Namaste from Nepal!

I'm here!  It only took two days and many flights, but I made it.

I left LA on Mon at 2pm and arrived in Kathmandu on Weds at 2pm.
Here was my journey: 3 hour wait at LAX, 12 hour flight from LA to Tokyo, 2 hour wait in Tokyo, 7 hour flight to Singapore, 8 hour wait in Singapore, followed by a 4 hour flight that brought me to Kathmandu.

I LOVE Singapore Airlines.  Everyone said it was great, and they were right.  Even in the sardine class it was good.  I was greeted with hot towels, and unlimited movies/tv, and best of all, I had an aisle seat with no on next to me the whole way there!
I finally got to see End of Watch, which my friend Babette worked as the script supervisor.  Edgy, has an indy feel, but somewhat of a tearjerker (amid all the graphic violence).  Way to go Babette!
The other great thing is that I was able to get lots of kosher snacks on the plane including Hagen Daz Ice Cream, and Hershey bars (they went directly into my bag for a treat here in Nepal).

I didn't sleep much on the first flight, and only got a few hours of sleep from Tokyo to Singapore, so in Singapore I checked into a transit hotel.  What a great idea.  Travel in other countries is so much more conducive then in America (at times).  However, I was shocked at the prices, but the promise of sleeping on a bed and showering without having to clear customs and go to a hotel was great.  Definitely worth it!

The flight from Singapore to Kathmandu was on a smaller airline, Silk, a subsidiary of Singapore Air.  Not as nice, but OK until meal time.  Then I learned that there was no kosher meal, and if there had been, it would have only been in first class!  Hmm, so many thoughts about that....what kind of political statement is that?  Jews only travel first class (stereotype), while my neighbor was able to get a Hindu meal (what does that consist of?  How is that different from a vegetarian meal?)  I'm still composing a letter to Silk in my head.  Anyway, that is why, Mr. TSA agent, I carry my own lunch! (see previous post)

The flight was really turbulent and I am very thankful that I did not need the airsick bag!

On arrival I was met by the travel agency rep and taken to my hotel.

Kathmandu looks less developed, in some ways, than some of the places I saw in Africa.  My heart sped up as the taxi driver turned onto a side street in a definite slum area, and I was really afraid they were going to stop at my hotel there.  Thankfully, the kept going!
Here's a tip for being a passenger in a car in Kathmandu: look out the side windows and take in the sites.  Do not, under any circumstances, look out the front.  This way you can avoid the heart stopping views of near head on collisions that happen frequently as you're driving.  Also, being a pedestrian is an act of bravery.  There are no sidewalks, so you are sharing the very small space next to the cars as you get around the city.

My hotel is in a very touristy area called Thamel.  Definitely just 3 stars.

Electricity is scarce, as there are major fuel shortages, so all of Nepal is on a rationing system which creates 16-20 hours a day of no electricity!  The times vary by day of the week.  My hotel has a back up generator, but that only meant that the bathroom light worked during the shut off hours.  I have a feeling my grandiose plans of using my rice cooker to make dinner anywhere outside of Kathmandu are just that, grandiose plans!

What my hotel lacks in luxury (which is a lot!) it makes up for in convenience, as it's across from the Chabad House.

I made my way over there last night was was thrilled to discover that they make Nepali food, not just Israeli food.  Food is the cheapest thing in Neapl.  I had a dinner of Dat Bahtl (I think that was the name: chicken/onions/seasonings with rice) served with lentil soup.  It cost about $1.50!  No Kidding!  I also ordered an appetizer of Chicken Momos (I had read about them and was so excited to be able to order them- stuffed dumplings), but they took a looong time to make, so I took them back to the hotel as a midnight snack.  I also made a reservation for meals for shabbos, and ordered lunch to take-away for today.  All of that came to about $15 usd!
I also met a really interesting couple last night...

I was alone at first, and a guy walked in and said "Shalom".  He was very tall, broad and dark, and not wearing a kippa, so I thought maybe he was a Sefardi Jew from Yemen, but he also looked sort of African-American.  Turns out he is a religious Muslim from Bangladesh and keeps Hallal, so eats kosher at the Chabad house.  He lives here now, but has lived all over the world, including Silver Spring, MD.  His father was the Bangladesh Amassador.  He grew up surrounded by Jews, which is ironic, since his passport says that this passport is valid for any country except Israel.  Bangladesh, being a part of the UAC, does not recognize Israel, and for that, they are given $600 million dollars a year by Islamic countries.  He explained to me that Bangladesh is a Muslim country, but not an Islamic one.  He was so interesting to talk to.
Then I met his wife, who is Swiss, and a tiny, Caucasian thing (next to his at least 6'5 dark frame they make an interesting couple).  Turns out she is a psychologist who came here as a tourist, felt so bad for the street children that she moved here and started an NGO to get them off the streets.  Many are addicted to glue.  We spent some time talking about what it's like working with kids like that, and there were so many similarities to the kids I've worked with.  I'm looking forward to spending more time with them on Shabbos (he comes every shabbos, and she will come to hang out with me!)

Well, that was my first night.  I'm off now to another city with amazing views, and will write about that when I can.

Namaste,
Robyn