TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM / SEPTEMBER 2019 79
“NOT GONNA HAPPEN,” says Aaron, our two-meter-
plus photographer, with a shake of his head as he surveys
the sardine can on wheels that is masquerading as our taxi.
“We’ll never get into that thing.”
We are standing, a four-strong group defined by the girth
and height of western men and a propensity for over-packing
by the women, on one of the dusty streets that extend like
tendrils from Durbar Square in Patan. Judging by the
exasperation etched on the face of the diminutive cabbie as
he tries to shoehorn luggage into the tiny trunk, it appears
Aaron might be correct.
But logic-defying achievements are not uncommon in
Nepal. The landlocked nation, abode of countless deities,
shamans and spirits, has long fostered a proactive attitude
that often transcends earthly constraints. This, after all, is
a country where—according to which of its myriad legends
and superstitions you subscribe—gurus fight it out with
demons on lonely mountaintops, headless kings protect
backstreet shrines and frogs possess supernatural powers.
And so, remarkably, after a little contortionism and
suitcase Tetris, we are soon beating a speedy retreat through
the action-packed streets. As the tiny car weaves its way out
of Patan and over the sanctified Bagmati River—narrowly
missing wandering sacred cows and the odd disorientated
holy man—I’m elated to be back in Nepal.
I’ve come to the roof of the world in search of adventure
and a chance to relive former highs in a country I had last
visited near the turn of the millennium. On that occasion,
I was flying solo. This time around I’ve got company in the
shape of Aaron, plus Nana and Hyde, our partners.
Due to time constraints, one of Nepal’s signature multi-
day treks is out of the question. Instead, we’ll restrict
our focus to the Kathmandu Valley, a bowl-shaped basin
purportedly created from the bed of a sacred lake by the
deity Manjushri. The powerbase of the Newar—the sixth
largest of Nepal’s 126 ethnic groups and creators of its
heritage and civilization—the valley has long
been regarded as the beating spiritual heart of
the nation.
I’ll be able touch on some of the things
that I found so magical about Nepal all those
years ago. We’ll swing through the unesco-
listed medieval squares and palaces of
Kathmandu and Patan and shrines, stupas
and temples such as Boudhanath (Buddhist)
and Pashupatinath (Hindu). For shopping
kicks, we’ll browse visceral hubs of trade
like Indra Chowk in Kathmandu and Mangal
Bazar in Patan. At the close of these culture-
packed days, we’ll check the pulse of the local
nightlife and replenish in the valley’s enviable
array of restaurants: a scattershot spread that
takes in buffalo meat momos—Nepal’s tasty
steamed dumplings, of course—and multi-
course Newari banquets, as well as wood-fired
Neapolitan pizza and even elevated tapas.
Last time around, the Kathmandu Valley
was merely the appetizer for a 12-day trek
to Annapurna Base Camp and some rhino-
spotting in Royal Chitwan National Park.
On this journey, we’ll get our scenic kicks by
ending the trip at Shivapuri Heights Cottage:
a bolt-hole high above the city amidst sub-
Alpine forests brightened by prayer flags and
blooming rhododendron.
It may not be the full spectrum Himalayan
experience that my inner-adventurer craves,
but for a shorter mission with plenty of
meat on its bones, it seems like a winning
plan: Nepal in a nutshell if you like. What’s
most important to me is re-establishing a
connection with a destination that impacted
me more profoundly than most.WHEN I FIRST VISITED, Nepal did
much to reignite a passion for travel that had
been mislaid following nearly two years on
the road. The country was a tonic. From the
soundtrack of temple bells and the pungent
whiff of hashish in the dimly lit night streets
I loved everything about Kathmandu. The
mountains and the rhinos only served to seal
the deal. By the time I took my leave I was
already planning to return. I just didn’t expect
it to take a full 18 years to happen.
But it did. And here I find myself, a little
wiser and a good deal heavier than on my
previous visit, tumbling out of an overloaded
taxi and into the antique-strewn lobby of
Dwarika’s Hotel, a repository of Newari arts
and crafts that is one of the finest luxury hotels
in Kathmandu.
A lot has happened in Nepal since my first
trip—much of it traumatic. The ravages of
a long civil war would have been enough for