A Weekend In Kota Kinabalu

This trip was planned with my old girlfriend, C, since July last year. Tickets were bought (I had some problems while buying our tickets online and had to spend 30 minutes calling MAS 40 hours before departure), hotel reservation was made and all we had to do was to wait for the departure date. Unfortunately, C found out in December that her husband would have to travel outstation on the day we were returning so she had to buy a single ticket back a day earlier.

The day before departure, we were both feeling poorly. I felt a slight fever coming up and had trouble swallowing. C had a bad tummy upset and hardly slept. What a fine couple of travellers we made! I made sure I drank lots of water, didn’t eat any chocolates and had an effervescent tablet of vitamin C the night before our departure. Oh and I tried to turn in early too.

I arrived at KL Sentral on Thursday morning to find C already waiting for me. I had dropped by McD earlier to get some chicken porridge for C as I was worried she was deliberately avoiding food because of her purging. I dropped off our bags at the City Air Terminal and we lingered a bit before taking the train to KLIA (no point arriving too early, I pointed out to C). She finally bought some carbon pills at Guardian Pharmacy and had that. It helped somewhat, thank God.

Our flight took off on time but I couldn’t sleep so I ended up watching a German movie instead (the title was in German and I can’t recall it now). It was a good fun movie. We landed at 1515 and were among the first ones out of the plane and clearing the immigration. Our bags came out early too.

We saw adverts of an airport shuttle so we headed to the counter to enquire. The bus leaves Terminal 1 on an hourly basis and it will stop by Terminal 2 en route to the city. We were told it only takes 20 minutes to the city and we could get down at any of the three stops (Centre Point and another two more which I can’t recall. Sorry). We got to chatting with the driver who enquired where we were staying. When we told him, he actually made a detour and dropped us at the hotel lobby! Amazing!

We checked in and after enquiring the shuttle times to the city (it costs RM3 return trip per person now; it used to be a complimentary service. Boo hoo), went to our room to perform prayers and rest. We took the 1810 shuttle (it was late though) to the city, got down at Plaza KK and went to find dinner. We had dinner at the night stalls by the waterfront and after that dropped by the dried seafood market as I wanted to buy anchovies. We had a slight problem with the shuttle going back to the hotel as it was full save for the tour operator assistant seat (I sat there) and I had to ask a lady from China if she wouldn’t mind having her little son sit on her lap.

On Friday morning, we had a late and long leisurely breakfast. Well, what this means is that I ate a lot and C had to wait for me. We were waiting for the shuttle when *pom* the electricity went out. It turned out that the whole of KK had the electricity supply cut (and it lasted about four hours). We got down at Centre Point and walked to SEDCO where we were meeting SK, our old schoolmate, for lunch. SK took us for lunch at Hyatt as it had a generator working. Lunch was slowly served but it didn’t really matter as we had to time to catch up with each other.

We bade goodbye to SK who had to return to office, blackout notwithstanding. After performing prayers at Hyatt, we walked to the various markets (including SAFMA, the local wet market, the seafood market and the Filipino Market). We spent close to an hour at the Filipino Market before checking out the stalls (C bought some grilled seafood for dinner, I was still full) and then returning to the dried seafood market for me to buy dried prawns. We then walked to Centre Point to catch the shuttle back to the hotel.

Back at the hotel, we had some problems with our lights which we later found out was due to a trip. Electricity was finally restored and we spent the evening resting and relaxing.

On Saturday, we had another late and long leisurely breakfast (correction: I had a long breakfast, C waited for me patiently). We left at 1130, C having arranged for one of the hotel staff to drive her to the seafood market and then to the airport. In the end, C bought frozen prawns from SAFMA – easier as it was already packed. You can buy it from the seafood market but you would also need to buy the ice and the Styrofoam pack to pack your purchase in. It would take some time for sure.

After bidding goodbye to each other, I walked to Wisma Merdeka where I did blood cupping. There was a new shop that offered it at RM200 with massage thrown in before and after the cupping. Brilliant! I didn’t need to go for a separate massage session then. The Kadazan-Dusun shop I visited previously charged RM260 and no massage thrown in. I also bought some USD at Wisma Merdeka. The best thing is they have a few moneychangers who sell small denominations of USD notes ($1, $5, $10 and $20) at a different rate compared to the larger notes ($50 and $100).

After that, I walked to the Filipino Market and I spent long enough time to buy some souvenirs for my officemates. I then walked to Centre Point and traipsed around while waiting for the shuttle back to the hotel. The shuttle was late and I only got back to my room after 7 pm. I spent the night packing, reading and watching a bit of TV and football (fell asleep after our two goals).

On Sunday, I went for an early breakfast for a change. I checked out at 0830 (I needed two trips to lug my purchases) and was in a cab heading to the airport within 3 minutes. I reached the airport at 0845 and dropped off my bag and two boxes. An hour is enough at an airport for me.

We took off on time and I watched a French movie this time. We landed at 1215 but the bag and boxes took a while to emerge and I was only able to take the 1300 KLIA Express train back to KL Sentral. Thank you to the porter who helped me carry my boxes onto the train!

So that was my sixth trip to KK. I wouldn’t mind another return trip or two.

Nepal In A Nutshell

How can I summarise a country based only on a few days’ visit? Of course I won’t do it justice but I can try from what little I experienced and observed there. I try to travel with an open mind and I will share what I went through, both pleasant and otherwise.

It’s an ethnically diverse country and the people there look anything from an Indian to a Chinese and everything in between. Some even look like Malays and indeed I think they can look like Malaysians too. I was asked if I was a Nepali twice. So yeah don’t talk about 1M or whatever blinking thing, when other more ethnically diverse countries don’t even have to spell it out.

The Nepalese are predominantly Hindus with Buddhism the second largest religion. However, the guesthouse lady at Pokhara told me that the Hindus also pray at stupas and the Buddhists also pray at temples. The two religions can co-exist harmoniously and yet, and yet, in this country, 56.5 years after independence, we are still saddled with issues such as the use of the word Allah.

It is a poor albeit lovely country. They get many visitors especially those outdoor enthusiasts. When I asked why he didn’t fly to New Zealand instead, the Aussie PR Chinese bloke told me not only does he still need a visa to enter NZ but it was still economical for him to fly all the way to Nepal (via KL) than to fly to NZ. And yes, things are generally cheaper there than in NZ or Canada, but of course. There are many shops selling outdoor gear so you could just buy them over there if you wish. But of course, despite the beautiful mountain sceneries, the cities are busy, dusty and dirty. The roads are bad. The farms and trees in the country are mud-coated. I don’t know how the locals get around wearing only slippers instead of covered footwear with all the dust (and I’m not sure where the dust is from. Cairo and Makkah are also dusty but these cities are near the desert so it’s understandable). Like I said, it is still a poor country and as we know, people in poor countries don’t place hygiene on top of their priorities. You see litter and dog poo at temples and the locals also like to spit – even at the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Oh and don’t get me started on the public washroom (even ‘tourist toilets’ at those heritage sites).

The country also suffers frequent blackouts (on a daily basis) lasting up to 14 hours in some places due to power theft and deficiency in power supply. Although Nepal has a great hydro power potential with its steep glacier-topped terrains, global warming has resulted in retreating glaciers in turn resulting in reduction in dry season flows. So if you’re travelling there, bear this in mind. It may also be a good idea to pack a power bank so that you can recharge your smart phones and tablets.

It is not difficult to find vegetarian and halal food there. I’m not too fussy; if there’s no halal food, I’m happy to settle for a vegetarian meal (minus any curry because I don’t like it anymore). So if you’re on a special diet because of your religion or belief, don’t worry.

Oh and yes, it is a safe country to travel in solo. Even if you want to go trekking, you can do it alone with a local guide. Then again, I am not worth kidnapping!

Will I return? It would have to be in spring or autumn if I do. I don’t mind the cold in winter but the fog creates havoc and can disrupt your plans. The Singaporean bloke I met said he trekked in the fog with extremely limited visibility for two days. The fog also disrupted the flights out of Kathmandu on the day I flew back there thus delaying my flight back to the capital.

The End

Namaste Nepal! Part III

Saturday, 28 December 2013

I went down for a late breakfast today and checked out just before 1030. I had arranged for a vehicle to take me to Bharatpur Airport about 20 km away (it cost USD10). The journey was a bumpy one and we reached the airport 40 minutes later. My flight was scheduled to depart at 1220 but we finally took off after 2 (turned out there was bad weather in Kathmandu affecting all flights out of KTM). I was getting worried as I had advised my Kathmandu hotel of my ETA and they were going to send someone to pick me up.

We landed at close to 3 and after picking my bag, I walked out and peered at the people waiting outside. I was already waiting 15 minutes and had already sent a text to Urja asking if he could check with the hotel when a man came up and asked me if I was staying at his hotel. He was there all along but he didn’t display his paper with my name on it! So pray tell, how was I supposed to know you were from the hotel? Was I supposed to approach and ask every Tom, Dick and Harry there? Duh!

We drove to the hotel and I had my first glimpse of the city. It was a big sprawling dusty busy bustling city with lots of people everywhere. The roads were not good either. We reached the hotel 25 minutes later and I checked in. I was given a glass of orange juice as welcome drink while filling up my particulars during check-in. How thoughtful!

My room was on the first floor and came with twin beds. I did ask later if I could have a double room but it was not available. There was hot water (hurrah!) and the WiFi was great too. After prayers, I went down to the lobby and waited for Urja. He was a bit late. He showed me some shortcuts and halal restaurants and also brought me to his office. I then paid him for a driver to bring me around Kathmandu Valley the next day. I wanted to walk to Durbar Square but he discouraged me, saying I could do that either early the next morning or the morning of my departure as the lanes are bad and there are no street lights. I looked at him in disbelief: what, no street lights in Thamel, the bustling area of the city?

We parted company soon after as he had to drive out to Nagarkot that evening. I went to explore Thamel and after dinner at Shree Lal vegetarian restaurant, I found my way back to the hotel. I also checked out the rooms at Shree Lal Inn (above the vegetarian restaurant). The single rooms start from USD7. If you don’t mind roughing it out, it’s a good option.

Sunday, 29 December 2013

After breakfast, I waited for Ghopal, my driver, to take me to the six of the seven monument sites of the Kathmandu Valley in the World Cultural Heritage List. We set of at 0830 for our first destination, Changu Narayan Temple, in Bhaktapur, about 18 km east of Kathmandu. We reached there at 0930. I paid Rs100 for the ticket and went up to check out the temple. It stands 1,541 metres above the sea level and dates back to 3rd Centruy AD. I spent half an hour there.

Next, we drove back to Bakhtapur city. The ticket was a jaw-dropping Rs1100. Durbar Square, the main square of the city is a conglomeration of stone art, metal art, wood carving and architectural showpieces. After Durbar Square, we walked to Taumadhi Square with its multi-roofed temples, stone sculptures, stone spouts and wood carvings. Pottery Square is nearby and here you can still see many potters working and laying out their finished pots to dry. The last stop was Dattatraya Square which is the oldest part of the city boasting Dattatraya, the oldest temple of the city, and Bhimsen temple. I changed $30 into Rs to cover the subsequent temple entrance fees. We were there for about two hours. Time just flew!

We drove to Patan (aka Lalitpur) heading to its Durbar Square in the middle of the city, arriving there at 1 pm. Entrance was Rs500 for foreigners. The square is full of ancient monuments, temples and shrines, each with its own exquisite craftsmanship and architectural charm. There was a big stage built today for a concert later in the day. I remember wondering if it’s not a sacrilege to have a concert so near a temple. There was already a large crowd there although the concert wasn’t due in hours. We walked around and on the way back to the car, I saw some local pastries by the roadside. They looked good enough to eat and I was delighted to discover they were delicious. Simple roadside snacks to fill you up quickly. We left at 1340.

We drove back to Kathmandu City and headed to Pashupatinath Temple, quite near the airport and on the banks of the river Bagmati. Traffic was quite bad and we only reached there at 1440. This temple is where you can see open cremations taking place. There are two areas, one for the common people and one for the elite. The entrance fee was a whopping Rs1000 and really, I don’t know where all the money went because the temple was not maintained. There were rubbish and dog poo everywhere from the car park all the way up the temple (it’s bad enough the city is already dusty). It’s strange that the first temple I went to charged only Rs100 and yet is a dozen timed cleaner than Pashupatinath Temple. I mean, it is among the most revered shrines for Hindus all over the world so I don't see why the money we foreigners fork out isn’t used to maintain the temple.

After Pashupatinath, we rejoined the crazy city traffic and drove to Boudhanath Stupa. The entrance to the area was a more reasonable Rs150. This stupa is one of the lost important places of pilgrimage for Buddhists and in the past, when the trade routes to central and western Tibet were open, traders, pilgrims and travellers sought blessing here for safe passage over the mountain passes and gave thanksgiving to it upon arriving in Kathmandu Valley. We went up to the upper terrace and circumambulated around the gigantic dome. We also dropped by at a nearby monastery for a few minutes before continuing on our journey.

Our last stop for today was Swayambhu Maha Chaitya temple up on a hill on another side of the city. The entrance ticket was Rs200. This temple is more easily identified as The Monkey Temple due to the many monkeys around the temple (thankfully not of the violent kind). I went up alone and enjoyed a breath-taking view of the city spread out below.

Ghopal then drove me back to the hotel. I went out to find dinner after prayers and was delighted to discover Lhasa Restaurant at Ashok Galli, a halal Tibetan restaurant very near my hotel. I missed it the evening before when Urja was showing me around the neighbourhood. Back in my room, I attempted to watch the heart-stopping Newcastle-Arsenal match (the power outages sure didn’t help!). We won, thank God.

Monday, 30 December 2013

After morning shower and prayers, I set off for Kathmandu Durbar Square. I walked the dusty lanes of Thamel and the next neighbourhood, asking for directions twice (I didn’t bring my maps) before finally arriving at the square. I grimaced most of the way at the state of the lanes; in some places, I had to jump twice over pipe lines freshly dug. It was a seriously horrible walk and I vowed to take a different route going back to Thamel. Kathmandu Durbar Square is the most extensive of the three royal palace squares (Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur) in terms of size and scale of open space and structures. King Pratap Malla had a stone statue of Hanuman erected in front of his palace to drive away evil spirits and be victorious in wars and this palace later came to be known as the Hanuman Dhoka Durbar. I spent about half an hour walking around and observing the morning life in and around the square before returning to my hotel.

After breakfast, I set off for Narayanhiti Palace Museum. I reached there at 10 am. Unfortunately, the museum’s opening hours are 11-14 in winter. I wasn’t about to loiter there for another hour and besides, I needed to be back at the hotel by noon to finish packing and perform prayers before checking out. I passed the Garden of Dreams again on my way back to Thamel but decided to skip it. Instead, I ventured into Thamel and walked up and down the lanes, checking out the stalls. I finally bought a yak wool scarf for my dad and a water bottle for myself before returning to the hotel.

After checking out, I walked to Lhasa Restaurant to have lunch. I met a Singaporean chap there and we got to chatting. He then showed me a shop selling Himalayan honey and I bought a bottle, again for dad. Then I returned to the hotel and started to read to pass the time. I performed evening prayers in the hotel restaurant after asking permission from the staff. They were kind, thoughtful and considerate enough to allow me to pray in there. They also gave me some tea while I was reading.

I had arranged for a cab to pick me up at 2030 even though my flight is at 2350. I ventured out for dinner after 7 and then changed the remaining rupees I had back into USD. The cab arrived on time and just before I left, the hotel staff and manager performed the khata ceremony on me by tying a scarf around my neck. How lovely and thoughtful!

We reached the airport after 20 minutes and I went in via check-in area B. We had to queue to screen our bags and the queue was slow. After that, I went for a quick visit to the washroom to freshen up as I was checking in my toiletries. I also shed off my hoodie into my checked in bag. After checking in, I went through immigration (such a lot of people!!!) and the usual security check (different queues for men and women). Then I went to wait at the boarding gate.

We rode the bus to where the plane was and boarded it at 11:30 pm. We took off on time and I tried my best to sleep. We landed at 0630 the next morning and my bag had just come out onto the carousel when I emerged from the prayer room. What luck!

So that was my year-end trip. I would love a trip to the happiest country in Asia and Tibet soon.

Namaste Nepal! Part II

Thursday, 26 December 2013

An early start this morning. Well, I couldn’t sleep well anyway, no thanks to the Indian guests who just checked in the evening before. They were early risers too. After shower and morning prayers, I gathered my bags and left my room. Had requested for an early breakfast as I had a bus to catch, departing at 0730. After a hurried breakfast, one of the guesthouse staff drove me to the bus station. It took us less than five minutes to get there.

I boarded the bus and it quickly filled up. Despite this, we only departed at 0805. Pretty soon, we were rolling through the suburbs of Pokhara and then the neighbouring small towns and villages with the occasional fields and farms. The road was not good and pretty soon we were bumping in our seats. I looked out and saw mud- and dirt-coated trees. Actually, there wasn’t much the locals could do I suppose. No matter how hard they try, the mud and dust would still settle on their houses, their fields, their trees... it was dry season in Nepal anyway.

We stopped by The Original Highway Restaurant at Gunadi at 0930, merely an hour and 15 minutes after starting out, for a thirty-minute mid-morning break. I went down to use the bathroom and checked out the food offered in the restaurant. Nothing particularly appealed to me and besides, I had my own food. We continued our way after thirty minutes and drove on before stopping at Motel du Mugling at 1115 for an early lunch break. We had to change buses after the break as the bus we boarded from Pokhara was actually bound for Kathmandu. We continued our journey at noon and reached Sauraha bus station at 2. It wasn’t much of a station and I was glad when I saw a representative from my guesthouse there (actually, I didn’t arrange for it so they probably either send out someone to wait every day or the other two guests who later arrived had earlier arranged for the pick-up. I got lucky either way).

We arrived at the guesthouse and I checked in. After performing prayers, I walked out to check out the area. Well, it’s really more of a village than a small cowboy town. I dropped by a hut to enquire the activities offered. See, Sauraha is located right next to Chitwan National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. After a while, I came upon a row of shops and a bloke came over to talk to me. I was apprehensive as I didn’t like strange men coming up to me but of course and I didn’t want to feel obliged towards him for anything. But he very kindly explained to me about the area and brought me to the basic National History Museum nearby. He also asked what activities I prefer and I told him I didn’t want any elephant ride or visit to the elephant centre as I’d read they were not treated right. I also told him I didn’t want to do any jungle walk as I had been bitten enough by leeches back in Malaysia. Nor do I care to go canoeing. The only thing that interested me was the jeep safari. He patiently probed and at one point, I blurted, ‘I’m a city girl,’ as if that explained everything. No, I won’t apologise for this because that’s who I am. I am a city girl and I won’t change that fact. He must have been wondering what on earth I was doing there and I was also starting to wonder the same too. Finally I told him that I would need to think about it and that I would let him know once I’d made up my mind.

I then went to see the river before continuing on the dusty road – actually, it wasn’t even a road. More like a sandy path. You come across the occasional cow and elephant dung and I walked up and down the path before I saw more shops. Oh, so this is the village centre then, I thought. I came upon more restaurants, shops, moneychangers and guesthouses while pondering. Finally, I decided, what the heck. I was already there, I might as well try out some activities. So I turned back and went back to tell the bloke that OK, I’d join some activities. In the end, I signed up for canoeing followed by a half-day jungle walk the next morning and jeep safari in the afternoon. I paid Bishnu $47 in total. Yes, it’s handy to have USD with you. After paying Bishnu and agreeing on the time to meet the next morning, I walked back to the village centre to have dinner. Then I walked back in the dark back to my guesthouse (no, there was no street light). WiFi was a hit and miss and I couldn’t switch the TV on because the power point didn’t work (and even if it did, I wasn’t sure if the TV worked). It was so cold in the room and I was shivering even under the thick blanket.

Friday, 27 December 2013

Woke up for morning prayers and shower. I went into the bathroom shivering and turned on the left-hand shower tap. Cold water came gushing out. I waited a while but still no joy. I turned off the left-hand tap and turned on the right-hand tap. Icy water came out. Goodness me, there was no hot water at all! So the two shower taps were for cold and much colder water! I had a very quick bath and performed ablutions.

I was getting ready when the lights went out. Uh oh, power outage again. I continued getting ready in the dark, groping around. I had a quick hurried breakfast and after breakfast, rushed off to the meeting point. Well, I needn’t have worried. We ended up waiting and waiting for others (we ended up joining another group for the canoe ride).

We finally set off at a quarter to 8. The boatman slowly paddled the boat and I could see steam rising off from the surface of the river. Bishnu explained that the river is warm during the night but cool during the day and I later tested the water and I can assure you he was right. Why, the river water was wayyy warmer than the water in my bathroom. Compared to the icy water supply in my bathroom, the river water was like a semi-boiling water!

Both of my guides are keen bird-watchers and they kept pointing out the birds that we saw along our ride. The migrating birds, the local birds, their nests, their hiding place. In fact, it was a good thing I didn’t sign up for the bird-watching activity because I was doing two activities at the same time – canoe ride and bird-watching! Oh, I also saw a jackal on the bank before it disappeared.

The canoe ride lasted 50 minutes and we got down on the other side of the bank and climbed up a cliff. My guide was explaining something to me when he suddenly stopped, looked to his right, listened hard and then urgently whispered loudly for us to run away. He said there were rhinos coming. I protested and said I didn’t want to go down the cliff (the cliff was steep to begin with) but he hurried me on so I had no choice but to practically stumble down the cliff. We stood hidden behind some long grass and listened hard. We waited about 15 minutes before Bishnu deemed it was safe for us to continue.

We walked in the jungle, at first along the river before venturing deeper in. Bishnu showed me some marks on the ground and told me those were the footprints of the earlier rhinoceroses. There were two, he said, and the male was trying to mate the female. The male rhino had mounted on the female but the female rhino was reluctant and it showed from the marks that the female rhino was trying to walk away with the male still mounted on her. We also saw rhino droppings, deer droppings, tiger droppings (Bishnu poked and showed me the deer bones discharged), tiger scratch marks and urine mark on a tree, a sloth bear dropping (with the heads of black ants and termites in the dropping). Really, you can learn a lot of the animals’ diets from their droppings!

Bishnu then spotted a bird rarely seen in those parts and Thagu (the other guide and keen bird-watcher) and he then took some time trying to take pictures of the bird. Apparently, there were two: one male and one female but the female had flown away. I squinted and looked hard but even with Bishnu’s binoculars, I couldn’t locate the bird at all. It was that tiny.

After a while, we moved on and spotting some grass land, Bishnu went to check it out and then excitedly told us that the male rhino was there. We spent some Kodak moments and then shortly after continuing our walk, saw some stags. Wow! Was I in luck or what. I had earlier seen some deer earlier but they hopping away too quickly for me to take any pictures. We also stopped at one of the observation towers in the park. There was an Italian woman there peering out over the jungle and Bishnu attempted to converse with her. There were some tiger droppings at the tower. Whoa, they went up there too! We rested there for a brief while before bidding goodbye to the woman and continuing on.

We boarded the boat back around 1140 and I rushed back to my guesthouse to perform prayers and have a light lunch. I was due at the meeting place at 1245 for the jeep safari.

We set off across the river after paying Rs20 each for a return boat trip and followed our guide to our designated jeep. I wanted to sit in front so the guide guided me to sit next to the driver in the cab. I enjoyed the safari. Along the way, we saw monkeys, some deer, a wild boar (I missed it though), crocodiles, river turtles, a big monitor lizard high up on a tree, two peacocks and the best of all, a tiger crossing the road about 50 m ahead of us! It passed by too quickly for me to take any picture though. We stopped the jeep where the tiger crossed but couldn’t see it. Well, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was already 100 metres away by the time we arrived at the spot. In between, we also stopped at a gharial crocodile farm but I refused to enter. Crocodiles are not my favourite animals.

We finished the safari four hours later and walked down to the river and boarded the boat back across. Bishnu met me as I climbed up and asked about my experience. After watching the sunset or what little of it, I went off in search of dinner and eventually had it at the guesthouse restaurant. I spent the evening reading or trying to (in between the power outage) before retiring.

To be continued

Namaste Nepal! Part I

I had promised my niece to bring her somewhere if she got good results in her PMR. However, when I asked my sister while they were in NZ, she said that the timing wasn’t good as they would need to find another school should she not do well in her exam. So that was that and it was two weeks before Christmas then. I quickly considered my options and finally decided on either Nepal or Bangladesh (and why not. If I were to go to these countries, it would be in winter rather than any other time). So I did my research and contacted a tour operator. Liz also gave me another contact to consider and finally everything fell into place. The rough itinerary was done, accommodation was accordingly booked, domestic flights were arranged by Liz’s contact and I finally bought the KUL-KTM-KUL ticket ten days before departure. Oh, some people from the workplace (not my department) were also going to Nepal but I didn’t know them enough and also they planned to leave a day later so I decided not to join them and instead go solo.

Tuesday, 24 December 2013

An early start. Got up at 4 am to watch Arsenal-Chelshit match but retired soon after as I found Chelshit horrible enough to watch. Didn’t manage to sleep though and dad woke me up before 5. Showered and had a light breakfast (whatever I could consume just after 5 in the morning anyway) and after prayers, dad sent me to the bus station. I’d decided to ride the coach to KLIA. I wasn’t in a rush and would still had time to check out the duty-free shops. I never liked spending too long at the airport anyway.

Arrived at the airport before 8 and it being Christmas Eve, there were long queues everywhere, including the bag-drop queue. I decided I’d just join the normal check-in queue even though I had checked in online as it looked shorter and faster than the bag-drop queue. After checking in my bag and getting my boarding pass, I headed to the departure area and yes, did manage to check out the duty-free and then take the aerotrain back to my departure gate.

We boarded slightly later than scheduled but still managed to land on time. I had decided to fly out immediately to Pokhara instead of going to the city and coming back to the airport the next day. I quickly disembarked and made my way to the immigration. I had decided I’d get a visa on arrival instead of applying it before going. It should be a simple process and would be if you knew the procedure: first, get a visa application form from one of the counters set up against the wall and fill it up. Then go to one of the booths just before the immigration counter to pay for your visa. I applied for a 15-day visa and it cost me $25. After getting your receipt of payment, queue for the immigration. It sounds easy enough but there was a couple who were held up for a while at the immigration although they were there before me. After clearing immigration, I went down to the baggage collection. There was a long queue as we had to screen our hand-carry items. Despite all that –filling up the visa form, clearing immigration and queuing for the hand-luggage screening – we still had to wait for our bags to emerge. Urja, Liz’s contact, was waiting for me when I finally emerged from the airport.

Urja handed me my domestic flight and bus tickets and sent me to the domestic terminal nearby. I felt like I just stepped back into 1960s (not that I know how that would be but I guess that’s how 1960s would feel like). I had to wait about 90 minutes for my flight. The check-in desk opened an hour before departure and it was all done manually. But surprise, surprise, the boarding area had WiFi facility so I took the opportunity to check my messages and twitter timeline.

We boarded our flight – only one person can board the short flights at any time (the stairs didn’t look like it would be able to support more than 70 kg) - and before long, all 30 of us were strapped down in our seats, 2 passengers on the right and one passenger on the left of each row. We were given some sweets and a cup of coffee which I refused as I don’t drink coffee.

We landed in Pokhara at 1540 and after collecting my bag, I went to survey my options. I didn’t have any Rupees to my name then, having not changed money at the international airport earlier. I actually thought of walking (it was about 2 km from the airport to my guesthouse) but which way? Then a man called out to me and I squinted, thinking ‘My, is that a taxi?’ Yes, it turned out it was indeed a taxi. He offered to take me to my hotel for Rs300 (USD1 = Rs97 so that’s more than $3). I told him I had no money but he said he’d bring me to a moneychanger. Turned out there are quite a few moneychangers near my guesthouse – no wonder the cabbie wasn’t worried. After paying him, I went to check in at my guesthouse.

After prayers, I went to explore the area and to look for dinner. My guesthouse is at Basundhara Park, the south side of the Lake Phewa and the road along the lake, aptly called Lakeside. There are many businesses along the road: shops, restaurants, moneychangers, hotels and guesthouses. I walked on and on while at the same time keeping an eye out for a potential place to have dinner. I found two halal restaurants but had vegetarian chowmein and cheese and potato momos at one restaurant. I returned back to my guesthouse and turned in before 2130 local time (Nepal is 2 hours and 15 minutes behind Malaysia). It had been a long day indeed.

Wednesday, 25 December 2013

Woke up for morning shower and prayers. Turned on the left-hand shower tap but got cold water so I decided to turn on the right-hand tap and presto! Hot water! Phew! It was winter time in Nepal and it was quite cold. Actually, if anything it was always colder indoors throughout my stay in Nepal. I could walk outdoors even as early as 7 am and not feel that cold but I’d be shivering in my room!

After breakfast and changing rooms (some guests from India were due to arrive that evening and I was warned that they would be potentially noisy. Huh, don’t I know it), I walked out to check out the area in the daylight. Well, it was a misty foggy morning down by the lake. I saw a Malaysian family walking across the street and the dad saw me and we acknowledged each other. I retraced my footsteps of the evening before for about a km before returning back to the hotel as I had a paragliding appointment at 11. Yes, paragliding! Me!

Back at the guesthouse, I discovered that there was a power outage and I had to use the power bank to charge my phone. I tried to read while waiting but the paragliding company called to say that because of the overcast morning, the session would have to be delayed and they would pick me up half an hour later than scheduled.

Well, I finally left the guesthouse around 1130 and was driven to the company office to fill up a form. Among others, I had to provide details of next-of-kin for the company to contact in cases of emergency. I can’t recall if there was any insurance and didn’t think of asking then if insurance was included in the fee. Turned out there was one other person joining: a Chinese bloke who’s a PR in Melbourne. We left about 20 minutes later. Oh and by the way, do arrange your paragliding session yourself because you pay less that way than if you go through your guesthouse/hotel like I did.

We drove up to Sarangkot from where we would take our leap. We had to wait a while for the right wind conditions and direction. John, the Chinese bloke, took off first with his Russian pilot (I was so glad I didn’t get the Russian as he seemed gruff, arrogant and unfriendly. I had Geni, a Bulgarian eye candy. Phew!

I was already feeling nervous when Geni put on my gear on me. It was heavy and weighed me down. It was then when I pondered what I was doing and why and if it wasn’t too late to back out. But hey, I’d already made it all that way, right. Still, I was nervous and admitted as much to Geni. He smiled and said that was normal and tried to encourage me. It wasn’t enough as I couldn’t even move when I was told. We missed the wind and had to wait another 5 minutes. I felt so bad and guilty but was still scared. I’d overheard the Russian told John to walk quickly, break into a run and then jump off. Geni repeated the same to me but I felt my legs like lead which couldn’t move. Then this one local boy grabbed hold of me and pulled me shrieking and screaming and suddenly... we were off! We were in the air! I was flying and floating!

I cannot describe what it felt like to be up there. I felt free like a bird and said to Geni that now I understood why he did what he did. It’s a marvellous feeling and yes, I would do it again (I would still hate having to run and leap off though). We spent about half an hour soaring above Sarangkot and Pokhara and after a while, I even managed to slowly take out my camera and take pictures of the scenery below. We landed on a strip of land jutting into the lake and I could see cow dung as we were descending so I tried to avoid them all. We landed very smoothly and without getting anywhere near any cow dropping. Heh!

I waited for Geni to finish packing up (I tried to help but he said it’d be better for him to do it all by himself) and our vehicle then came to pick us up. John and his pilot had landed further up so we drove for a bit on the rough terrain before picking them up. We drove back to the office to have a look at the pictures and videos taken during our flight and I paid Rs1700 for the CD. I asked to be dropped back at my guesthouse.

Back at the guesthouse, I performed prayers and had some bread before venturing out again. I walked to the lake and then walked along it. I walked to the main street and walked down Lakeside before finally settling for a light dinner at one of the halal restaurants. Had buffalo momos for dinner. Pretty sure I’d never had buffalo meat before!

I walked back to the guesthouse after purchasing some souvenirs. I tried to have an early night but the Indian guests had arrived and checked in and were determined to keep everyone else up.

To be continued

The Year That Was: 2013

UPDATED

It was yet another mixed year. Positives and negatives, happiness and sadness, life and death, new places discovered and old places revisited... I spent even less time on FB and more time reading (or trying to).

Alhamdulillah, I managed to do the following trips, locally and abroad, long and short, as follows:

January: Finally landed in the land of Pharaohs, gazed upon and entered into the pyramids! Experienced night train ride to Aswan and then cruised down the Nile River to Luxor. Visited various temples too and the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. I should have visited this country sooner but hey better late than never, right

February: Returned from Egypt; spent CNY weekend in Bandung and Jakarta – brought my niece to Trans Studio Bandung

March: Flew to JB and explored Legoland

April: Flew to UK and Ireland and explored Galway, the rugged beautiful landscape of Connemara and the windy and insanely beautiful Cliffs of Moher

May: Europe: visited the crazy city of Naples and then explored Herculaneum and Pompeii, had fun at the Amalfi Coast and revisited Budapest

June: Train trip to Singapore during the haze

July: Went to watch Arsenal in Jakarta

August: Day trip to Ipoh

September: Spent Malaysia Day weekend in Guilin. Joined a package tour and had a great time (didn’t expect that to be honest)

October: A short break in Penang, discovered a charming boutique hotel

November: Spent Maal Hijrah scaling Mount Bromo before travelling to Malang and Surabaya; another short break in Penang

December: Day trip to Muar (had fun despite it being a hot day and I got stung). Planned on another destination for my end-of-year getaway but it didn’t materialise and finally bought air ticket to Nepal. Visited Pokhara and Chitwan National Park before returning to Kathmandu. So I visited both Naples and Nepal in 2013 heh (OK, bad joke, I know)

I set a target of 100 books but was 3 books short of my target ;( Didn’t manage to watch many movies, mainly because some releases were crap anyway and also because sometimes I just missed them (either from not realising they were already at the theatres until their screening had been withdrawn).

We saw Arsenal overcame the negative spiral and huffed and puffed into the fourth spot. We signed Ozil on the last transfer day and after the initial struggle, we are now top of the league!

My resolutions? A healthy lifestyle and taking care of my respective relationships (to my family, friends, acquaintances, colleagues and of course, God), rein in my temper and to continue to explore the world and push myself out of my comfort zone. I’m not one to go caving, mountain rock-climbing, mountaineering, white water rafting, sailing, abseiling, parachuting, running in marathons (I had done walkathons before), not because I can’t or fear to but because for now those activities just don’t interest me. I don’t have them in my bucket list, they are just not on my list of things to do. Oh I know I can do them if I want to (I’m not scoffing or bragging but I don’t think I’m that hopeless and not to be able to attempt them should I want to), after all I had jungle trekked a few times and entered walkathons before and I know I can push myself to do more but I’m just not into them. But never say never. I just wish those outdoor people who do all those things won’t look down on us who just don’t have interest in those things. My interests lie elsewhere; I prefer exploring old cities and ruins, experiencing culture and appreciating other heritages.

The year and the road ahead will be more challenging than before, what with exercising financial discipline and being prudent but yeah, shit happens and shit is what is happening now. All we can do is never give up hope, fight on, prepare for the worse but hope for the best. Fasten our seatbelts and let’s try to enjoy the ride!