By Melanie. September 9 2016
From our first attempt at planning this trip to Bhutan 13 years ago we finally make it. We really are Free2Go!
Our midnight flight out of Melbourne held no joy for me until the night before – we found we had been successful in bidding for 3 seats each on our 8 hour Air Asia flight to Kuala Lumpur.
After the difficult trip to Tokyo last year I had had a long, strong talk to myself about being more joyful. I was better prepared and 3 seats certainly helped the joyful measure.
The flight went very well – helped by 3 seats, my new deliciously soft and comfortable Sea To Summit blow up cushion and earplugs. My swimmers earplugs worked so well – though I had no idea if this was an OK thing to do or not. We dozed through the night and I awoke to Nasi Lemak airline style for breakfast while Chris had equally airline looking (and less tasty) eggs.
As we approached Kuala Lumpur a lightning storm could be seen playing around the clouds some distance away. More like a tropical light show with multiple light streaks flashing across the sky, in and out of large black clouds. Not like any lightning I had seen before.
On approach a heavy rain set in, a landing approach that set me contemplating what would happen if this was it!! The unusual undulating roar of the engine, the distant lightening, the rain through the blinking lights from the wing leaving no visibility.
Finally after what seemed like 2 approaches a voice from the cockpit announced with great apology that landing is not possible and we are diverting to Subang for refuelling and to wait out the storm. We scramble for the flight magazine to see where Subang is but are no wiser.
It was a dreary rainy outlook on a small airport. An hour later after a quick refuelling stop we are back on the ground in KLIA2 and heading for our transit hotel Samu Samu2 – a new experience for us – a hotel room within the airport departure hall. Samu Samu has short term hourly rates enabling us to have a stretch out, a short sleep and shower before the final leg to Kathmandu.
This final leg quickly became another adventure flight with me being one of two female passengers on a full flight – and I mean absolutely full – full with young men who appeared to be returning home to Kathmandu. We were later told these young men work, mainly as security personnel in Malaysia.
The arrival process was not as convoluted as we had expected owing to our online Nepal Visa processing which Chris had completed with some frustration but eventual success prior to leaving home. We had also read that baggage claim was a fraught process – while there was a barrier of trolleys lining the conveyor making it a gymnastic exercise to retrieve bags, it all went quite smoothly.
Outside was another challenge – finding our pickup from the airport with a hundred or so people with placards lining the road. A man came to our aid – after calling out he found our driver and we were on our way. A slow traffic trip through Katmandhu to our stunning hotel for the next 2 nights.
The Shanker Hotel – a beautiful old hotel describing itself – “Hotel Shanker, which is housed in the former palace of Nepal’s erstwhile rulers, is situated in the heart of Kathmandu only minutes away from Thamel. Founded in 1964, it is Kathmandu’s first 4 Star Hotel. Relive a bygone era of Nepal’s history at a price you cannot beat! Get the royal treatment that you have long deserved in an authentic heritage hotel in Kathmandu.”
The room makes us feel a little Alice in Wonderland-like having low ceilings and half windows that reached below the floor level. Giving you the feeling you are a giant in a little world. Lovely room and comfy bed.
We walked to dinner realising as we walked that what appeared to be fences were lines of bricks stacked along the footpath retrieved from the many buildings damaged in the earthquake. “Rebuilding is slow” we were told.
We dined the Satkar Restaurant where we had – a Nepalese Thali with a selection of traditional dishes accompanied by a delicious Nepalese beer (a wheat beer brewed in the Swiss style) followed by entertainment by Nepalese dancers in traditional style.
