Where do I even begin?

So I caught my flight from Manchester Airport on Tuesday and had less than 20 minutes to catch my connecting flight in Muscat due to hundreds of people making their way through customs checks. My gut feeling was that my checked in baggage wouldn’t make it to Kathmandu on that flight due to the short layover; low and behold, it wasn’t anywhere to be seen at Kathmandu Airport when I arrived at 2pm!

I had been prewarned there may be a chance of this happening by GVI, however the airline had put my bag on the next flight which didn’t land until 9pm. Luckily I was staying at the Thamel Grand Hotel and they followed up this mishap for me and even organised a driver for me so I could go and get my bag.

Despite this upset, Oman Air were great to fly with, even if the plane from Muscat to Kathmandu was the size of the plane that goes from the UK to Dublin! I also got stuck at the Visa desk in the airport and was quizzed about why I was girl travelling alone, nothing new there!

I spent most of my first day in Kathmandu travelling in and out of Thamel as well as exploring the shops outside my hotel. The hotel has an amazing little restaurant attached to it called ‘Black Olives Cafe and Bar’ which serves drinks and hot food until late. I decided to try the Dhal Bhat on my first night and was not disappointed! This meal with a coke cost me 450 Nepalese rupees (£3).

The next morning breakfast was served at the same restaurant with some great vegetarian choices. I went for the Tofu with papaya juice which kept me full until later that evening.

That day I decided to venture out after breakfast and visit The Garden of Dreams, Old Durbar Square and the Monkey Temple.

The Garden of Dreams was a surreal little area situated in the heart of busy Thamel, with serene views and quaint seating areas where you can go to get away from the hustle and bustle of the roads. The admission was 200 rupees (£1.35) and allowed you to spend as much time as needed in there as well as grab a coffee in the cafe inside.

After this it was back out into the busy streets where it appears that road markings don’t exist and people try to bully their way through the throngs of locals and tourists. I made my way to Old Durbar Square which was a 20 minute walk through Thamel and spoke to a local tour guide who showed me around all the temples in the square and advised me that there was both a Hindu and Buddhist festival happening today. He also brought me to a Thanka studio where the artists draw these Thankas to raise money for the monastery that had collapsed during the earthquake in 2015.

Many areas of Nepal are still rebuilding from the earthquake, with young boys and girls carrying baskets of rubble onto trucks to remove the rubble from the building sites. The earthquake has left 3.5 million people homeless in Nepal and the extent of this is visible in Kathmandu. There are many locals and children begging in the streets and demanding money from tourists.

Once I left Durbar Square, I carried on across the Bishhnumati River and arrived into a small area filled with shops selling ice cream, drinks and materials. After 15 minutes of walking, I caught my first glimpse of the Monkey Temple and the 365 steps that lead up to its entrance. It was one of the steepest stairs I have climbed, even steeper and longer than the Batu Caves in Kuala Lumpur. The view of Kathmandu from the top was worth the climb as well as seeing the many monkeys that reside here.

12,000 steps later I was back at my hotel to refresh for the evening. Each time I wander through Thamel it takes me on a different path and shows me a new part of this district in Kathmandu.

Dinner was at the Black Olive again as I was absolutely shattered from wandering around all day.

I am currently sat sipping a black coffee overlooking the streets of Thamel. Another early start as I was make the 7 hour bus journey to Pokhara at 7am tomorrow morning, luckily there’s a lunch stop on the way!

I’m really looking forward to getting to Pokhara and meeting the GVI team, I will keep you all updated!

Jovi

* Trip sponsored by RTC Medical Solutions & Bangor University*