What’s good around here

After writing many posts on funny things in Nepal, as well as those things that I cannot, ummm how should I put it nicely, stand, I figured it was time for me to write about something I like here. There should be such things, no? After all, I moved here by my own choice.  So here it goes. Things I like about Nepal.

First place, without a doubt, goes to the weather. Let’s face it. Weather in Kathmandu is gorgeous, all year round. Sure, you need to learn how to handle the rain in summer months, but seriously, who minds getting rained on when it’s hot outside. Getting rained on is like a breath of fresh air. For the rest of the year sun is out every day. Every single day. It gets a bit cold in winter. But what’s taking a shower in an 8°C bathroom in comparison with seeing the sun every day for almost 8 months in a year? So yeah, weather, gorgeous.

It might be a total cliche, but I cannot not mention the historical sights. Kathmandu might  be dirty and polluted and crowded and crazy and all kinds of things. But the sights you can see are amazing. If you start from Patan and move through Kathmandu Durbar Square, Swayambhunath and Boudhanath all the way to Bhaktapur, trust me, you’ll be hooked for life. These places are rockin’. And the best part about all of them – they’re not just tourist sights that are there to be photographed and not to be touched. People actually live there, in them , around them and with them. It’s an amazing sight. My favorite? Boudhanath. It’s a place like no other. Not to be missed.

Zagreb might be trying real hard to be a cosmopolitan city, and in many regards it definitely is, but what’s missing there is a diverse restaurant scene. Kathmandu had me amazed with its variety of restaurants and food. It’s a never ending exploring out here. We’ve been to so many places already, but it feels like we haven’t even tackled into a vast restaurant pool in Kathmandu. I love it! Indian, Italian, Korean, Japanese, Nepali, American, Spanish… Anything you wish for can be found in Kathmandu. Isn’t that just perfect?

And last, but not the least, mornings are what I enjoy tremendously in Nepal! Yes, there is an annoying sweeping lady outside my window every day at 6 am. And yes, the dirty pigeons are making horrible cooing sounds, but once I get out of bed, open the curtains and look outside, I am stunned. The sky is of a blue shade that I’ve never seen in my life. Sun is glistening on the surrounding hills, and snow-covered mountain tops are visible in the background. Kids are playing on the rooftops, their laughter carrying across the neighborhood. Bells can be heard in almost every house making everything seem magical. It’s impossible not to love this place!

Ignore neighbor’s laundry and focus on the beautiful mountain tops in the distance.