The journey to the airport and returning the rental car turns out to be easy. The flight is great, the onboard program of Emirates is really great. Of course, I can't sleep again, but that's nothing new and I have to transfer in Dubai in the middle of the night anyway. And although I have been to this airport several times and thought I knew it well, I initially can't find my FlyDubai flight, the budget airline of Emirates. No wonder, as it turns out after asking several times, I have to change buildings and finally find the shuttle bus. It jolts around the airport for so long that after half an hour I wonder if the flight is cancelled and maybe we're driving to Nepal like this? During boarding, I lose my luggage tag and lazily think about going back to the departures hall to look for it. I do that because I have the irrational feeling that my luggage won't be there and I will need it. The flight actually turns out to be a budget flight comparable to Eurowings, but without any onboard program. I arrive in Kathmandu tired. The airport building is a small old red brick building that could be an old school or an old train station. And who puts blue carpet in an airport??? Well, never mind. Long lines form in front of the visa on arrival counters and copiers. I'm glad I can pass by, as my visa is already beautifully glued in my passport. The immigration officer smiles at me: "You Germans are always so well organized." Well, that's true. At least in my case. The baggage carousel rattles, but my trolley is not there. This doesn't change for the next hour, and when everyone else is gone, it turns out that my luggage is still in Dubai, even though the layover time was long enough. So, I really do need my luggage tag. They promise me that my luggage will arrive on the same day. Fortunately, I can provide Krishna's phone number as a contact, my host in Kathmandu. After withdrawing money and buying a SIM card, I take a taxi to Kathmandu City. There are no proper addresses here, as there are no house numbers. Accordingly, the taxi driver has to call Krishna twice to ask for directions. I am really excited to meet my Couchsurfing host, as this is the first time I am a guest myself. Yeah! So far, I have only hosted others and had a great time doing so. Fortunately, Krishna, a very small wiry Nepali guy in his mid-thirties, turns out to be just as friendly and reliable as described in his Couchsurfing profile. We then walk the last few meters "home". There, a very unpleasant surprise awaits me! His apartment consists of only a tiny room. I had expected to sleep in a second small room, as I had chosen that option on the Couchsurfing website and read in the references of his previous guests. Later it turns out that he has moved since then. So, I didn't make a mistake and all his information was correct. Well, that's a bummer. I really like homestays and have nothing against basic accommodation, but this is a bit too much for me.
The kitchenette has no water or sink. There is nothing. Not even a trash can. The walls are simply awful, but the floor is very clean and everything else is tidy. I feel ashamed because he has so little space and things, and now I am also intruding on his privacy. I am almost glad that my bulky trolley hasn't arrived yet when I see the pole that serves as his wardrobe. The "bathroom" is half a floor down and is used by the whole house. I have no idea how many families there are. It also has no sink. As is customary here, there is a squat toilet without a flushing mechanism and without toilet paper. Nepalis don't use it. They wash themselves or rather not. After using the toilet, they scoop water from a bucket and pour it. While this works well and odorless in Cuba, there is a really strong smell of urine in the air here, just like in India. Jassi, Peter, Julio, and everyone else who has been to India will know what I mean. The floor is slippery because this bathroom is also the shower and a nasty slime film has formed on the floor. It is what it is. I wanted to see how Nepalis live, and now I can. That's why I decide to stay and give it a real chance. I long for my toothbrush, a shower, and fresh clothes, but that's not possible right now. So, I go on a sweaty and sticky sightseeing tour. Krishna knows his way around and suddenly we're sitting on a local bus for 15 Nepalese rupees (11 cents), on the way to Swayambhunath Stupa; located 2 km away, it sits on a hill in the west of the city. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage and is like the city's landmark. As one of Nepal's holiest places, the stupa is a destination for many local believers who make a pilgrimage here. There are numerous myths and legends surrounding the stupa, and I am excited to visit such a culturally significant place right from the beginning. Yeah! But there are also thousands of monkeys living here, which is why Swayambhunath is also called Monkey Temple. So, anything that even remotely looks like food should be consumed or disposed of quickly to avoid becoming a victim of an animal attack. It sounds funny, but it's not. In the extensive temple complex, you first come to the three Buddhas, richly adorned and shining in deep gold.
I am thrilled!Before the next 365 steep steps, we fortify ourselves with fresh cucumber, which is sliced and sprinkled with hot chili for 20 rupees. Very tasty - refreshing and spicy. Only afterwards do I realize that it may not have been so clever to eat something unpeeled on the first day, according to the old backpacker rule to avoid nasty diarrhea: "Cook it, boil it, peel it or leave it." Too late! Trusting my resilient stomach and intestines, which even survived soft ice cream from the street in India without any problems, we continue. I am very glad that Krishna is there and keeps shooing away the cheeky monkeys and also sends away the persistently begging children with head movements. Phew. Tough stuff.Both the stupa and the surrounding prayer wheels, shrines, and niches still bear signs of the devastating earthquake in 2015 and are in need of renovation. But this does not diminish their magnificence and spiritual energy. The Harmika, the square structure, protrudes from the center of the white dome. The all-seeing eyes of Buddha are painted on it, while his mystical "Third Eye" becomes visible between the eyes, the eye of spiritual insight. The dome that carries the sacred stupa is sprayed with ocher color during certain holidays, creating patterns resembling a lotus flower.The square is surrounded by numerous shops that offer devotional items and souvenirs. Basically everything the devout Buddhist needs. Very interesting. I could take photos for hours and test Krishna's patience. On the way back, we choose a different path that we can walk. It feels good after sitting in the airplane for so long. We go down six hundred and something stairs and then along various streets. Krishna wants to meet a friend who had a kidney transplant and asks me to wait for a moment. I pass the time by reading the travel guide and taking photos. What was supposed to be a short wait turns into an hour or more and gradually I get hungry and think he should show up already. And then he does and we head to the next "restaurant". Very cool, I love eating like the locals. And of course, I have to try the national dish Momo. Steamed dumplings, this time with buffalo filling. Very tasty and delicious. There is also a soup and Nepalese noodles. We share everything and afterwards I am happily satisfied. Later, we go to the tourist center, Thamel. There we meet a friend of Krishna and have a nice evening. Over a few beers, said friend tells us about his business difficulties because the helicopter to Mount Everest cannot take off due to weather conditions for the past 5 days, ruining his business. We discuss health insurance and medical costs in Nepal and Germany. They know that in Germany, everyone is insured, and they wish the same for Nepal. However, they are completely surprised that it is not provided for free by the government and that I have to pay €292 monthly, not annually, they also find it a lot. To my personal delight, my luggage from Emirates is now delivered to the pub. Yay! Time to sleep. Fortunately, "home" is not far away. I am dog tired and still undressed. But at this time and with this shower, it's no longer an option to take a shower. This bathroom doesn't appeal to me at all, and since there are also no storage options for clothes, I have to ask Krishna to turn around so that I can get ready for bed. We brush our teeth with water from the bottle and spit the remainder into the blue tub next to the stove. Krishna offers me to sleep in his bed while he settles for the floor. The thought is completely uncomfortable for me, and despite his insistence, I persistently refuse and insist on sleeping on my high-tech air mattress. It is very obvious that he feels uncomfortable about it, too, and so we both lie down with a uneasy feeling. Right now, everything feels too close, too tight, and too much for me.
