The 3 flights werent all that bad, but being spread out left me tired out. In Seoul I found a great transit lounge to chill in.. once in Bangkok it was about midnight, and my flight the next morning not until 1030am. I didnt feel the need to go out on the town for a few hours so I chilled in the transit lounge, set up some couches and slept for a good 4 hours in the super A/C found only in Thai overnight buses and Japan 7-11's.
Coming into Nepal, it was beautiful. Apparently Mt Everest could be seen but not on my side of the plane. The hills and mountains are amazing though. I was in for a massive culture shock though once getting out of the airport (took 2 hours to pay for my visa, line ups and only 2 workers).
Porters pulling my bags from me, Nepalese and Indians yelling for taxi at me.. I found Mohan who loaded me into a van before some chubby dude whispered 'tips man you give me tips eh'.
Anyways, the first few days in Kathmandu were a bit of a blur.. the poverty surprised me. The narrow streets, the electrical wiring hanging haphazardly, and the touts and hawkers yelling to sell everything and anything. I hated it, walking down the street, having a guy working on you the whole way, like you're being hunted.
I spent one day up 1/2 way to Pokhara on a white water raft trip, no waivers in Nepal man! It was pretty nuts, Class 3+. The way home though I was on a public bus, the only white guy in sight, and sitting on the floor in the aisle since it was so packed. Most were on the roof holding on..and it took a full FIVE HOURS to get back.
By the 8th I met my group that Ill be biking with in Tibet. 14 of us in all. The group is pretty funny and everyone seems cool, 4 guys from Venezuela, a Brazilian, one from Holland, 5 Brits, a Swiss, an Austrian (my roomate), and me the only North American.
Kathmandu slowly grew on me, as I saw more and more of it outside of Thamel. The Monkey Temple, the Hindu Shrine and cremation river, Bouddha, and other places were great. China Air changed our flight to the 12th to Lhasa so we lost a day of acclimitizing...not good. Since we had that extra day in Nepal we spent it up in Nagarkot (after visiting Bhaktapur and Patan).
Like a friend told me, Kathmandu has a cool vibe once you can find it and it definitely grew on me, the great foods, bargaining in the street stalls, and people watching.
Coming into Nepal, it was beautiful. Apparently Mt Everest could be seen but not on my side of the plane. The hills and mountains are amazing though. I was in for a massive culture shock though once getting out of the airport (took 2 hours to pay for my visa, line ups and only 2 workers).
Porters pulling my bags from me, Nepalese and Indians yelling for taxi at me.. I found Mohan who loaded me into a van before some chubby dude whispered 'tips man you give me tips eh'.
Anyways, the first few days in Kathmandu were a bit of a blur.. the poverty surprised me. The narrow streets, the electrical wiring hanging haphazardly, and the touts and hawkers yelling to sell everything and anything. I hated it, walking down the street, having a guy working on you the whole way, like you're being hunted.
I spent one day up 1/2 way to Pokhara on a white water raft trip, no waivers in Nepal man! It was pretty nuts, Class 3+. The way home though I was on a public bus, the only white guy in sight, and sitting on the floor in the aisle since it was so packed. Most were on the roof holding on..and it took a full FIVE HOURS to get back.
By the 8th I met my group that Ill be biking with in Tibet. 14 of us in all. The group is pretty funny and everyone seems cool, 4 guys from Venezuela, a Brazilian, one from Holland, 5 Brits, a Swiss, an Austrian (my roomate), and me the only North American.
Kathmandu slowly grew on me, as I saw more and more of it outside of Thamel. The Monkey Temple, the Hindu Shrine and cremation river, Bouddha, and other places were great. China Air changed our flight to the 12th to Lhasa so we lost a day of acclimitizing...not good. Since we had that extra day in Nepal we spent it up in Nagarkot (after visiting Bhaktapur and Patan).
Like a friend told me, Kathmandu has a cool vibe once you can find it and it definitely grew on me, the great foods, bargaining in the street stalls, and people watching.
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