Kathmandu (Part One) and Everest

After a 4:45 a.m. iPhone alarm wake-up, we were delivered to the Delhi airport three hours early for our flight to Nepal. Early? No, we needed nearly the full three hours to go through checks, scans, pat downs and  other inspections. We must have shown our passports eight times. But once on the airplane we had a smooth flight out of the smog and haze of Delhi—into the smog and haze of Kathmandu. We did get our first glimpses of the Himalayas (above the haze) in route.

Our lodging in Kathmandu, The Dwarika’s Hotel, is quite special, carefully built and expanded over the last several decades to use centuries old wood (carved and uncarved) that otherwise would have been used as firewood. The founder of the hotel, Dwarika Das Shrestha, believed that Nepal must preserve its heritage and its culture and chose to start with its physical heritage. Our fifth (top) floor room is quite nice, other than the shower, which is weak and erratic in its flow.

A small red arrow points to our room.

Once settled in, we were taken to observe funeral pyres along Kathmandu’s Bagmati River. Hindus bring their deceased family members for cremation at the point on the banks of the river near the Hindu Shrine at Pashupatinath Temple. There were close to a dozen bodies being prepared for or in the process of being cremated while we were there. Friends and family members were on one side of the river and tourists like ourselves on the other.

Washing the body and preparing the fire. Relatives do the washing; laborers prepare the fire.

As the cremations go on 24-7, one wonders how much of Kathmandu’s haze and pollution comes from the cremations. It take two hours for the cremation to be completed. The ashes are dumped in the river, which eventually flows into the Ganges River.

Our pictures were taken with Hindu Sadhu religious men, an opportunity lubricated by a donation from our guide. While exiting the area I tried to get a picture of another group but they quickly covered their faces as I raised my iPhone.

Dinner that first night was on our own. As a change of pace Frances and I opted to patronize the hotel’s Japanese restaurant. For simplicity we ordered a prix fixe meal. Apparently it’s not just American restaurants that serve more than one can consume.

Once again, we had an early morning wake-up, with a first breakfast at 6:00. It was off to the airport for our trip to view the Himalayas, on Buddha Air. (Hima - Snow, Aliya - House (of) for the curious) 

Only our tour group was on the chartered airplane, so after take-off the 18 of us could  move to any of the 72 or so seats. I had trouble keeping my iPhone from focusing on the window glass, but I got great views and a good picture or two.

Bottom left is Mt. Everest, the leftmost of the two peaks in the center. One the bottom right? I took a picture of the picture we were given for having taken the flight.

We return to the haze of Kathmandu valley.

Our itinerary in Kathmandu is packed, as indeed is the whole trip, so I’ll end this post here. Indeed, after our second breakfast we were off on an extensive walking tour of the city.