Wednesday, January 16:
Katmandu, I’ll soon be touchin’ you
And your strange bewilderin’ time
Will hold me down
The day after my boys left Oman, on Saturday, January 12, the University finally announced that IF we worked REALLY hard invigilating final exams and marking papers during this week, we would get a semester break from January 17-25. I have been waiting for this announcement and was about to give up hope that we would get a break at all. I had researched 6 places I was thinking about going if we got a chance to escape: Sri Lanka, Prague, Kathmandu, Casablanca, Beirut and Zanzibar. When it came to decision time, Kathmandu had the best price, the shortest flight, and the promise of cool, but not freezing, weather. So, on Sunday, I booked a ticket to Nepal for 166 Omani Rials ($432). I fly out tomorrow at 12:45 p.m.
I recently read one of Pico Iyer’s travel essays from Video Night in Kathmandu: Nepal: The Quest Becomes a Trek, which, inspired me to visit Nepal, much as his Lady and the Monk inspired me to visit Kyoto, Japan in January 2011.
My colleague, Mona Lisa, spent several months in Nepal and loved it. She highly recommended the Kathmandu Guest House (Kathmandu Guest House), so I promptly arranged to stay there. I downloaded to my Kindle the Rough Guide to Nepal and Lonely Planet Nepal and started reading. I have not had time to do any planning, but Mona Lisa stocked me up with trekking essentials (which I’m not sure I’ll use since I don’t plan to do any long overnight treks), a city map, a walking stick, and miscellaneous other essentials. She also sent me the link to some Tibetan incantations, music that will soothe my soul in Kathmandu, music that she says I will hear everywhere on the capital’s streets, music that captures the soul of the place.
Another colleague, Zida, told me she hated Kathmandu because of the filth, pollution and chaos, but she highly recommended Pokhara, which she says is stunning. I think the Kathmandu Guest House will help me book a flight to Pokhara, home of Phewa Lake, Mt. Machhapuchhare and Annapurna.
I really have no plan and have no idea what to expect. But I hope to bring home many beautiful pictures!!
If you care to follow my trip to Nepal, please follow me on: catbird in south asia. I won’t be posting about my trip on this blog. 
I think Nepal is a brilliant idea for a break, and judging from these pictures, you’re on the right track heading out into the countryside to see those hills
Thanks so much, Meredith! You know I was considering Sri Lanka until the last minute. Everything was equal as far as price and flight time, but your warning to me about it being the high season, and the warm weather in Sri Lanka (which is what I get year round here in Oman), made me decide ultimately on Nepal. I still hope one day to get to Sri Lanka, but we’ll see what the future holds!
I can’t wait to take some walks in those “hills!”
Yes, I think a break from that heat is the best idea – and look at those mountains -they’ll replenish your soul! Have a great time – look forward to seeing some pix
Thanks, Meredith! I certainly hope I will have a great time!
So exciting for you, Cathy. The pics are beautiful. I look forward to following you on your adventure.
Thanks, Sylvia. I’m a little nervous because my last third-world country experience (India) was quite a challenge! We’ll see how it goes!!
As if I could resist following this
Thanks for coming along on my journey, Gilly! I wish you were coming with me in reality!!
Amazing pics – I hope you have a blast but will you love it as much as Santorini?
Thanks, Dallas. As Nepal is a 3rd world country and Santorini is, well, SANTORINI, I think this trip will be more of a hardship tour, much like my trip to India in 2011! But I hope to have a different kind of blast!!
Happy for your break, Cathy! Have a great adventure.
Thanks so much, Amy! I’m relieved we got this break!
Keep the great pictures comming!!!
You do a great job blogging and photography.
Spencer & I have talked about Cuba and hope the someday they open up the country to Americans.
Take care and have a great trip.
Thanks again, Ron! I really do hope they open up Cuba too. My friend Mario went there last summer (he’s Canadian) and loved it!!
SO cool!!!!! Can’t wait to see more!
Thanks, Heather! Something will be coming soon. Just got home yesterday.
How wonderful Cathy! Have been busy with my father in laws visit, and missed your posts. Shall play catch up over the week. In the meantime, happy planning and I look forward to reading all about it
Hi Madhu, No worry!! I know how it is to get behind because LIFE gets in the way. If we didn’t immerse ourselves in these experiences, we wouldn’t have anything to write about, right? Anyway, between the visit of my family for the first 11 days of January, and then my 9 day trip to Nepal, I’m getting WAYYYY behind myself. Now I have about 5 months to catch up with all my favorite bloggers… and with my own blog!
Wow I love your spirit Cathy: you get a week’s vacation and off you go somewhere exotic. I’m interested to hear what you think of Katmandu so I’m off to catch up.
Thanks so much, Rosie!! Kathmandu was definitely interesting….. You’ll be hearing about it soon! Thanks for coming along.
Just catching up with you, and you’re already back. I always wanted to go to Nepal, Tibet, anywhere in the region, but have never been able to afford it. It killed me when my mother, who was interested in wildlife and history but not Buddhism or the culture, was able to visit Katmandu but said it was so horribly polluted that she would not get out of the taxi! She was completely turned off by the chaos, too. I see you’ve got all the great sources lined up (including the very entertaining Pico Iyer) and a little advice that leaned in the same direction as my Mom’s experience, and so you’ll be ready. I hope you have (had) a memorable time. I’m sure you did.
Thanks Lynn. Kathmandu was much as your mother described but I still found it fascinating, especially the Buddhist and Hindu cultural aspects. There is chaos there as well, but not nearly as much as India or Cairo, so I didn’t find it as much of a hardship. Also, I was able to get out of Kathmandu to go to Pokhara and to a mountain outside of Kathmandu Valley, where I had a lovely walk. You’re right about it being too expensive. I’m not sure I would have ever traveled there from the US, but from Oman, it was a cheap and short flight. By the way, I may have mentioned this already, but I won’t be posting about the trip on my Oman blog, but you can find some of the posts I’ve already written on http://www.catbirdinindia.wordpress.com