Day 29 – October 16 (continued)

I guess we saved the best (of man-made Nepal) for last. Behold Durbar Square!

Durbar Square is composed of the old royal palace, along with a bunch of temples and plazas. This, along with the $7 entry fee, contribute to this site’s good looks and cleanliness, in stark contrast with the rest of Kathmandu.

Day 30 – October 17

Last day. Unexpectedly, I’ll miss this place. I was no longer scared by the street chaos or by the degradation which describes pretty much everything. Not that I’ve gotten used to them (I wasn’t), just that I learned to appreciate them and the Nepali way of not caring about earthly possessions.

Took the opportunity to eat for one more time meals that are popular here but unavailable at home. Nepali thali (very similar to dal bhat) and veggie burger. Will definitely miss the varied vegetable cuisine here.

Took a taxi to the airport. The 6 km ride took 40 minutes. Involved a lot of near misses. Waited 10 minutes in a small traffic jam because a driver in front (probably from out of town) didn’t have the courage to enter the junction and just froze there. I don’t blame him.

Tribhuvan International Airport was as primitive as we remembered it from one month ago. The luggage belt was out of order. Other airports have a (female) voice announce last calls for boarding. Here, a bored dude was going through the terminal, asking travelers: “Etihad? Etihad? Etihad?”.

A mouse was crossing the terminal, moving underneath the benches. One lady jumped on her seat and started screaming. The mouse continued undisturbed.

Boarded the flight to Doha. After takeoff, I couldn’t help myself from feeling a bit of relief. While I enjoyed the trip here (legen-.. wait for it.. -dary), I was still grateful that both of us were safe and sound, without the tiniest health issue (well, not counting the leeches, but they weren’t that bad).

Day 30+1 – October 18

Doha. 30 degrees at midnight. How were people living here before AC?