Stranded in Thamel

Out of the four days that I was at Kathmandu, two days were declared as bandh. Upon my arrival at the airport, the hosts phoned and apologized for not coming to receive me because of a total bandh called very suddenly. Due to the volatile climate, only tourist vehicles were allowed to operate and I was told that instead of going to Park Village Resort where I was supposed to stay, it would be advisable to spend one night at Kathmandu Guest House which happens to be run by the same group. After much discussion and deliberation with the hosts, the taxi driver and the hotel and after weighing all options of the safest mode to travel, I finally got into a tourist vehicle along with a colleague and a couple of other passengers.

Mystical Himalayas

I have just returned from Kathmandu a couple of days ago and am still remembering the grand view of the mystical and magnificent Himalayas. As soon as the aircraft took off from Kathmandu, I changed my seat and got myself an empty window seat in the front row so that I could capture the view from the aircraft. The window pane was a bit dirty on the outside, but here is what I was able to click from the top. Needless to say that I was completely spell bound. I remembered the time when I had gone on a spiritual retreat to the Himalayas in my early twenties, when I was told by a nun to join their fold. Had I gone with the suggestion, I might have ended up being an enlightened soul by now and would have been staying in one of the monasteries in the Himalayas. Life indeed takes you in strange directions and the sight of the mighty Himalayas was absolutely humbling.