Day 1: Arriving In Kathmandu

Meeting up in Delhi was quite an adventure in itself. However, even the flight to Kathmandu was less than straightforward. After I met my friends in the Indira Gandhi International Airport international departures terminal at our lower level gate, we passed through the initial gate check without problems. However, instead of boarding the plane directly, we were seated on a bus that took us across the tarmac out to our waiting plane. Although we thought we would be the last ones to board, it turned out there was a whole busload of people who would arrive after us!

After getting off the bus, we thought we would board the plane directly. Wrong. The airline security had set up another checkpoint where we had to go through the entire procedure of checking our persons and our bags again. It was quite tedious and hectic, as the "security" area was a small tent just before the staircase leading up to the plane. Luckily, we cleared security again without issue and found our seats.

I was quite ready to settle down for a two hour nap. However, my stomach tried to disagree strenuously. As we waited for the plane to taxi and takeoff, I perused the menu provided by Jet Airways. I had eaten a little beforehand, so I skipped lunch. I later found out that my friends had had nothing to eat and were banking on this meal on the flight for sustenance. Unfortunately for them, they were seated in the exact middle of the plane. There were two carts of food, but both were empty by the time they reached my friends' seats! Somehow, they survived, but were a bit grumpier than I expected when we landed.

The Tribhuvan Airport at Kathmandu, Nepal is a full international airport, yet has the feel of a Greyhound terminal. Our landing was especially bizarre as it occurred just after the global outbreak of swine flu. Everyone was wearing facemasks, and we had to pass through an additional health inspection. We finally passed through all the hurdles and met our guides from Earthbound Expeditions. The reception they gave us was excellent, meeting us enthusiastically and presenting each one of us with a traditional garland. We were then escorted to a waiting Toyota HIACE to take us to our hotel.

We stayed our first night in the Hotel Manang in the touristy Thamel district of Kathmandu. The hotel afforded decent accommodations, but its major selling point was a high-speed Internet connection in the lobby that let us easily communicate with family back home. We settled in to our lodgings to relax and build up energy for our tour of Kathmandu the next day. We had finally arrived in Nepal!

Hotel Manang in Thamel District, Kathmandu, Nepal