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Today was not a good day.

It all started early on this Tuesday morning.
As we did our check-out, the girl behind the desk suddenly broke into tears. I was convinced it was because she had a crush on either Bene or me (or both), but Bene insists that it is not necessarily related to my charms. First blow of the day. I am always disappointed if the receptionist does not cry on account of my charms.

We had mentally prepared for a feast of a breakfast at our favourite breakfast place, in the Tibetan quarters. A western breakfast, I am ashamed to say, but if you saw the poor excuses they eat for breakfast, you would understand (mainly, what they describe as congee, I call old rice with a lot of sugary water).

Not a very good day indeed

Degrubenc
2006-08-12 15:12:58

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and disturbs me in the VIP room. There are other business passengers but they are all Chinese and none dare to enter. I have the bar, kitchen, fridge and everything else to myself and I make a feast of it, laughing out loud in my empty luxury rooms. As my flight is about to leave, an army of porters appears, apologising profusely, take all my bags, bowing deeply and follow me respectfully to the plane. The security manager woman is at the door of the plane, ready to apologise profusely. I barely look at her.

The plane is comfortable and all my wishes are attended to. I am sad at the thought of leaving Tibet, a country where I had so much more to explore but I am most sad at leaving the Tibetans. Like the Mongols, I found them to be kind, hospitable, simple, giving and welcoming. On the other hand, for the first time in my life: I am glad to leave China behind.

The scenery is breathtaking: we fly by Mount Everest, take pictures and fly at low altitude over the green Kathamandu valley and land without a hitch in the capital, Kathmandu. This is it, I have crossed the Himalayas, by plane I amit but nevertheless, I feel a change.

As soon as I get off the plane, it is all-different: a big red bricked airport, women in saris, pleasant warm weather. I feel in India. Suddenly, I am happy. I have strongly voiced my problems with the Chinese in front of the Chinese, so no bottled up frustrations. The people here are smiling and welcoming, I find my all love of India surfacig back again and so, I step lightly off the plane.

To my greatest pleasure, there is an exceedingly pretty girl at the bottom of the steps, ready to take my bags and lead me to the arrivals hall. Ever the gentleman, I refuse to give her my bags but ask none the less that she leads me to the clearly sign-posted arrival hall. We have a merry conversation and it is to my greatest wonder at first and then pleasure that I realise that everyone speaks English, everything ...