On the 1st of May the day arrived for me to leave London and move to Nepal for the summer and live with my boyfriend and his family. I did not sleep at all the previous night due to nerves and suspense but I managed to get all packed up, move out of the flat and get to the airport. Everything went so smoothly from there but I was just wanting to get the traveling over so I was closer to seeing M.
The very empty flight to Delhi
Once I had boarded the Air India flight to Delhi I was excited to eat some food and then sleep the rest of the way. However, that plan was quickly flawed when the guy infront of me who was making polite conversation at first then decided to move and join me in my aisle. Before the aeroplane doors had closed he had already lifted the back of his shirt up showing me some tattoo that he had received in Thailand not that I had even inquired. I tried everything to get this guy to stop talking to me but he did not get the hint at all.
My new ‘friend’
He did come in handy though when we arrived in India to transfer our flights. He kept me company the hour I had to kill by telling me more stories like when he was woken up by some wild pigs eating his Tibetan prayer beads. As my plane started boarding he left me and the surrounding people sitting beside us who he had managed to rope into the conversation and went on his way.
The flight to Nepal went quickly in comparison to the flight to India but I still had not slept at all. I was served lunch and by this time I was counting down under half an hour till we landed. I rushed through baggage and visas to get to the waiting area and came out rolling my suitcases with my eyes scanning over everyone to find M. He saw me quicker than I managed to find him, so he walked over and just stared in shock that we were both there and in Nepal.
My first impressions of Nepal were completely different to what I had imagined many times in my head. Nepal was a lot greener and lot cooler than I anticipated. It had been raining and was about 20 degrees. A very cold comparison to the over 35 degree heat I had just experienced in Delhi.
Flying over the terai – my first view of Nepal
Flying into Kathmandu
It was only a short drive from the airport to his house so we had just managed to discuss the flight before I was bundled out the car and standing in front of his family home. As I came through the door his family were all so welcoming and happy I had arrived. It was very strange and I was still seriously jetlagged and tired from the traveling but I stayed up late until his dad arrived home so I had met everyone before I slept.
My first nights sleep in Nepal was not great. M and his sister had swapped rooms as his was a bigger room for two of us. As I collapsed on the bed in M’s room I expected to sink into the mattress but in Nepal they are all handmade and felt as hard as the floor which was a real surprise. I did not feel that I could relax as I was on edge most of the night and very aware of my surroundings. I woke up early the next morning and after later speaking to M I was shocked by the story he had to tell me already after this first night. I will be continuing that funny story in my next post…