DESTINATION Kathmandu: Where life slows down & up a gear at the same time...

There’s something about Kathmandu, the capital city of the ancient kingdom of Nepal, which heightens the senses. A city where chaos rules. Where life both slows down and up a gear at the same time.  

Dust clouds swirling around in the sticky heat, bumper-to-bumper traffic crawling at a snails pace accompanied by the persistent honking of horns at decibles which pierce the ears, generators grinding and humming loudly echoing in the alleys, cell-phones ringing, chimes tinkling as they sway in the warm breeze against the red-clay buildings framed by green windowpanes and trimming that has gone grey from the pollution. Flea-bitten dogs laying lazily in the middle of the broken sidewalk with concrete slabs jutting in all directions as barefoot pedestrians walk non-chalently past… Children laughing and running through the streets, zig-zagging around the cars and kicking up swirls of dust as they go with red cheeks and huge smiles… the entire scene framed by bright pink-fuchsia bougainvillea which emit a sweet incense over the city… 

Heading into the ‘backpacker’ area of Thamel one is overwhelmed by huge photos of Himalayan panoramas juxtaposed against brightly coloured signs “Best Expedition Everest”; “Helicopter flight to Everest”; signs as big as the shops themselves selling every outdoor brand and trekking combination you can possibly imagine in a multitude of colours. 

The dust is omnipresent and the pollution and cacophony of the city's 'hummm' is overpowering as hundreds of motorcycles fight for space on the narrow dirt roads, zig-zagging between cars, pedestrians, dogs and the sacred cows roaming the streets…  weathered-looking peddlers selling Tiger-balm out of small wooden boxes while women and children sit alongside the broken streets with their hands outstretched for money or food. Bamboo scaffolding towering precariously toward the sky - the playground for barefoot construction workers keeping up the pace of this rapidly modernising and expanding city of over 975,000.

The soothing sound of the ‘Om mani padme hum’ mantra gently keeping the calm through the chaos. 

Looking up at the darkening sky it’s clear that a storm is brewing as the sound of thunder can already be heard rumbling in the distance – no doubt about to be proceeded by a downpour of biblical proportions to clear the air and send people running indoors, tourists looking for cafes offering cheap internet, cinnamon buns and some of the best pizzas on this side of Italy..... 

The city takes a breath.

And tomorrow I get to do it again as the preparations and an an almost endless cycle of packing, packing and repacking continues. This city fascinates me. It reminds me of the unexpectedness of living, throws me into remembering to experience the joy of the unknown, the start of many past adventures and many more to come...