I Think I’m Going to Kathmandu

I think I'm going to Kathmandu 

That's really, really where I'm going to 

If I ever get out of here 

That's what I'm gonna do…*

Welcome from Kathmandu in 2075. Nepal is 56 years and 15 minutes ahead of India. That’s a helluva time zone shift.

Immigration control coming from India to Nepal was interesting. We had to go to the foreign immigration office to get stamped out of India then were waved out of the vehicles at the border to be logged and photographed. I was foreigner #1 to cross at our little dogfuck border crossing today, or maybe this week. I smiled for the official photo which pleased the border guard greatly. Then we threw Nepal immigration in a tizzy. They were not used to foreigners with Nepal visas and everyone had to gather round and look at our passports and debate their thoughts on their validity. Because we all have the same visas they decided to give us arrival cards to fill out and to stamp our passports for entry.

The airport was a little building in a field. When we arrived it was closed so we had to sit and wait for the staff to show up and open the airport. We checked our baggage and then went through security screening. The young woman in the women’s screening area was very curious about what the foreigners had in their bags. She even asked C if her granola bar tasted good. You know, the usual security questions.

The waiting area was austere with metal seating and ads for food that was not for sale. There was a water cooler for refreshments. This wouldn’t have mattered, except there was a storm and our flight was delayed. The room grew warmer and smelled more and more of urine. 

The airfield looked like a farmer’s field. I half expected our Buddha Air plane to come with a cow catcher. Our prop plane eventually landed and we boarded. The propellers were winding up and suddenly they were winding down. Then off. The pilot walked down the aisle and off the plane, which did not bode well for a timely take off. It had been thundering and lightning all morning and he was not flying in it. The flight attendants kindly handed out water and peanuts while we all writhed in our tight, airless seats. After a lengthy period he strode back aboard, ready to fly. Finally we were off the ground and surrounded by lightning. The little plane was buffeted all around and nervous fliers were closing their eyes and praying. I was regretting having recently watched a tv episode featuring a plane crashing during a storm. All aboard died in the show but we were luckier. 

After about half an hour the landscape became visible, and what a landscape it was. Mountains, clouds, tremendous whitecaps in the distance, teeny villages all spread out below us. It was breathtakingly spectacular. This was our real welcome to Nepal.

*lyrics by Bob Seger