Journey North to Kathmandu...

 I arrived in Mumbai, scratched and a little bruised. I arrived at 5 am, and tried three cashpoints before negotiating with an autorickshaw to take me the Navi Mumbai    for INR 800. I saw a rat the size of a cat scrunching down to eat bird food left in front of a temple or  By the time we had crossed the river from the main Mumbai peninsular to Navi Mumbai peninsula, the price had risen to INR 1500.  I asked him to be quiet .  the hotel was fine, I was given Room 102.  I couldn't get onto the balcony.  I went to the roof terrace , which was nice, but the pool was closed, it being winter.  

I left Mumbai again on Monday evening by taxi to Mumbai central.  it was calm and air conditioned.  I got on the Golden Temple express to Amritsar via Kola and New Delhi.  With a police escort , we left at 18:45 promptly.  I ate my Mumbai snacks, I'm still eating them here in Kathmandu, Nepal actually!

I went to sleep at 9 am and was woken at 7 am promptly by woman calling to her excited family that  "We're  ARRIVING IN KOLA"! .  They moved me to a private cabin for the interminable 5 hour ride into New Delhi.  I t went pretty quickly with important tasks like eyebrow trimming, nail filing, plaiting the strands of my shawl...

We arrived in New Delhi gone 2 pm, and I wen tot the pre-paid Rickshaw stand where a bawl ensued outside.  I paid my INR ₹150.  The quiet guy took me as afar as the gate of my 5 star Metropolitan Hotel and Spa, where a kerfuffle ensued as to who was going to carry my 15kg pack to the X-Ray machine (sign of a high class establishment).  Inside this grand old art deco reception, the check-in staff, quickly dispatched me to my room, 521.  Pool is closed due to Govt Covid regulations, I was told.  After booking my Covid test for 8am next morning at the hotel,  I chilled for the rest of the afternoon, doing yoga, chanting, writing my diary.  

I slept well on the super comfortable bed, and woke at 7 am, did my yoga a nd meditation, and went downstAIRS FOR 8 AM,  when a worried plasmologist called.  The door staff gave him directions to the Metropolitan hotel.  He took my swab in pristine moves.  I ate my breakfast of fresh fruit, black coffee and aloo paratha.  Absolutely no Delhi belly in Delhi, which I put down to  strict vegetarian diet, and better washing of hands.  I like the little basins that are front stage in all restaurants in India.  In fact, its gross not to wash your hands before you eat food.  Wherever you are! 

I pack up my backpack, check out, and get in a taxi to Indira Gandhi airport.  I go to Air NEpa check-in, but without the negative PCR test result they can't check me in.  I go and spend the rest of the morning in the seating area by the large windows.  at 13:00 I ask to try to check-in, they try to retrieve my PCR test, but it's not ready.   They turn their backs when I ask to rebook for tomorrow's flight.  It costs me £154 to change the day.  I email my hotel in Kathmandu, and I try to rebook the Metropolitan  on-line in the airport wifi.  I get a taxi returning to Delhi for INR500, and rock up at the Metropolitan, 24H after I first arrived.  I try to check-in, but the booking hasn't gone through on the airport wifi.  I rebook using Agoda, on the hotel's wifi.  It saves me practically nothing with their Tata hotels website.  I get Room 526 which is the mirror opposite.  I take a trip out to  Connaught Circus, being underwhelmed, and getting slightly lost on the circle of circle of roads that is Connaught circus. I eat in an expensive Chinese, and pack half up.  I admire the beautiful new Gurdu whara Sikh temple on my way home. 

 

 I sleep well, and next morning I wake, and I have the negative PCR result.  I go down for breakfast of aloo paratha, pickle, fresh fruits and black coffee.  I love masks!  Nobody can smell my breath in the lift, I pack up, go down, and check out, and get a taxi to Indira Gandhi airport for the second time in 24 hours.  I won't miss you Delhi.  Better, than Mumbai, just. I check in with digital documents,a nd say goodbye  to my purple pack with yellow and green yoga mat strapped to the side.  I go though formalities, and head upstairs to peaceful Food court area.  Why do they always think we will want MaccyD's or a belly full of fried chicken (KFC) at 10 am?  I opt for Pure Veg Iddly with sauce and coconut sambal from iddly.com I scoff the lot.  I head for my gate half an hour before and get on to Air Nepal, in a quiet orderly way.  We're an hour ten late setting off for our 1 hour ten minute flight to the capital of the Hindu Himalayan Kingdom of Nepal, Kathmandu.  

I'm the last through immigration, and my card payment for the $51 entrance visa does not go through.  They try to sit me in a room.  I spot my purple rucksack, with green and yellow yoga mat, still attached, on the floor next to the carousel downstairs.  I lug it back up stairs,  and the kindly airport guard  agrees to keep an eye on it for me, whilst I am processed by Nepali immigration. they think i was absconding without a stamp or a visa in my passport.  As my card payment has failed, one of the border police takes me through security two more times to take me to the chaotic domestic terminal , where I am pleased I have a police man guarding the door for me, even if he is shorter than I am. We go back to International arrivals. I pay Nepalese Rupiah 6000, geta peace of white paper, which gives me a handwritten visa into the Kingdom of NEpal.  I walk down the ramp to arrivals, and unbelievably my taxi driver is stillw aiting for me, and we try to rush through Kathmandu's  evening rush hour traffic to Rest up hostel in the noisy, old town.  The Restup team are welcoming, and I dump my bags and go and eat Chinese down the road, and drink a beer.  And two soups, as the noodles here are usually served in steaming bowls of soup also.  I eat all the lovely tofu.  

i go to bed early, sleep well, and wake at 7 am, to get a flask of hot water to make coffee in my room, before I head out to perform whatever tasks I have to run in Kathmandu: trip to the bank; trip to phone shop to Nepalese SIM; trip  to Indian visa consular times two; trip to hiking shop.  

I spend the next days exploring the maze that is Kathmandu.  How to describe Kathmandu?  It's utterly bonkers!  There is a warren of one way streets that circles out from the centre like a snail.  At every intersection there are places of worship:  a buddhist temple, an Hindu temple,

a buddhist shrine, a Hindu shrine ... The coffee in the coffee shops is very good, and I have found a few places at height to sketch:  the Himalayan Java Cafe has a great view for sketching the Kings Palace : 

I spend one afternoon hiking through the market lined streets of Kathmandu , until I come across Durbar square.  I'm quickly escorted to  the ticket booth , where I have to pay NR 1000 (about Euro 8) to enter.  I quickly step out of  the  controlled area, and look for a place to sketch  the UNESCO Heritage site from height.  I find Mandala bar, a newly opened rooftop terrace, restaurant and they show me to the top floor, where I spend an hour sketching the Hindu temples, which with the help of China Aid is reconstructing the temples, from the damage caused by the 2015 earthquake.  I spend a couple of hours looking for another roof top cafe to sketch in, when I plump to hang out with the young wealthy Nepalese at Durbar view where I eat hot and sour soup , fries, and drink Ghorka beer.  

I spend the weekend eating Mommos for breakfast, with black coffee, sketching, and then looking for somewhere else with a nice view to sketch. I can see the Monkey temple in the morning light, and in the evening sunset from the roof terrace of my hostel Restup, Kathmandu.   I set out walking for the mystical Monkey temple, along Monkey temple road.  Google tells me it's 8 minutes.  I have been walking for 38 minutes.  I find Nirvana cafe with a lovely rooftop terrace, and I sketch Monkey temple from a bit closer.   

It's too cold to sit up on the roof terrace, so I move indoors and order a tasty vegetable kotlet dressed up us a veggie burger.  Teh young chef is doing his apprenticeship at the local catering college.  Everywhere in Kathmandu is a hive of activity, there's building going on everywhere, and every street has a construction site on it, with piles of sand, metal bars, aggregate.  It's pretty hard work walking through the streets of Kathmandu.    

So I decide to take a taxi to the Indian consular at 9am on Monday morning, when I surface after a Nescafe in my room!  I set off in the wrong direction, and the taxi costs NR400 (Euro3) to get me there.  I waive my passport, and they tell me to go to the visa office 40 meters on my left.  In the Visa office, they take mdy photo, fill out the form in an efficient manner and print it all out for me for NR 1000 (Euro 8).  I take my new piece of white paper another 30 meters down the road to the Visa section. I've made it before my appointment at 10 am.    The guard makes me sign in, and then the kindly ladies take hold of my passport and visa application, and tell me that they are very sorry but the indian consular is now closed.   They say to come back tomorrow before 10 am.  I console myself with a long walk, and a late lunch of  Hot and sour soup, and spicy noodle 7 veg soup at the Blueberry Inn, on my street, which is Paknajol Marg.  They're doing good business from occupants of Restup Hostel, as it doesn't have a cafe.  

Nest morning I am up at 7am and having a wet wipe wash, as it's far too cold to bathe in 10℃, I walk out of  REstup and a little along the street jump into a waiting taxi for NR 400 to the Indian Consular, Foreign visa section.  I'm too early.  I comfort myself with a large Illy Americano coffee at local coffee place.  When the guard let's me back in to sign the register, the lady from yesterday comes out to say they won't be able to take my visa application in today,as they have to quarantine for a week...

So I am going trekking.  Not to Base camp (tool cold, was too touristy), not Annapurna range (too long at 14 days), but on my brother, Phil's advice, they planned me a trip to Gorka area, to stay with a local family, and some light trekking.  And then they will transfer me to the Mardi Himal area for a 5 day trek , in sight of the Annapurna range.  With a guide. So now I'm onto    sleeping bags, head torches, boots, socks, gloves, and snacks for the trip.  I'm wondering whether to get my hair washed and blow dried before the 10 day trek through the Gorka region.  The area  that provides some of the best, most loyal soldiers in the World. So on my last afternoon,  I get my hair washed & blow dried at Toni & Guy, Kathmandu in preparation for my visit in the Ghorka region , andb5 days trek in the Mardi Himal, with Views of the Annapurnas.... 

My next blog will be called the Himalayan Kingdom, Nepal. 

Follow me on Insta @mazza_66