Nepal: Definitely Not Climbing Everest

 

OK, so we’re off again on another adventure, and this time we are definitely flying far. This trip is to a place Baba has wanted to visit for a very long time, and so we’re off to Nepal!

 

Now I know what you may be thinking…are you guys going to attempt Everest Base Camp or Annapurna? And the answer is a definite no. For those of you who know us, you wouldn’t have even asked that question because as much as we like walking in cities, we are definitely not mountain climbers. I don’t even like doing mountain climbers during a core class, much less climbing an actual mountain.
We do, however, have a hike planned, which I’m excited (and slightly nervous) to share later.

 

Getting to Nepal is no small journey, and there were no great flight options from Chicago to Kathmandu. So instead, we did what most people do when traveling to India or that side of the world, we flew to Dubai on Emirates. And before you get too impressed with us, let’s be clear: we were definitely not flying business class, first class, or even premium economy, which would have cost a casual $21,000. Instead, we flew economy, which, rumor has it, is one of the best in the sky. After flying Emirates, I can confidently say it was the best economy experience we’ve ever had. The service, the food, the comfort, it was honestly impressive. Economy, but make it fancy-ish.

We had a short overnight layover in Dubai, where we managed to get a few hours of sleep at an airport hotel and somehow also enjoyed a few hours in the Emirates business class lounge before boarding our 2:30 AM flight to Kathmandu. Don’t ask questions, just know we were very happy to be there pretending we belonged.

We arrived in Kathmandu around 9 AM local time, and aside from the absolutely stunning mountain views during landing, the first thing we noticed when stepping off the plane was the air. It was thicker, hazier, and you could immediately tell this was very different from anywhere we’d been before.
 

Walking into the terminal was…chaotic. There was no clear direction, and it quickly became apparent that we needed visas on arrival, which, according to Baba, was a security disaster, but we decided not to think too deeply about that and just go with the flow. Between the visa process, customs, and waiting for luggage, it took about 90 minutes before we finally made it outside. And then we were officially welcomed to Kathmandu traffic.

Our hotel was located in Thamel, which didn’t look that far on the map. However, the drive took over an hour. The streets were packed with motorbikes, cars, and people all somehow coexisting in what appeared to be complete chaos, but apparently works. The air was so thick with smoke and pollution that opening the car window wasn’t really an option unless you wanted to actively inhale it. The motorbike scene reminded us of Ho Chi Minh City, but Ho Chi Minh felt more organized, with wider streets, sidewalks, and more space. Kathmandu felt smaller, denser, and more intense. 

 

We finally arrived at our hotel, where the staff greeted us so warmly that we almost forgot how exhausted we were. Then we learned something surprising, we were the only guests in the entire hotel. Not sure if that made us feel special…or concerned. We opted for a very late breakfast / early lunch at the hotel, took much-needed showers, and squeezed in a few hours of sleep before our 5 PM walking food tour, which would turn out to be an adventure in itself.

Courtyard at Dalai-La Boutique Hotel