Nepal – Day 3: From Thimphu to Kathmandu

To catch our 7:40 flight from Paro back to Kathmandu, we had to wake up at quarter to five, which I did not particularly enjoy. However, as we have gotten quite used to the tyranny of our tour operator, the incident passed without much complaining. The flight itself was very beautiful. As during our flight from Kathmandu to Thimphu, we enjoyed clear blue skies all the way, and even better than on that flight, we did not have to make the murderous descent into Thimphu.

Our problems only began in Kathmandu. Due to communication issues, my dad and I acquired visas that expire on the 10^th rather than on the 12^th, when our plane departs for Istanbul. While in Bhutan, therefore, I filled out two visa extension forms on the government pages, opting to pay for these at the airport.

Nevertheless, upon arriving at the payment counter, we were told that airport officials were not in the business of handing out extensions. After a back and forth – during which we kept arguing that we had done everything in accordance with the information on the government website – we were told to ask the officers at the immigration counter if we could get a visa extension. We did so, received a positive answer, and headed back to the payment counter.

However, when we returned to the payment counter and said that the immigration counter had given us the green light, the clerk seemed taken aback. “They don’t know what they’re talking about,” he said, and continued to explain that he could not extend our visas, as our forms did not include a payment number. Our protests fell on deaf ears: the man kept arguing that his counter was merely the bank, and that we would have to go back to the immigration counter.

At the immigration counter, however, we were told that the visa extension could not be processed at the airport. Owing to our persistence, the supervisor was called in, and in very poor English explained that we only had two options: visit the immigration office in central Kathmandu or pay a fee for overstaying upon departure. She seemed absolutely shocked at our suggestion that we simply cancel the visa and buy a new one then and there, waving her arms dramatically as though she were about to faint. Since our visa has not yet expired, we eventually conceded, resolving to solve the issue at a later point.

From the airport, we headed to the Chandragiri Hills. Overcoming nearly one thousand metres of elevation, the Chandragiri Cable Car carries passengers all the way to the southwestern edge of Kathmandu Valley. On good days, one can see much of the Himalayas from the top station, including Mount Everest. However, the visibility was not particularly good during our visit, and although we saw some mountain peaks interspersed among the clouds, Everest was not one of them.

Our only other stop for the day – not counting a quick visit to the pharmacy, as almost half of our group has come down with various illnesses – was the Swayambhu Mahachaitya. The tradition of Buddhist worship on the hill where the stupa stands reportedly dates all the way back Emperor Ashoka, though the complex itself was probably founded in the fifth century. It is also very popular with the monkeys, who can allegedly get quite cheeky when they want something from visitors.