So after moving home the day before, I had a 5 am pickup to take me to the airport for an 8 am flight to Katmandu via Kunming. Both flights were pretty uneventful, both around the 3-hour mark with a few hours layover in Kunming, where I had the delightful choice of a Muslim or non-Muslim hamburger, basically, the non-Muslim one had bacon, ie in your local McDonalds, this would be called a double bacon cheeseburger, although it is debatable if a McDonalds hamburger has any real meat in it at all.
The approach to Katmandu International Airport is pretty spectacular, at around 1300 metres above sea level we fly between lush green mountains with hillside homes, to land on a wet runway. There are no airbridges so we wait to disembark and get on a coach that takes us less than 50 yards. The Chinese burst out laughing, for once there is something more unbelievable than a Chinese airport.
Immigration, Visa issue and payment quick and then we got into over an hour wait for the baggage. Oh, my word! The baggage conveyor belt resembled something out of the Generation Game, it was filled with various sizes of flat screen TVs, all being collected by the local Nepalese whom it would appear that the only reason they went away was to purchase a flat-screen TV…. well the late great Brucie would have certainly said “didn’t they do well?” because at this moment in time, this room had more TV’s than your local branch of Dixons.
After a good hour wait, my lift to the hotel finally arrives. Driving through Katmandu there was a total absence of motor vehicles, on enquiring with the driver it appears that the whole of Nepal are on a three-day festival where everyone leaves the city and goes back to their home village. Well, at least this meant a quick transfer to the hotel, a very nice period place called The Inn at Patan http://theinnpatan.com located near Durbar Square. A quick coffee and to unpack shower and woah … even at my 5’7″ I nearly hit the ceiling and had to duck to get into the room, no wonder the bed was on the floor.
So after a shower, I started to meet the rest of the group, in total there are 6 French, another will arrive tomorrow, and three Brits, including me. Peter and Mark from “up north” so at least I have someone to talk to in my own language.
I decided to join them in a beer and after we went into Durbar Square in order to liberate some cash from an ATM.
On route we saw large crowds in what can only be described as an inner courtyard to a large historical building, not being one to pass up the opportunity of being nosey we went in. There were crowds around young calves taking photos and making a lot of noise. On the other side of the square, there was a doorway, it was the entrance to a small room, which was a temple, outside there was red paint everywhere … well, I thought it was until Mark said “heck that’s blood, you can smell it” 10 meters away was a woman with a clever the size of Mike Tysons arm hacking at a calf with no head !!! We had entered into some ritual sacrifice, not wanting to hang around I legged it.
Money was liberated, then dinner was consumed along with a few Everest Beers and a good time was had by all. An early night ready for an 8 am breakfast and ride out at 9 am.