Back To The Future
Dave Says:
Maybe because it sounds like Timbuku or maybe because its at the edge of the world, but to me, Kathmandu has always been a name belonging to science fiction. One could take the next space shuttle to Saturn’s Titan or Kathmandu, they both have the same number of layovers and both have the little screens in the back of the seat from where you can track your altitude and airspeed across the cosmos.
It therefore came as no surprise to me that Kathmandu actually feels a little like a space port (for Star Wars geeks think Mos Eisley). To further and probably strain the sci-fi analogy, its worth noting that we arrived here on New Years Day 2064. The strange planet that Nepal appears to be is 57 years ahead of us. Signs proudly say “Happy New Year 2064″ and people’s passports and driving licenses are all dated in the future. I have now overused the phrase “Great Scott, Marty - We have to get Back To The Future” but that’s not going to stop me if I think I can get a cheap laugh. In the future (your future, our past) we will post what you should expect from the year 2064 - it’s not pretty!
KTM airport, although modern, has a remote outpost feel to it too. It is right in the center of the city, about 5km from the tourist enclave of Thamel. The arrivals procedure took about an hour as three planes worth of tourists all lined up at once to pay for the $30 visa-on-entry which is basically a tourist tax - there is a $20 departure tax too also only payable by western tourists. Fortunately, they will take the $30 in any currency including the Standard Galactic Credit and the Tralmafadorian Blat (R.I.P. K.V . Jnr).
The city houses many temples on large plots of land overlooking Thamel. The temples are either Hindu or Bhuddist and are themselves small citidels. The stupas, painted with their large eyes and decorated by thousands of prayer flags fluttering in the wind look as if an alien culture left them here before blasting off back to their home planet as a cruel joke to the poor humans who would later try and apply meaning to the strange structures they inherited.
The new aliens, Westerners, all congregate in the enclave of Thamel. It’s a square area right in the center mainly accessed by small lanes and cut-throughs. It is here that the strangest culture of all exists. If one visits Nepal and only visits Thamel then one hasn’t visited Nepal at all. It has wonderful restaurants, flushing toilets, great shopping, no chain stores and feeling of both tranquility and transition. Every other store sells knock-off but great quality trekking and camping gear and fuels the feeling of space explorers stocking up on supplies before igniting boosters and heading into the wilds of space. Of course, everyone is going on organized treks around the mountains where they will attempt to feel like the pioneering westerners they clearly aren’t. They will buy new gear (they will use it just once) , hire a sherpa (who isn’t a member of the sherpa tribe at all), hire a porter to carry their bags (making a half-hearted attempt to ask about their well being) and then they will feel like explorers. Whilst trying not to sound like a hypocrite, we leave tomorrow for our trek.
Outside the safe walls of Thamel is the poverty we have now come to expect from these parts of Asia. Stray dogs by the thousands, poor sanitation, congestion and smog, dirt roads in city centers and the overall smell of corruption. The Maoists we right to start a revolution but there are no signs of it in the city now except for extremely well fortified hospitals and government buildings.
So here we are, on another strange planet. Yet the further we are from Planet Western Civilization the stronger it’s gravitational pull becomes. Kathmandu is one of my favorite space ports but only because I can escape Kathmandu and head into Thamel for a little home comfort. We will soon head off for a month to volunteer in a remote village in the center of Nepal and that will certainly be quite another world altogether.