I would hate you to judge Nepal on my feeble attempt to describe one minute section of Kathmandu - that would be very unfair. So let me use a wider lens and try sketch a picture of out beyond the Kathmandu valley.Kathmandu valley is (not surprisingly) surrounded by hills and at this time of the year, (monsoon), the clouds hang low over the valley hiding what are awe inspiring mountains. I never did get to see them here, but on a couple of occasions, when the sun beat back the clouds in Pokhara, I saw the snow capped apex of Machapuchare (Fish Tail), at 6,993m above sea level it's not the highest in the area, but when you see this mountain range high above the hills that surround the city they really do take your breath away.
The comparatively smaller hills that seem to guards these mountains have their own beauty. The roads up their sides are terrible, but climbing the hills you are rewarded with beautiful green fields, small terraced farms, vegetable 'tunnels' and paddy fields. Dotted among the fields are small villages comprised of very basic houses, community buildings, run down but lively schools and very friendly, generous people.
The scenery as we drove the roads is dominated by wide fast flowing rivers, (home to white water rafting tours), green hills and high snow capped mountains - it truly is breathtaking beauty. Trekking these hills, passing through the villages, being greeted by smiles and the welcome, Namaste (or Namaska) really is a special privilege.
As I traveled from Dhangadhi to Nepalgunj out on the western Terai, (the flat lands) I crossed the Karnali River using a 500m single pillar bridge, apparently one of only two in Asia. The clouds and rain were descending on the bridge as we crossed creating an eerie feeling of driving into the unknown. On the other side it was as if we had crossed into a different land - we were in the Bardiya National Park, the largest and most undisturbed jungle in Nepal and home to numerous species of animals including the single horn rhinoceros, elephants, tigers, leopards, deers and many species of endangered birds. We didn't see anything other than elephant, but they assure me there out there.
The scenery is inspiring, but the most beautiful thing from my experience was the people. Kathmandu, like any city is a little different with its busy people, but out in the hills and on the Terai, people are welcoming, generous and kind. Nepali culture dictates hospitality but I felt often that the welcomes went beyond the expectation of culture. The offers of sweet buffalo milk tea and beaten rice - or whatever they had - were genuine and heartfelt. Like many of the cultures in this part of the world, I felt that there was no way you could out give these people.My time in Nepal is now at an end, but as I fly out in the morning, I do so having learnt so much about the country and her people. There is much that is not yet good for all her citizens, but despite the explicit and extreme poverty, the recovery from internal war and the inherent caste, ethnic and gender challenges, I get the feeling that Nepal is going to fight - and so hope remains. (Thank you Nepal for the opportunity to learn.)
