As we know all too well, planning isn’t exactly easy these days. We’ve been hoping (rather than planning) to return to Nepal for some weeks now, but then a loving family member gave us COVID. Then – although it doesn’t make scientific sense – we couldn’t fly until our PCR tests for COVID had returned to negative, which can take up to 90 days, so that kyboshed plan A. Happily the reality was less than a month, then off we toddled, clutching our passports (containing shiny new visas), boarding passes, test certificates, vaccine passports and completed 6-page COVID Crisis Management Centre forms.
There’s always something though. Maybe it was the Nepali Embassy in London’s Tipexed alterations on my visa (who still uses that stuff?) or maybe it was a ‘computer says no’ glitch but immigration took a couple of hours, and I felt bad for the two plane-loads of folks queuing behind me. This being Nepal though the process was all very civilised and we were even shown into someone’s office to sit and wait while several immigration officers tried to sort things for me. Then we were out into the caressing warmth of almost-post-Monsoon sunshine, with clear cutting light, brooding skies and rumbling storm clouds keeping the Himalayas from view.
On our journey from the eastern to the southern side of the Kathmandu conurbation, it was good to see little evidence of the floods that hit earlier in the Monsoon, although some were still shovelling Bagmati River silt off the road neat the ‘UN Park’.
Then debouching from the taxi just outside our flat in Kupenundol Height a huge blue black and white birdwing butterfly swept past and a pair of magpie robins sang a welcome. It is good to be back although sad that this is likely to be a last trip. UK aid cuts have disproportionately hit Simon’s work despite it being so effective and innovative; after four years that is being wound down and for us work and life will become even more lacking in structure.
Meanwhile in our flat here, I needed to be reminded that rainfall means power cuts but that’s all right as very few of the power sockets work any more, so it’s candles at the ready. Even when newly rewired, some sockets would make sizzling noises, others smoked, several melted plugs and adaptors, and when I’m recharging my computer I get a pleasant buzzing sensation in my hands. I’ve decided that this must be a good prophylaxis for repetitive strain, as I seem to be able to be able to type all day with no undue consequences. So I’ve no excuse whatsoever not to continue work on my current project which is a medical memoir.
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The view from Kupundol is awesome when clouds clear (this was taken March 2020) |
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View north looking from the southern Kathmandu Valley with jacarandas in flower (it is April); Langtang himal is the triagular snowy peak |
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This wire powers the extractor fan in our bathroom and was installed by an electrician |
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Back in the land of spaghetti electrics, wonky wires and ayurvedic toothpaste |