Next Country - Nepal!

Tom and I have been to Nepal a few times over the years. 

The first time was in March 2007. A bloody civil war had ended a few months before, and while there was peace, it seemed tenuous. Needless to say, there were very few tourists. We had a nice time though. 

Then in 2009, we visited again to do a feasibility study on possibly starting a business there.

Then in 2010, we officially moved to Nepal.

We spent the next 3 years starting two different businesses, making loads of new friends, and even welcomed our first child, Jimmy. 

It’s been 12 years since we left, and Kathmandu has seen a lot of changes. There was a massive earthquake in 2015. Load shedding (scheduled power outages) went from 15 hours a day to zero. And, there has been a shocking amount of developmental progress in that time: stoplights, InDrive (a ride-sharing service like Uber that makes haggling with taxis almost non-existent), significantly less litter, and a huge coffee culture with a Himalayan Java on nearly every corner. 

Tom and I mostly notice differences and the things we remember. For the kids, this is all new. 

Here are some of their first impressions.

Getting picked up from the airport by Ranjana and the team with Empact Adventures Nepal

Sammy: 

When we got out of the airport, I noticed the bright sun. It made me squint. That was weird because the sky was a gray color. I saw lots of tall buildings and was surprised that Mom and Dad were asking, “where are the hills?” So apparently all that gray was pollution. 

Waiting at the airport to leave felt really long. Mom and Dad had some paperwork problems with their visa on arrival that took a while to fix. Mom taught me the phrase “Ke garne”, which means “What to do?”

Our guides to our upcoming trek met us at the airport and put thin yellow scarves over our shoulders and told us it was a traditional greeting. Then they gave us water and drove us 45 minutes through heavy traffic to our guest house. 

We took a walk later, and I noticed lots of buildings that were tall, narrow and worn down. There were also lots of stray dogs, mini alley ways and small family businesses selling fruit. 

Jimmy: 

Nepal is colder than I expected. Cars are honking everywhere. Mom and Dad say the honking is to warn people walking that they are passing. It was loud. On the drive, Mom and Dad were so happy to see some shops and streets they recognized.

The guest house we are staying in reminds me of the national park cabins in Virginia because of the style of the beds and everything is made of brick and wood. It’s also chilly in the room, but small and cozy. I like it.

Later on a walk, we see a boar’s head that is separated from its body and sitting on a table. 

I think it’s interesting how all the buildings are different sizes and different colors. They are bright colors too: yellow, orange, bright red, dark red, light blue, white, sea blue, pink, and light green. 

Later, when I ordered a burger at a restaurant, I was surprised to find there was not a burger in it, just cheese, tomato and lettuce in a bun. 

Lucy:

Nepal wasn’t what I expected. At. All. I thought it would be like Papua New Guinea, but it’s not. 

I didn’t expect there to be really cool apartments, and I heard there was a zoo, but Mom said, “hmm, I’m not sure about going there.” 

Every single power line I see is tangled all together with other power lines.

The sink for the bathroom in our guest house is outside on the balcony, but thankfully not the toilet. 

Breakfast was good. I had two big pancakes and two eggs and orange juice. 

***

One of our first stops was to Bhaisepati, which was where CloudFactory was founded, and also where Jimmy spent his first year of life. 

It. Had. Transformed!

When we lived there, the area had only a small convenient mart and no restaurants. In the months before we left a Baskin Robbins boldly made the choice to open across the road from us, and there was much rejoicing. 

On the day we visited, we found dozens of restaurants, banks, several grocery stores, a huge government complex built over the old “buffalo field” that Bhaisepati was named for, and our old flat doubled as a Thyroid Clinic. 

The old CloudFactory office

The Dreamz Homes Colony, where our friends, the Snowdens lived

In 2012 - This was our flat, which is on the 2nd floor of this white building with a blue gate.

This is the same area in 2025!

The kids are excited to explore this country they have heard so many stories about! From now on, they will have a few of their own to tell.