I've arrived safely in Kathmandu, and met up with my friend Mitch Silver of the Himalayan village lighting project. The flights over (BOS-DC-Doha-KTM) were uneventful other than that it felt strange to be traveling for 20 hours straight completely in the darkness of night, and to be aware on the last leg of passing over (in order) Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, & Kashmir. I slept decently but also watched 4 or 5 movies en route!
Kathmandu is more congested, disheveled, and chaotic than ever. But it remains a paradise for young Western backpackers - I had a great vegetarian pizza for lunch, and am trying to block out a live rock concert within earshot as I write.
Our hosts from the local WWF office took us out to dinner at Wunjala Moskva (definitely the first Newari-Russian restaurant that I've ever been to), where we were treated to traditional Newar dances (with folk, Hindu, and Buddhist influences). Every Nepali I've met so far is from a different ethnic group (there are 50-100 depending on whether you count castes), reflecting the diversity that makes Nepal special.
I've arrived safely in Kathmandu, and met up with my friend Mitch Silver of the Himalayan village lighting project. The flights over (BOS-DC-Doha-KTM) were uneventful other than that it felt strange to be traveling for 20 hours straight completely in the darkness of night, and to be aware on the last leg of passing over (in order) Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, & Kashmir. I slept decently but also watched 4 or 5 movies en route!
Kathmandu is more congested, disheveled, and chaotic than ever. But it remains a paradise for young Western backpackers - I had a great vegetarian pizza for lunch, and am trying to block out a live rock concert within earshot as I write.
Our hosts from the local WWF office took us out to dinner at Wunjala Moskva (definitely the first Newari-Russian restaurant that I've ever been to), where we were treated to traditional Newar dances (with folk, Hindu, and Buddhist influences). Every Nepali I've met so far is from a different ethnic group (there are 50-100 depending on whether you count castes), reflecting the diversity that makes Nepal special.
1 comment:
Great to hear from you, Leo! Keep posting. I arrived safely in SFO where Owen picked me up. I hope to have better luck in Palo Alto than I did in Albuquerque.
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