From Couch to Khumbu... Trekking with kids in the Himalaya!

Decision taken. We were headed for the high himal, the Everest Region, land of the Sherpa people in Nepal. Exciting! In the late '80's (and my early 20's) I had worked as a trip leader for groups of trekkers back in the early days of what flourished to become eco-tourism and had been through the valleys and towns of the region many times usually en route to Everest Base Camp. The last time though had been in 1998 on a vacation from Vietnam and that was before Nepal had been through its heart-wrenching civil war.

We were living in Kathmandu, with a normal schedule around school and activities, we don't actually spend that much time on the couch but one day we decided to up and off to the Khumbu! This time it was with our kids... the boys, ages 8 and 10, old enough to do the walking and appreciate where we were going... to see Everest and be among Sherpa friends to visit their culture... the lure of the yeti skull reported to be kept in the Sherpa village of Khumjung also helped fan the fire of enthusiasm. And the prospect of finding snow, that helped too! Enthusiasm... the main ingredient to having fun trekking with children; its not necessarily an easy ask, the anticipation is clouded by the hard work required at least in the phase of discussing it with 8 and 10yr olds... you need their buy-in for things to go smoothly! And if they insist on their latest 359 page book to bring along... just go with it!

Waiting for the flight to Lukla

Selecting a trek is about several things, not least of which is determining the level your kids and you are capable of... how many days, consideration of altitude, length of the trekking day, facilities en route and the possibilities of evacuation. The treks about the front ranges of the Annapurnas (Ghorepani/Ghandruk/Poon Hill for example) out of Pokhara are popular starter treks since they can range in duration from 3 -9 days. Langtang is also short, popular and close to Kathmandu, so is Helambu and the new Tamang Heritage trek.  Trekking in Khumbu is also popular, region of the Sherpa people with its monastery's and mountain history centred around Sagarmatha (Everest) which if lucky with the weather you can spot on your second day on trek. Flying to Lukla (possibly the world's most errr, interesting place to land) a bit of a thrill all on its own, you can also walk-in to Khumbu in 5-7 days. There are plenty of other treks to choose from so ask around and see what others have experienced.

Organizing the trek is the first step towards making it happen and can be done in different ways... when we went to the Annapurnas we booked with an agency in Pokhara to get a guide and porters... easy enough to do. Check the qualifications of your guide... at a minimum they need to have taken the 6 Week guides course (and have a license they can show you), know the area you're planning on going (preferably be from there) and speak enough English (if your Nepali is lacking). Experience needs to balance with your own... if you are an experienced mountain traveller then you may not need a hotshot guide... you need to be comfortable and confident with who ever goes with you and it isn't enough that they are good with your kids because if something were to happen and they didn't have training to find a solution... look what happened in the Annapurnas in October 2014.  On our Everest trip all we needed was a single porter, I knew the route well enough and have background and experience in mountain travel including at altitude, and so we got a young fella from Solu Khumbu through a Lukla hotel where I used to stay, he had a nice smile and was friendly and strong and knew where we were going, thats all that I required of him balanced with my own experience. When you book through an agency there is the added advantage of being assured that the guide will also have insurance and be properly equipped. Recently a Nepali friend, an experienced guide, had serious problems at altitude and had to be heli-evacuated... insurance is key.

Equipping yourselves properly comes next and proper footware probably the most important thing. Despite the plethora of trekking supply shops in Kathmandu to find children's trekking boots (below size 36) is a task. What works is sturdy trainers, if you can find them those with higher ankle tops are best. Shoes are important so getting this part right is critical, normally you size trekking boots a size bigger than normal (to accommodate thicker socks) but don't get carried away! A loose boot is asking for blister trouble. If you're of a mind to go trekking you'd do well to source trekking boots for little'uns outside of Nepal. Kids 6 years and up can carry their own back-pack... most want to. In it though are the bare necessities... a fleece jacket, a light water-proof jacket, their water bottle, sunglasses and hat and maybe a little snackage. Thats all they need to carry and importantly it has to be light because as a last resort, to get them over that final hill, you might need to carry it! Your back-pack needs the same as the kids, and a proper First Aid kit. Go light, if you need more, your porters will be walking with you and you can always get from him/her what you need during the day. Depending on the time of year the rest of the packing can be light as well. On our Annapurna trip we had 2 bags for the 4 of us for 5 days, this time we had 1 for 7 days. We went through everything and didn't have to do laundry! If you're taking a flight bags should weigh no more than 20kgs. I'm not going to publish a gear list here, there are tons on the internet to refer to but go light whatever you do, that old axiom of halving what you think you need to take when travelling... halve it again when you go trekking.. With children who are out of diapers, the only 'extras' are things to occupy them... (not including screen devices!), playing cards, travel chess, etc. With kids who are still in diapers... bon courage, beware of altitude with wee ones, their sleep needs, and of course mindful of the un-biodegradeability of disposable diapers and where you are going. My kids needed books so a Kindle or such-like would have reduced our collective weight considerably! A solar charger would not be a bad thing if you bring a reading tablet. Remember your porter carries your bag... so be kind!

Attitude and altitude

Attitude is everything on a trip to anywhere with kids. Nepali guides and porters are renown for encouraging and egging kids along, singing with them, and picking them up and carrying them if that is what is needed. Rest assured, on most of the common treks you absolutely don't have to walk further than you feel you need to on most given days, there is always a teahouse over the next hill, around the next bend. So don't stress about getting where you had a plan to get to... discuss with your guide/porter, see what they think. Often they will under-estimate... err on the side of caution and that is fine, they know what they are doing. Enjoy the early morning, the mid-morning, the lunch spot, the afternoon walk.... you get the drift... just enjoy where you are, value the place you have found yourself to be in... the high himal! 

Altitude is one of those things that can become a major pre-occupation and a trip-wrecker if you let it be one; your attitude about altitude is key. Yes altitude needs to be properly understood, yes it can be serious... all that means is for you to be prepared...so do the research ahead of time. Many of our fears are based in the unknown... so know about altitude. Understand that essentially you will trek so that you acclimatize well if you follow your guide's and guidebook's advice, do not short-cut to save time. If they say you need to spend a day acclimatizing then do so. Don't worry about the kids, but do keep an eye on them. Know signs and symptoms of altitude sickness, pulmonary and cerebral oedema but don't obsess. And don't panic because going down altitude (down hill) is always an option in night or day... and it is usually the cure all. When and if in doubt ask a trip leader, they usually have high competency and experience with altitude related problems and can offer advice, err on the side of caution always even if it means significant compromises to your trip. Never forget where you are, in the highest mountains in the world, subject to all the various challenges that come with high mountain travel.

Kids can be a challenge to have on such an adventure but you have friends along to help, so let them... and they sleep really well on trek! Let go of control, you're up in thin air, the best you can remember to do is breathe, smile and enjoy the sunshine. I love trekking with my son's. They love the connection to the natural world, to the Nepali people and to each other. A couple of years later we did the trek up to Lo Mantang in Mustang and after that attempted a small trekking peak in the Langtang region (picture above!)... as they grow they can do more and more! So much fun to watch them evolve!

The long, sad Nepali winter of discontent, with scattered rays of sunshine: an essay.

You try to be an optimist, keep your chin up and put a smile on, this winter in Nepal tested even the brightest of lights to keep their glow. Blow after blow fell on the national psyche and just when you thought it couldn't get worse... it did; the general corps d'esprit fell to complacency and fatigue, a sense of hopelessness complemented fatality adding depth and hue to the long used and abused Nepali phrase 'ke garne', what to do? Amidst it all there were rays of sunshine that blasted through… we’ve all seen it happen on the darkest cloudy day when the sun finds space and a brilliant ray shines down…

I am returning from a few weeks out of the country and returning into a spring time that can only hold hope and promise for things to get better. The story started last spring with the earthquakes that sent the nation into shock and then continued over the bungled response period and into the recovery phase of the humanitarian emergency that ensued. The government did not rise to meet the challenge and proved itself distracted, dispassionate and entirely a disappointment. None of this was really anything new and while it would not have been wrong to hope that a massive earthquake would literally shake the political class out of its self-absorbed, out-dated, corrupted ways and spur it into action, to harbour such hope would have been naïve. The idea that government should help the people they govern rather than simply rule over them and take advantage of their plight… Well that seemed a bit far-fetched, after all it has only been 70 years since Nepal opened to the outside world, 25 yrs since the devolution away from royalty began, and 8 years since the end of an acrimonious civil war, and in 2015 was it realistic to believe that the dinosaurs still at the helm were able to learn new tricks?

Open the opportunity for a ray of sunshine… the earthquake pulled out of nowhere an amazing response from regular people… Nepalis, expats, tourists came together in the early days of the response gathering relief materials and convoys of civilian vehicles delivered to many hard to reach locations. It was amazing, the Yellow House group…Himalayan Disaster Relief Operation was one such group that saw over 200 ‘mission’s go out in the first 3 months of the response… all volunteers, all self-organized, all materials donated including vehicles and fuel…http://www.wired.com/2015/05/nepal-earthquake-aid/ It is no secret that the money raised privately (including through ‘gofundme’ type initiatives) equalled the money committed through official channels, some $273Million. Notably, in the early days the Army too, quite separate from the government, stepped up rescuing many people from the rubble in Kathmandu and the districts. Unsung heros were many. Ironically, the government, seeing the success of private initiatives, tried to stymie this forcing money earmarked for the emergency, requiring all newly formed NGO's to funnel their funds through what they called the 'Prime Ministers Disaster Relief Fund' and while it may be that money still got through to those that needed it, this announcement was ill-timed and the backlash it caused revealed the broad mistrust the population has for its government.

Government 'action' did eventually come, it was not to help the earthquake victims or to facilitate the reconstruction phase... rather it came seemingly as a realisation on the part of certain senior political aspirants that this was their moment to take advantage. While the population and other influential actors were momentarily distracted by the humanitarian crisis they ended 7 years of wrangling over the formulations of a new Constitution pushing through a draft that gained a 90% approval from the Constitutional Assembly. Unsurprisingly congratulations on the birth of a new democracy did not come whole heartedly from the Indian government nor from the United Nations in Nepal, both of whom felt (for their different reasons) that the Constitution fell short of its mark in ensuring proportional representation for groups long marginalized (due to caste and ethnicity) and on the rights of women.  And neither thought it politically impudent to be vocal, a sign of frustration I think. Mindful that this came after years of donor and institutional support to a painful Constitutional process to try and come up with a modern progressive un-acrimonious document that would set the stage for an easier and prosperous future. Sadly this wasn't to be the case; when people say Nepal is 30 years behind... this is the kind of thing they mean, the politicians are 30 years behind. There is much discussion about Nepal being left for Nepalis to determine their future but they are dominated by a ruling class that is narrow-minded, uninspired and uncaring for the poorest of their constituents, they are stuck in a paradigm of exploitation and control.

As an anomaly of sorts (another ray of sunshine?), Nepal is the only ASEAN nation and one of few in the world to recently recognize transgender people with the gender box 'other' available to be ticked on visa and arrivals forms and passport applications. Go figure. It remains to be seen how well this is reflected in social policy but it is at least a start.

To mention only briefly the beginning of what sets the bleak background for the winter's discontent was the post-earthquake period through the summer of 2015 when for example, Nepali Customs charged duty on incoming humanitarian assistance supplies, and Immigration couldn't figure out the visa waiver for aid workers so most ended up working illegally on tourist visas. When coordination of the humanitarian mission became a political football (even the UN was a player in this game). The years of multi-level (VDC to National) capacity building (training) to deal with a major disaster fell by the wayside as did leadership of the Reconstruction authority. This latter causing a delay of several months with the Reconstruction bill, that critical document providing the legal framework for the receiving and disbursing of $4.1 billion of committed donor funding. The bill, ready to be passed and promulgated back in August, only made it onto the floor of Parliament in January... reconstruction can now start in April… a year later.  The cynic humourist would wonder if it just took that long to figure out how to milk the money... the government in Nepal is considered endemically, systemically corrupt and $4.1 large is like dangling a dumpster full of carrots in front of a donkey.

I think my own discontent and frustrations are beginning to show through and I have barely begun. Indeed this is partly because the 800,000 people (demographically this number indicates more than half are children and elderly people with a disproportionate number of women-headed households in the mix) left homeless after the earthquake suffered and continued to suffer immensely and needlessly. Never mind the deprivations of basic human rights, they had to pass the chill of winter under tarpaulins and corrugated tin when they were ready to start rebuilding in October but couldn't because the money for bank loans wasn't there, NGO's requiring the release of funding to implement reconstruction projects waited, men, desperate to work, disappeared over the horizon to Malaysia and the Gulf states rather than stay and help rebuild. Interestingly the International Council of Jurists is pressing for an investigation into whether the government in its actions (and lack thereof) denied its citizenry of its basic rights to food, shelter and health care.

Instead the government got on with passing the Constitution (ray of sunshine potential!), denying the Reconstruction bill a reading until the Constitution got through... as if that were a good reason. And when it was finally passed, the next blow came... uproar, protest, violence and up to 40 deaths as those groups re-marginalized by the Constitution, the Madhes and the Tharu, took to the streets. The resulting insecurity blocking the vital supply link to India. The Indians, for their part were alarmed enough to close the border on their side to protect transporters from the insecurity. However this went on so long and even border crossings where there was no insecurity were closed as to betray a clear agenda of political patronage, India, the much bigger brother, sanctioning the youngest in the fold. While India is Nepal's biggest trading partner, Nepal is far from relevant to the Indian economy. What India worries about is water; the himalayan watershed that feeds the great rivers of India, the Brahmaputra, Indus and Ganges rely on Nepal keeping the proverbial tap open. Control of hydro development in border districts is a huge concern and so Delhi needs a compliant government in Kathmandu. The under-representation of populations along the border, those people ethnically more akin to India's plains people, makes control more complicated and less likely.

The blockade was curious because the shelves of the big department stores were only missing a few things, but there was food aplenty, no one was lacking but prices started creeping up, inflation soaring over 10% of many staples. In an already poor country, it is estimated more than a million people have been pushed into extreme poverty. Through it all, somehow the organizers of the annual Kathmandu Jazz Festival were not deterred, neither was the first annual Photo Kathmandu http://www.photoktm.com/ event both of which went off in fine style as if nothing was going on. If the ability of some Nepalis to carry on as if events such as a blockade were just part of the new normal is a sign of resilience… then wow, there is some amazing resilience in Nepal.

What wasn't available due to the problems on the border and affected everyone was fuel, diesel and petrol for cars, buses, motorbikes and cooking gas also used for heating. Initially the ‘fuel crisis’ was quite a respite, the streets were quiet, such a relief from the daily congestion and the lung choking pollution. But, as time passed and winter descended it became worse, a tourist season came and went and guess what?? …there were few tourists. Internal flights were reduced because there wasn't enough aviation fuel so people from far flung districts had less chance of coming to the capital, International flights reduced frequency (or in the case of South China Air they stopped completely) due to the lower numbers and higher cost as they had to make an intermediary stop to refuel. Air fares went up. The impact of a downswing in tourism reaches from the hotels and restaurants of Kathmandu to the handicraft makers of the valley, to the trekking districts and of course to unemployment. Unemployment causes, particularly young men (needed for reconstruction) to seek alternatives off-shore. Nepal has proportionally one of the largest migrant worker populations in the world, prior to the earthquake it was 3rd in the world.

The black market flourished and to demoralize people who were struggling, fuel became available but at inflated prices; at one point gasoline was 4X the usual cost and cooking gas 8X, far beyond the ability of the average Nepali to pay. To add insult to injury, like a spit in the eye, it appeared clear that officials of all stripes, including the Nepal Oil Corporation, the Police, border authorities, etc had all jumped on the black market bandwagon and were having a hey-day... it is no wonder the blockage of fuel went on so long... who was motivated to stop it!? It is only now, months after the blockade that you can get petrol… diesel and cooking gas remain scarce… amongst rumours of trucks waiting now at the border because there is too much fuel in depots... so where is it going? Queues at fuel stations persist, and no one can really explain why.

As cooking gas ran out and as the temperature fell with the advancing winter, the government in its seemingly infinite mission of national disservice started to sell firewood from national forests rather than focus on solving the crisis at its root. The cost of wood doubled and people were using it to cook and to stay warm so that whatever air pollution gains had been made due to the lower vehicle numbers was lost to the smoke from fires. Whats more, all over the Kathmandu valley you can see trees either felled or denuded of branches to provide people food and warmth... in the 21st Century. A sadness descended when the previous Prime Minister Shushil Koirala who had been succeeded by the ambitious K.P. Oli in February as part of the Constitution signing agreement, died shortly after Oli's installation. While a firmly established member of the political elite at fault, Koirala was also an architect of the Constitution, a key player and prevailed over its signing... his loss was respectfully mourned nationally. 

Rays of sunshine thinned out…  and bad got worse in February 2016, 2 domestic aircraft crashed. When aircraft go down in Nepal it is felt like a blow to the solar plexus, across the nation people gasp because lots of people fly in Nepal or know someone who flies; the first incident occurred on a very popular route accessing the Annapurna and Mustang regions which my family had also been on in March, it could have been us. Tourism to those regions took a hit. People know the pilots, they are national heros, their loss is tragic and widely felt. Nepal is already struggling to gain its IATA accreditation for flights to Europe, and I recall a conversation of well-travelled aid officials once who posited that how an airport runs is indicative of how the country runs... this seems to hold true in the case of Nepal... the CAAC (airport authority) has a reputation of being rife with corruption, inefficiency and neglect.

My sense is that Nepali's soldiered on but wearing 'resilience' like a badge of honor. Was it misplaced? Many (Nepalis and non-Nepali residents) asked... why were there no protests in the streets. Previously when the government tried to raise the price of cooking gas there were loud public protests but this time, nothing. Queues at petrol stations were literally kilometers long, people left their vehicles for days and weeks in queues, I thought blocking the parliament with vehicles and non-violent protest at the gate would have gained results much quicker... but that would have required two missing ingredients... one the leadership to do it (and a game plan if it went pear-shaped), and two, such an action would have perhaps been construed or co-opted as an act in solidarity with the Madhes. Ahh, it does get complicated, and far moreso than I have written here. Indian border State elections didn't help when they disempowered the Hindu BJP party, in power in Delhi but struggling in Bihar with its long and porous border with Nepal.

And then there is the ruined economy having taken a double blow with the earthquake and then the blockade, I could go on but I think you get the picture. If you live above 2000m in Nepal as most of the earthquake victims do, how much do you care about these complexities when you are trying to feed your children, keep them warm and get medical help for your elderly parents? In Kathmandu how much can you protest when you know the suppression will likely be harsh when it comes, when you know there is no one to replace these entrenched leaders anyway, and when your main concerns are finding fuel for your motorbike so you can get to work lest you lose your job, and finding fuel so your wife can cook dahl bhat for dinner.

Like many resident expatriates we look on with dismay at the discontent of the population, and disappointment that there aren't alternatives to the leadership on the horizon for the change that has to come. I admire those amazing individuals, those rays of sunshine who crack on regardless organizing treks and expeditions, a mountain bike festival, international photo festival, and celebrate their festivals and hold music events (chapeau) to buoy up the youthful, diverse spirit of the nation and keep feeding the creative stream that is very vibrant in Nepal.

Nepal is a special place, with such amazing advantages and opportunities that are not being realised on a the scale necessary to transform the country into a regional example of so many great things.. like extensive micro-hydro projects, grand scheme hydroelectric power, like sweeping visions of high potential in tourism, like preserving for posterity the incredible vibration in the power centres (temples, monasteries and stupas) in the Valley. What about building a new capital elsewhere and leaving the Valley for tourists, anthropologists, spiritualists and its residents and for those wanting to develop the arts and hold space in this special place. Something has to give, the Valley has reached a critical mass, it is overburdened with humanity, the question is will mother earth express herself again in the form of another massive earthquake or will she let it continue to burn slowly; the elite constantly consuming what they can feed off until it all falls to ash. Embassies are closing their doors, fewer in number than ever before, donors are dismayed in a country where foreign aid income is as big as revenue gains through tourism and corruption is rife.

I hope for a breath of fresh air, for young educated well-spoken Nepalis to step up and step graciously almost fraternally, like a young person relieving his/her older tired respected elder to take on leadership roles which may not come easily. Then they can take on the challenges facing Nepal with gusto, diplomacy and vision.

Mother Goddess of the Earth

In light of the recent tragedy on Everest much discussion has been going on with people trying hard from within the ethos of grief and mourning to articulate the myriad number of issues at hand. People trying to explain what is at stake with the halting of this season's summit attempts from the South side...summit attempts, however many 'first's', even a wing-suit jump from the top...etc. Nowhere has the talk had more of a deep and distressing impact than here in Kathmandu.

A friend has written forcefully and informatively on her blogsite found at http://tangledjourneys.com/category/everest/ and today I added this comment (slightly re-edited):

Great article Donatella, lots to tell and a complex issue to be sure. I like to bring it back to basics and something that isn’t much discussed in the media nor understood by climbers including some Sherpas. Mingma Sherpa (of considerable local renown!) last night at the Le Sherpa fundraiser (here in Kathmandu) for families (they raised 1.72 lakh Rupees!) in his talk made numerous references to Qomalongma, Mother Goddess of the Earth known to Sherpas as Sagarmatha and to the world as Mt. Everest. She has spoken, she is disturbed and has been for some time voicing her discontent at the abuse meted out to her season after season. This season, early on and low down on the mountain she roared her rage claiming as victims the very people who revere her but have fallen victim to the shallow trappings of monetary gain.

The ego-driven commercialization of climbing the SE Ridge is a relatively recent phenomenon and is what has led to the competition between foreign guides and agencies (clouding good judgement), the excessive queueing, the arguments and animosity between Sherpas and foreigners, the build up of garbage and indeed the prolonged more frequent exposure of all climbers but particularly those hard at work through the (now infamous) Khumbu Icefall. Ego and commercialization are quite contrary to the reverent and respectful challenge that used to motivate climbing on the mountain and it was a special space and place reserved for serious climbers. Indeed on the North side this remains the case to a certain extent. All routes from the North are more technical, steep and prone to objective hazards often seen on north facing slopes. The routes demand a certain climbing expertise often going hand in hand with a dedication to a sport which attracts people with a connection to the mountains, the elements and things natural…unlike some of today’s peak baggers on the south side. Hopefully this requirement to actually know how to climb will stave off the egotistical hoards (herds?) from the North side, I hope the Chinese in any case cotton on quick and excise appropriately the cost for commercial box ticking sorts. (Alan Arnette in his blog gives a great comparative analysis of North vs South and the death ratio of both.

Back to basics: Respect the mountain; that the season has been halted before it bega is the one Sagarmatha demanded. Respect for the Mother Goddess of the Earth, Respect for the dead, Respect for the environment, respect, respect, respect. This is what needs to be at the foundation of any discussion or thought about the future of commercial climbing on Sagarmatha. I wouldn’t be surprised if the destabilization of the ice flow (caused by global warming) forces a serious change in the way Nepal thinks about climbing Everest and Sagarmatha National Park tourism management in general, its gains and how these are shared with the people of the valleys of Solu Khumbu. Mother Nature has a habit of getting her way and if there was a better sharing of the benefit of Park entrance fees and the multitude of other peak fees in the area then perhaps Sagarmatha could be declared sacred….and never climbed again.

Om mani padme hum, may the souls of those lost in the Icefall gain merit from their journey and find peace in their final resting.

First Impressions......return to Kathmandu!

I’ve been asked a few times for my first impressions of Nepal, returning now, 15 years since my last visit and 23 years since I last lived here.

the market in Durbar Square, Kathmandu hasn't changed in centuries.

What to say? It has definitely changed, I mean where could you travel to that hasn’t changed after 25 years……but at the same time, and in many ways, it hasn’t changed a bit.

Baba smoking chilums at Pashupatinath, boom shiva, this will never change!

I was sniggered at when I first suggested this on my second night in-country, that it hadn't changed much but now after two months and gaining several more ‘first impression’ reference points, I’d say it is actually pretty accurate and the sniggerer a result of the expat bubble phenomenon I will write on another time. 

This will never change, the kora around the stupa at  Bouddnath.

I use the goldfish bowl to describe the Kathmandu Valley experience over 23 years, bearing in mind that over this period the country had in 1990, a quiet revolution that ushered in a constitutional monarchy and diminished the role of the royalty in government. Then through the '90's came the build up to a harsh, acrimonious civil war that lasted through the 90's into the 00's and in the middle of which came the sudden shocking loss of nearly all the Royal family in a mass assassination in 2001. Here is a nice 'light' account of what may have happened, an event equally as surrounded by conspiracy theory as the assassination of JKF just not as well-publicized in Western mainstream media.

http://americanepali.wordpress.com/2012/06/01/royal-massacre-11-years-later/ 

The Royals were revered by many and despised by many but were very much a part of the national identity, it is only in 2008 that the remaining Royal, King Geyandra was removed from any active political role and a Republic declared. The effect that the loss of the royalty has had both at the time of their mass assassination and when Geyandra was removed is like taking away the back-ground color on the national flag; they Royals provided a common reference point for an ethnically and politically diverse and divided population, religiously the King is believed to be the reincarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu and so it is hard for Hindus not to revere him. !...at the risk of over-stepping I reserve further comment leaving the subject to better informed pundits.

So I liken the valley to a goldfish bowl. The difference between now and 23 years ago is that the number of fish in the bowl has more than tripled, many of those kitch ornamental and whatnot aquarium thingys have been added  to some very old ones, some of the dominant fish are gone, but others remain.... and sadly it seems the fishbowl water hasn’t been cleaned in all that time. Fortunately there are still the same fish, still the same miraculous way that things function (like the very busy airport in the middle of the city!), still the same ‘namaste’ greeting with a smile and bow, still the same chaotic street level activity, the same things for sale, the same touts...same monuments many of which are now World Heritage Sites. If memory serves there were 800,000 people in the Valley in 1987, today there are estimated to be more than 3 Million with the same number of roads many of which have not been maintained or repaired since they were built. And now you can even build vertically upwards (apartment buildings have sprouted!). This was previously forbidden lest you be able to 'peek' into the Royal Palace grounds.

Thing is, the Valley and the whole country has changed significantly and in many ways. The rise of the Maoist insurgency following the political changes in 1990 (the year I left) has changed the character of the people. This was a nasty war, one that rose with unexpected stinging hostility, where people had X’s marked on their doors and were later killed, where men and children were taken in the night to fight at the front line. The ensuing conflict between the Maoists and the State cost 13,000 lives That sort of thing cannot go without affecting the national psyche and I sense a lack of community trust and a very much more dog eat dog, like a hunger, kind of attitude amongst the people. Having just come from Beirut, another war-affected nation, I recognize in any monetary negotiation, a grasping desperation in the people, a tendency to grab today what may not be there in an uncertain tomorrow. This is reflected in an abrupt approach to foreigners in the market place, in Nepal, that wasn't there before, bargaining was friendlier, funner and now there is a taste of acrimony once the deal is done.

Another clear knock on effect of the war has been the enormous influx of rural people into the Valley, the building that has gone on here in especially in the past 9 years (peace was declared in 2006) has been incredible. People displaced by the war didn't go back home once it was all over, they had established themselves, become comfortable and they are here to stay. This is ironic because as a direct consequence of the war (according to some long staying expats), a 'people's war', is that things have actually improved considerably in rural Nepal, from whence the insurgency rose, but in the capital…..the improvements are harder to achieve and therefore harder to see. Out in the country-side there are more roads, more schools and more clinics, more access to essential services and markets. In the Valley it is choked with traffic every day, access to services? well, there is access if you don't mind sitting in traffic half your day.

you might call Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM) an 'inner city airport!

...that is something that has changed significantly, the traffic and associated particle (dust) and gaseous  (exhaust emissions) pollution. A huge problem when because of weather patterns and the geomorphology of the Valley pollution gets trapped particularly during winter months apparently to suffocating extents. While there is much press about 'most polluted cities' Kathmandu ranks 29th on the WHO 2013 survey (many Chinese cities either do not monitor or report). It remains to be seen for us, how bad the pollution really is, I mean we were living in downtown Beirut for 3yrs! And...3 million people do live in the Kathmandu Valley, thriving and surviving...so it may be polluted but it is highly inhabited!

What the Valley clearly hasn't lost is something that no amount of people-made pollution or confusion will ever change. The Kathmandu Valley still has the Vibe; one of the most amazing spiritual vibrations of any urban area in Asia, perhaps the world. This vibration is carried forward hourly by the devotion of the people be it at their home altar, at the multitude of temples for morning and evening puja (prayer), walking the clockwise kora at Bouddanath or Swayambunath for the Buddhists or bringing your dead ones to be burned at the ghats at Pashupatinath for the Hindus. The Vibe is what brought the hippies to Kathmandu through those heady days of the '60's (and the black hashish), the Vibe continues to draw people to the Valley and is amplified by the plethora of festivals that occur year round.

Bhaktapur

The Valley has a fantastic climate; at 1300m+ altitude, even the monsoon heat has been a tolerable 31-33C and in winter it doesn't go below 5C so a bit uncomfortable for 2-3months/ year, the rest of the time it is fantastic with views (from September to May) of the Himalayas stretching along the East-West axis to the north of the Valley. There is amazing trekking in the Valley at Sivapuri National Park or the Queen's forest, biking, hiking, bird watching. And then there are the opportunities for personal and spiritual development in yoga (ex.http://pranamaya-yoga.com/), Buddhist studies, Ayurvedic medicine, Shamanic plant medicine ceremonies, Hindu philosophic exploration...you name it and its here.

Pashupatinath, burning ghats on the banks of the mighty Bagmati River

So that Vibe hasn't changed either and is part of what makes Kathmandu such a place that global travellers must not miss. I am teaching yoga here both privately (email: elementalyoga.daniel@yahoo.com) and at the studio mentioned above and will be open for Elemental yoga therapy clients in September and will be leading a yoga-trek in November, hopefully the first of a few that I will lead. 

Flower of Life

Certainly I am happy to put together trips for people who are interested in bringing a group over, yoga, retreats, treks, all are doable in collaboration with professional Nepali colleagues. If you want to join November's trek, let me know in advance and I'll pave the way...http://pranamaya-yoga.com/event/everest-yoga-experience-a-beautiful-trekking-and-yoga-holiday-in-nepal/ 

And so with that subtle yet cleverly inserted commercial plug(!) the journey continues, something else that never changes. I am sure Kathmandu will reveal herself even more as time and experience in the Valley goes on, through the people I meet and my explorations and as personal processes unfold....

oh and did I mention I'm getting a new mo'bike to help enhance the experience? Check it out... http://pricenepal.com/yamaha/75-new-fzs.html 

Namaste eh!