local families come here to cremate their loved ones and release their spirits back into the world.

The monkey temple (Swayambhunath) is the most sacred pilgrimage site for Newar Buddhists and is respected by both Buddhists and Hindus. The monkeys in the temple are holy. Manjushri, the bodhisattva of wisdom and learning, grew his hair long and got head lice, which transformed into monkeys.

My favourite site, Boudhanath, is Tibetan Buddhists’ most sacred pilgrimage site. The Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo built the stupa because he was sorry for accidentally killing his father. It represents Buddha’s path towards enlightenment. The plinth represents earth, the dome represents water, the tower represents fire, the spire represents air, and the umbrella represents the void beyond space. The spire’s 13 levels represent the stages a human being must pass through to achieve nirvana*.

*Nirvana here does not mean the US band. It is the Buddhist goal to extinguish passion.

Durbar (Royal) Squares

Nepal was home to several independent kingdoms. Three of the most famous kingdoms built royal squares in the regions now known as Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur. Each of the royal squares (Durbar squares) contains a variety of ancient temples and other structures. In Kathmandu, the first of the temples was built in the 3rd century, with different structures added in later periods.

The squares are loud and always full of locals, who often sit around the base of the temples with friends and families. The layout of each square is haphazard, adding to the chaos. You could spend hours here exploring the different temples and people-watching.

See my posts about Patan and Bhaktapur for more on the other royal squares.