2 weeks to go!

Well, another epic Odyssey adventure is about to head off on the road, this time from Kathmandu to Istanbul. With 2 weeks to go until d-day, the count-down is definitely on.

I’m Alison, one of the expedition crew members, writing to you from Cape Town, which has been very wet and very cold – not the best time of year to be here! (And that is the general consensus of Capetonians, that it has been a very cold wet winter, and even though I’ve only been here 10 days, I agree!)

All the more reason to be heading to Nepal very soon. But at the moment, most of us are waiting for the last of our visas to come through, and tie up all loose ends before we head off for this 3 month journey.

I was in Nepal earlier this year, so have already had a glimpse of what is in store for us on that end. And I’m happy to report that there are several things that I’m looking forward to having the opportunity to see/eat/buy again!  Thamel is a rush in itself, dodging bikes, cars, people – walking becomes a bit of a challenge and adventure. And then trying to get past the shops without being tempted to go in. Narrow streets with low wires and prayer flags strung between buildings (thank goodness we don’t have to navigate the truck through this maze), jewellery shops, mountain gear shops, book shops, souvenir shops, singing bowl shops, and hippy-traveller attire shops, bakeries, cafes, pharmacies, small ‘supermarkets’, restaurants, hundreds of guesthouses, travel agencies  – it’s all there. Thamel is generally known as the backpacker region of Kathmandu, and I believe has been like this for a while. From my experience there, it seems to be a place you can get stuck, not necessarily because you want to, but as the capital city of Nepal and launching pad for most treks and other expeditions, you inevitably spend a couple of nights there at the beginning and end of your trip, or it is the place you need to be while waiting for onward visas or perhaps flights to Lukla (which is where you start the Everest Base Camp trek from) – which are very much affected by the weather (the flights not the visas!), and so you may be waiting a couple of days for a flight. Or there are strikes as there were in May this year, and so certain roads are blocked and you find yourself in Kathmandu for another day. And even after having spent several days there myself, I still got confused in the maze of streets that all look very similar.  But getting lost in the streets is all part of the fun, and it is great city to explore.

Prayer flags and Himalayan peaks

Prayer wheels

Stunning mountain views reward keen trekkers

Just while I think of it, when you arrive in KTM, and if you’re in a taxi and it’s after dark – don’t be alarmed as it drives you to the hotel. You will be driving on slightly potholed roads, the taxi-driver may take a short-cut on a dirt road, the streets will get narrower, there will be a lot of hooting of horns, there could be a power cut so it could be pretty dark – that’s all ok, it sounds like you’re heading in the right direction! And if I remember correctly, a taxi from the airport to Thamel should be about 600 Nepali Rupees.

Now, back to what I’m looking forward to in Kathmandu. Veg fried noodles (though I’m sure we’ll get a lot of that in China), momos dumplings with a spicy dipping sauce – the best ones are from vendors with carts on the street in Thamel late afternoon/ early evening. About 50 rupees served in a biodegradable bowl made out of what looks like banana leaves. Lassies, dhal baht (best if you’re really hungry as it’s unlimited, they keep serving you more), spiced masala chai. And then there are the bakeries where Western influence has made its way here and someone taught the Nepalis that foreigners would kill for apple pie after days of trekking. I admit, I’ll give in to ‘pie and chai’ any day, despite the great Nepali food. And I believe the eggs benedict at the New Orleans Cafe can’t go unmentioned – one of Pete’s favourites!

Now that’s just the culinary front. Clothes and equipment-wise, you can get most things here as well.  North-Fakes (rip off version of North Face, beware, label looks the same but is more like ‘same same but different’ – it is not the real thing) but they do the trick and are much cheaper than the real thing. If you look around you can get some decent gear for decent prices – sleeping bags, backpacks, jackets. And if you’re going trekking it can all be hired here too. There is also all the lighter-weight cotton brightly coloured traveller attire, scarves, Aladdin pants, shirts. And then some heavier wool gear – jackets, beanies, home-knitted jumpers.

A couple of awesome book shops – with all the latest best-sellers, as well as the classics, as well as much travel literature, literature of the region, and spiritual writings. An incredible selection.  Unfortunately, we can’t do too much shopping there though as bags will already be full to bursting with the necessary items (and those little luxuries as well) that we all set off carrying on an expedition like this.

There is obviously much more to Kathmandu than Thamel, food and shopping. Monasteries, temples, Durbar Square, history, people, culture, but I’ll leave the ‘what we’ve seen and done’ for the next blog, which will be written from there, we’ll be saying ‘Namaste’, and I can hopefully confirm that all my fond memories are still reality.

Happy packing and admin-ing and see you soon – Odyssey expedition members plus internet travellers!