After a year’s wait, I finally gathered some courage to get out of my comfort zone and moved to Nepal. No city has seemed as beautiful from the airplane window before this and never before have I lived in a city that is surrounded by snow capped mountains. This is truly paradise.
The time of my arrival in this city seems to be perfect. It is just the beginning of winter season. The weather is pleasantly cold at the night time and sunny during the day. It is the week of the Jazzmandu Festival that happens once every year. I made it for one of the concerts on the very day I landed in this city and what a welcome it was.
Having been here just a few days, I have completely immersed myself into the culture of this city. Every day is a new learning experience. Every day is a discovery of a beautiful place or a person. This city is a blend of beautiful landscapes, extremely striking portraits, stunning historical art and architecture and flavorsome food.
My visits to Patan and Basantapur Durbar Square have been extremely overwhelming and informative. I have been completely awestruck by the architecture. While darkness strikes the city, Thamel is one area which is full of life. The streets are crowded with tourists and the live bands in the bars can be heard far and wide.
In less than a week I have indulged myself with the local food every single day, conveyed in the local bus, which was a great experience, managed to learn a few words in Nepali and have explored some touristic and not so touristic locations.
Still getting familiar with this city, I have a long way to go and a lot more to delve into. This valley, which is divided into three districts of Bhaktapur, Lalitpur and Kathmandu, has a galore to offer.
Mithila Jariwala