So you think your public transport is crowded during rush hour?

With the expiry date of my 30 day visa closing in slowly but steadily, it was time for an extension. I had done some research and the sources I came across stated that an extension was easily done and would cost $100 for 90 days (or $40 for 30 days, etc.). Nandu Dai took me to the immigration office on his bike and we could skip the worst queue as I had already filled out the application form online.

Yesterday morning, we navigated our way through the maze of Ason and its surroundings on the way to Ratna Park bus station. With me was the Canadian couple that had taken me along to the orphanage the other day. Our trip was to bring us out of the dusty capital and its valley, and up into the mountain station of Nagarkot. The place is only about 25km way from Kathmandu but it takes around 3h to get there by bus.

Staying at the same guest house as me was a young Canadian couple whom I’ve had a couple of chats and a really cool jam session with. They mentioned they’d be visiting a local orphanage and asked whether I’d want to come along. I certainly did. They got in touch with the institution through a friend of theirs, who had also given them a bunch of goods to deliver. On top of that, they were to give the kids a lesson on hygiene and washing hands.

Over the last days I had a few chats with one of my hosts. He’s a couple of years my senior, has a family and runs his own business. One morning we were having a chat about investments and he said “if you have good karma, your business will succeed”. Quite a difference to the business plans, risk assessments, etc. that preclude pretty much any form of investment in the western world.

Ah, nothing like seeing a goat get slaughtered on the way to breakfast! Just as the previous Saturday, I joined the local volunteer organisation Green Soldiers on their way up to the monkey temple. It’s incredible and sad how fast plastic garbage amasses up there. The government employed cleaners take their job overly easy and simply swipe everything over the next edge, creating clean pathways and dirty surroundings. Before and after “work” there’s always time for tea and the monkeys don’t say no to cookies either.

[caption id=“attachment_4154” align=“aligncenter” width=“550”] Nandu Dai in his fabric store, 20km (sic!) of fabric in that room[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_4155” align=“aligncenter” width=“300”] Vishnu Dai prepares tomato/coriander/chilly paste - yummy[/caption] And finally the landing in KTM, took a moment to cut that one.

On Monday, fellow couchsurfer Bibhu once more took up the challenge of being on the receiving end of my countless questions about Nepali life. We were to check out the village of Kirtipur, just outside of Kathmandu. As per usual, local public transport was a tad on the rough side and I struggled a bit to find a comfortable standing space in the jam-packed, dated Mercedes van. With a bit of squeezing around and the friendly conductor’s support, I managed to get one foot down on the door steps and that way could at least stand upright.

As announced earlier…