Nepal 2004: A-Kathmandu, direction city (1)

a-1

Afternoon sansidianzhong, I finally went to the old town in Kathmandu, leading to the Palace square Durbar Square alley.

Small backpack is a bottle of water and two travel book, English is the moon travel handbook, the Chinese version of insight is Taiwan; purse is a digital camera and passport, airline tickets and part cash, waist also hung up visor.

This is a Saturday, and I should have just arrived on Friday.

Thailand Air planes, from Singapore via Bangkok to Kathmandu, you need the whole morning, about seven to twelve thirty, are not two hours and 15 minutes of time difference. While the previous day, Friday morning, Thai Airways aircraft was a greeting is not playing, thirty minutes ahead of schedule and flew away from Singapore. I am in the morning carrying luggage at Changi airport check in counter, almost could not believe that the "miss the plane" accident such low-level cliche should really happen in himself, and irreversible, since the transfer time is very short, although from Singapore to Bangkok there are numerous flights, but any flights have received no subsequent from Bangkok to Kathmandu in that paragraph. I stood there, spend a few minutes to accept this fact. Nonstop, after a first-come-first-shenton way Singapore office immediately to Thai Airways offers two seats on the plane the next day (maybe they were wrong, was "full" for Saturday flights fly Kathmandu and gave me a ticket; it may simply be a ticket to), and ran to buy air ticket confirmation of travel agencies, and accommodating, the back to work. The next morning, and carry the same luggage, earlier, finally set foot on a plane.

Thai Airways aircraft already take many times, in addition to the stewardess colourful Thailand national costume is random, there are some uncertain factors, and there is no other place where my excitement.

The Bangkok, on the same plane passengers from travelling between the merchant and drop between xintai becomes world's backpack traveller, foreigners, there are Asian. A spirit of full, backpack was bulging, also with a pair of winning significantly. Most of them, around half the Earth, and, like me, just to see the snow, and snow down the ancient magic country.

-A full hour of teams finally got on the Nepal visas free of charge, by the way the top few Taiwan people to travel to a clear, no leakage: they are prepared to take 21 days annapurna big ring road.

International backpackers in not too easy to hear Chinese, occasionally have to Asian face and spit-out is not a Japanese language is Korean, in this case I speak Chinese often cynical, it is estimated that they are now. Kathmandu airport did not so bad in my imagination, brick red wall also very neatly, just because people rarely looks empty. International flight ticket and luggage outlet are fixed-fixed flight airline, very few, in addition to the royal nepal airlines itself, that is, to Bangkok Thai Airways, Qatar airlines of the Middle East and Gulf air, into India and Pakistan in several cities of India and Pakistan airlines, as well as to and from the air in Lhasa. Once upon a time, there are other routes, such as Singapore Airlines, now also cancelled, just keep the blank.

I received a good passport, too late to go to the above new chapter of a visa, to get shipping luggage outlet of a travel bag, shoulder and back, adjusted CAP, plus has been in the back of the carry-on backpack, confirm everything is on me, he strode out of the airport gate.

Should someone to pick up, I'm sure looked at the gate, a few seconds in the crowd to see their own names, written on a sign, and underneath with brand of babu, my email has been contacted multiple times a trekking company, a dark complexion of North India characteristics of man, medium build, about early thirties. My urgent steps to him, he asked, are you Li Yi? Yes, I hold the hand and he, nice to meet you!

The next thing in my previous email babu and arrangements.

First, I was not a heavy bag, yet in my shoulder back five minutes, they were carrying over babu-hand. I followed babu and drivers together into a white Toyota (must be used, but at least there are Toyota, good), from the airport to the Thamel. Thamel, Kathmandu tourist centre that brings together a large number of hotels, restaurants, souvenir shops and travel company, is my house, and is also the seat of the Office of babu. As we discuss in the email, I am of Nepal's eleven days, accommodation, transport, five days of trekking and Kathmandu sightseeing arrangements by him; but I just handed him $ 304 USD. I take that letter printed in the email, we speak good of all terms and conditions. From a limited number of times past foreign backpack experience, I'd rather believe babu and his company. Small travel company, is the fierce competition in the Thamel, doing business is a credit. It is said that they themselves babu's customers, a write directly on the internet come; the second is the old customers recommend friends acquaintances from the former more blind; and, of course, the latter is more reliable. I own, also is to listen to a poured, just go to Nepal's Singapore girls only find irene introduction babu on.

Car one out of the airport, I'm all eyes looking outside Kathmandu streets, almost too late to have a good chat with babu, although his English quite well, write email very standard, accent is almost negligible.

I just like looking at car window this strange urban landscape. Just 20 minutes, I have no idea how to describe Kathmandu – there is no comparable, I echoed this statement just from me!Ability to record, I can see Shanghai and its suburbs, are far better than clean, tidy, here. If you have recently visited Phnom Penh, I have felt very bad to a city, Phnom Penh, in my mind is a green and neatly, water moistens the impression. Kathmandu streets are very narrow, the street is the 3 by 5-storey house, because of narrow, the House was very close between. The House looks are grey and yellow, approximately one-storied houses or cement structure. Used to be featured wood Windows because it's too long, because pollution is serious, almost always dark, can't see what is coming. Exclusive the housing bottom, some look dark shop. After one another such street, suddenly shop more, signboards and storefront are rich colors, the same narrow streets are stuck in traffic and stood, Thamel.

Out of my expectation, turning back and forth, the car in a rather quiet branch of the lane.

Hotel Tradition, this is me in Kathmandu accommodation. 5 dollars a night, I set out to babu. Looks quite neat, better than guest house, stairs wall also hung up painted Thangka of the Buddha with joy. Of course, if you own to bargaining requires absolutely no 5 dollars that much. Put the luggage check room heater and toilet can be used, I locked the door, with babu to his Office.

In the Thamel walking down the street is not an easy thing.

I strive to seen various signs and early reading ripe Thamel map to, in order to find his own direction and, at the same time, closely followed by babu. However in turn several bends, I thoroughly confused. A get a storefront with features, although some familiar names from time to time, Flash, I am also a reaction, and narrow roads have no rules at all, cars, three-wheeled motorcycle, tampo, rickshaw, bike ready from the front, next to the charged back or even. I had to take out full spirit coping, like once upon a time in Shanghai's most crowded small farms. However a number of years in Singapore good traffic order life, my sensitivity to degradation in the face of the rampage of cars and people total some confusion. Fortunately, babu, always keep me from coming out of the car in time to pull. In turn not know several bends, we finally turned a small corner, from a small door to the second floor, into the babu's Office.

Office, there are several people sit around and play chess.

See babu leads customers come in, they all make the place. I was brought to a window table sit down, you bypass the past babu sitting at the table. Look at his ease, this is his position. This is the House only a table, the other half of the room stands a few sofa a coffee table. Table of office supplies, phones, printers, fax machines, the most important of the networked computers. This is used to make Web pages, write email, main business sources. Hung on the wall put up photos of business, tour guide, and the beauty of Nepal trekking posters. This Office is not more than thirty square, but there should be a trekking company, it has. I and the clearance babu soon finished, that is, I handed him $ 299 (due to less one day accommodation), and gave him two photographs do climbing permit. He made a hand out copies of my passport, and I talked about the future arrangements and trekking and agreed at five o'clock in the afternoon we set off from the hotel, go to the airport to pick me up from Shanghai's two companions. In this way, all done, I had the biggest part of the money to go out, suddenly a lot easier.

The rest of the day, plus five before tomorrow, you are my own.

Holding babu gave me a bottle of water and a pocket-sized Kathmandu map, and in any event to let him go again sent me back to the hotel. I'm back to my room tidied backpack, it's still early, they decided to go to the Palace Square. Travel books, from Thamel walking 20 minutes, it is the most important places in Kathmandu.