d-9

9 days here and around in KTM still left – until now I didn’t move out of the city, so many things to see/do, nice people around – but things gonna change!
So far, about my impressions of Kathmandu:
it is amazing, yes, there are lots of things to see. but at the end, more and more I find out, that the things I was looking forward, are not so outstanding (like Pasupatinath, UNESCO Heritage site). Yes, it IS nice to see the temples, and Gaths (where the deads are being burned), but in the end, it’s not so special, not so different from everything you can find in the city center itself. it’s not better preserved, it’s not less dirty, but much more expensive. ok, I admit, 5 Euro is not a lot (where in Europe can you visit a World Heritage Site for that quite reasonable amount? And yes, Georg, I know, there are some through which one can cycle for free… ;) ), and argumentation like “it’s the others who want us to preserve this site, why should we pay for that?” is not that wrong either. but, and I’m convinced (even if some affirm the opposite) that “western” (like we are called here, all tourists), when visiting, take better care of the site than “Nepali” do. of course, exceptions can be found in both groups of persons… but nevertheless, in my opinion do tourist litter less than others. this (the pollution) is the problem, which I consider the worst here. Should talk about that with some Nepali; all I found until now say the same: KTM is nice, but the pollution!
Seeing the rivers, who are in fact large waste dumps, smelly and brown, is quite heart breaking, like Fabian said. and along the same rivers, that even don’t run anymore, because so much water is taken to serve the city, there are temples and Ghats, persons are bathing in the holy water… there is still really a lot to do…
The air pollution is not less than that, I’m having right now I light bronchitis, I due it to this fact. And we don’t talk about acoustic pollution
And as I was looking forward to come to Kathmandu, as I cant wait now to get outside. tomorrow we will rent mountain bikes and have a day trip around, in the Kathmandu Valley, after that I still will do 2 excursions around, next wednesday I want to Bungee Jump, the 21st of June there is a free concert at Bhaktapur (at 3 pm – welcome to Nepal!), I already met Dawa, friend of Ornella, friend of my friend Claire, who will keep a present from Claire for Ornella, as we didn’t manage to meet in Nepal – she is in Solo Khumbu region, I was in Jumla and Dolpo region, both remoted, no internet, no phone, so finally we talked first time two days ago. I spent lots of times with Fabian, who really really got a good friend in all this time, I read a whole book in one day (the one I wanted to read while the 36h-bus-ride to Delhi – too bad, needed to buy another one…), I am passing lazy mornings (well yes, sometimes this happens, specially now with the cough I grapped), did some Thai Chi with another German guy I met two days ago, finally time is passing, and I’m nearly too lazy to move around as much as I’m known for… :) But isn’t that the purpose of holidays, having a good time? I have.
Last message I wrote about: not looking forward to come back to Austria, but finally yes. glad for that as well.
What else to say? Travelling around you always explore other aereas, meet other people, see different ways of living, and ALWAYS you want to see more… Also this time this travel removed some “to do’s” from the list, but made the list longer for some another dozens of things to experience around the world. So, next time I come to Nepal, I will …. if I come back to Nepal, because there are still soooo many other things to do in World before, I didn’t do until now… there are still places to see, adventures to take…
check out information about Kungs Leden – one idea I had in 2006. it moved up the list for several places, but there is still Mongolia, Baikal Lake, and LOTS OF other things to dream about…
So, gonna leave you now, it’s already one pm, the day is passing without me. but that’s ok as well… :)
have a nice day,
koerndl