I am told Nepal is the most revisited country in the world. A French girl, Florianne, told me this whilst we were drinking a few too many Everest beers (which is probably the best local lager). Like me, she moved from her home country to find adventure somewhere new. She started in India and now gives elephants pedicures at Chitwan National Park, Nepal, where these majestic pachyderms have to endure more than 60 hours per week with foreigners saddled on their backs, leaving them with very sore feet and injured toe nails. That aside, I was not surprised to hear that Nepal figures highly on so many backpackers’ list since there is so much to discover. However, inevitably travellers have to spend time in Kathmandu – not exactly paradise on Earth.

The original Thamel street from the 1960’s, where hippy backpackers smoked hashish and prepared for their excursions in-country.

The first thing that struck me about Nepal’s capital city is the omnipresent, waist-high dust (the photo above doesn’t really depict that, but trust me, it’s dusty). Most locals wear masks to mitigate its impact. The city is still very much reeling from the the 2015 earthquake, whose epicentre in Manaslu rippled across Himalayan heartland with devastating effect. The fallout is still visible as many roads and buildings are still being rebuilt, leaving behind this ever-present dust. Also, the city is probably the loudest place I have ever visited (by far!). Motorized vehicles with two, three, and four wheels honk incessantly all day all night, and their motors roar loudly to the point where I don’t even think they have mufflers here. At night there is a local rooster in my neighbourhood that clearly has no conception of when dawn is as it begins to crow as early as 3 AM. I often visualize myself hunting him whilst I can’t sleep. I have only been able to sleep about 4-5 hours per night as result of all the noise (but at least I don’t have to wake up to go to work, ha!). Crossing the road in this city is also an adventure in itself. You have to be bold, assertive and take a leap a faith by holding your hand out and just go for it. Even walking on the narrow, small side streets is a challenge as vehicles constantly honk their way forward and motorbikes weaves through the pathways within hand-length of pedestrians. Oh, and there are smoking hot piles of garbage every few hundred metres and packs of stray dogs roam the streets. And yet, amidst this chaos there is much beauty and sincerity to be found.

The Nepali people are incredibly generous and accommodating. From the first smile and “namaste” greeting to the last goodbye, they are genuinely kind and welcoming. The city is also rich with culture and several incredible sights can be seen, from the hilltop temples like Swayambhudnath (aka the Monkey Temple) and the street-level shrines to the backpacker’s haven in Thamel and the lush gardens dotting the city. So, if you look past this rough, dusty exterior there is much to find that will make you revel in the inevitable first stop in Kathmandu.

Swayambhudnath Temple, commonly known as the Monkey Temple. Yes, plenty of monkeys playing around.

I have been staying at the Elbrus Home, a lovely hostel just north of Thamel. Here I have met so many interesting people from all over of the globe. Like me, most are here biding their time before they head out farther afield in country to trek the mountains, walk through the jungle to spot tigers, rhinos and monkeys, visit temple cities or other centuries-old cultural gems. Tomorrow I will leave Kathmandu to visit Bhaktapur, which literally translates to “Place of Devotees”. It is an ancient city renowned for its art, culture, colourful festivals and indigenous lifestyle of the Newari people. After Bhaktapur I will be heading to Pokhara, Nepal’s second-biggest city and apparently way more beautiful and serene than Kathmandu. I will link up with a Argentinian friend that I met at Elbrus Home, who will be fresh from a jungle tour at Chitwan. He promised me he would take a selfie with the local rhino, who comes into town every evening to graze at the rice terrace.

Shrine near Durbar Square.

Later this week I will begin the Annapurna Base Camp, an 11-day trek in the Annapurna range, home to the world’s tenth-highest mountain. I have hired a guide and porter to accompany me through Gurung villages and as we climb through the Medi Gorge into the Annapurna Sanctuary, an amphitheatre of huge Himalayan peaks sitting at 4,000+ metres. The trek offers breathtaking close-up mountain views and even hot springs along the way to rest our aching backs.

Finding zen at Swayambhudnath (but, really, I’m no yogi).

By and large, the first few days of my journey have been amazing even if I have had very little sleep because of the chaotic, loud metropolis that is Kathmandu. I have talked to and learned something new from every single person I meet. In the end, this is exactly why I am doing this – to broaden my perspective of life on Earth and put me in direct contact with different ways of thinking and living.

I will try to write again as I rest up in Pokhara before I head out for the trek. Oh, by the way, momos are the most delicious thing I have tasted in recent memory. I have been eating them literally every day. They are like Japanese gyozas, but way more flavourful. They make them both savoury and sweet. Below is a photo of spicy chicken half-fried momos, which I ate in under five minutes flat.

Here are a few other photos from my first two days in Kathmandu: