Things were looking rather uncertain in Kathmandu a couple of weeks ago. There had been a series of bandhs, day after day, and I was beginning to hear about the situation getting a little more unsettled and volatile than usual. I've talked about the bandhs before - when it is enforced, people are not meant to go out, drive their cars, or open up their shops for the day - generally bicycles were ok and even motorbikes. This time though, I kept hearing that motorbikes and bicycles were not being allowed out and the protesters, or the ones calling the bandh were burning peoples bikes if they did go out. Even the lady who helps out in my flat said she passed two burning motorbikes last Morning on her walk to work.
So, with all this happening, I was beginning to get a bit nervous. I wasn't able to get across the city to my office, and even most of the shops in Boudha were closed so I hadn't been able to buy any food. I decided, I'd head to Mumbai for a few days and wait it out until after the 27th and the constitution was due to made.
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| Not a car in sight |
I booked my ticket for the next day, easy enough and pretty cheap, but then came the next problem. How was I going to get to the airport in the morning. My flight wasn't till noon, not that made a difference. Taxi's didn't want to drive because there was a possibility they would get damaged, and there isn't exactly any public transport to take. Actually, taxi's would go, but not after 5am in the morning - so I'd have to be up and out by 4 and then have over 6 hours sitting at the airport - not my idea of fun.
One option that came up was taking the tourism board bus from the Hyatt Regency to the airport - by the timings were unpredictable and there wasn't any guarantee of a seat. So I started asking around about options and the idea came up to walk to the airport! Yes,
Walk to the airport, with a porter carrying my luggage, early in the morning. Not something you would ever think about doing in any other country.
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| At least I didn't have too much luggage |
So that's what I did. 6km from Boudha to the Airport, at 8am in the Morning isn't too bad when you don't have much to carry. It was oddly enjoyable and definitely makes for a good story. It was quite impressive having this little Sherpa man carrying my luggage! Going down through Boudha and across the main road was a bit weird. Not a car in sight, a few people walking around, but that was it. This is usually a busy road and at that time in the morning should have been packed with cars, busses and micros taking people and children to work and school. Instead it was rather eerily quiet. We crossed the main road and went down along a back road heading towards Pashupati temple and the airport on the other side. It was nice to see the place waking up. It's amazing what people will do in total public on the side of the road, have a bath, brush their teeth, drink their morning cup of tea. When your house really small, and you share with so many others I guess all sense of personal space and privacy gets lots.
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| A Nepali riot policeman having an easy time |
I walked down behind Pashupati Temple, they didn't let us go through the complex, which might have been faster, without paying the 500rs entrance fee. They clearly didn't want people just using the temple as a through road, and fair enough. Instead, we walked along an unpaved and rather dusty road through a beautiful forest. At that time in the morning the cicada's and the birds were singing and it was still quite cool with the sun just coming up behind us. In front, we saw several other families dragging the bags along, clearly also headed for the airport.
Then, up through the forresty bit, we came alongside Kathamdu's golf course. I had never know it was there before, but there it was, green and lush with people out with their caddies already starting a game. I guess the bandh's didn't really affect them. By now we were nearing our end point, arriving at the airport in style!
1 comment:
Don't make me do it!!!
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