Kathmandu is sensory overload. A city of chaotic cohesion. We are home-based at our friend’s apartment deep in this tangle of a city. Up early we set out on foot, walking miles and miles, taking it all in. So many people with somewhere to go. So many people with nowhere to go. So many people…

It is a city that hard to describe.  It is a place of contradictions. Busy and yet calm. A haphazard blend of the past and the present. Beautifully ornate temples, places of prayer and offerings, flanked by SIM card sales and ATMs. Brightly colored clothing and paint. Burning trash. Everything blanketed in a fog of exhaust. There is a counter of raw meat next to a candy shop. North face knock-offs for sale next to treasures from Tibet. A man sells potatoes and bananas from his loaded bike in front of a fancy auto dealer.

It is gritty with pockets of shine.

The roads are mayhem. Traffic lanes are suggestions. Vehicles move in thick packs, somehow in chaotic sync. This is a place where mindfulness is a matter of survival. Dodging in and out of traffic is a dangerous dance of bodies, busses and bikes. Not for the faint of heart. We were not prepared. By day two we learned that confidence is key. When you commit, you commit. Somehow it works. Somehow there is an acceptance. Drivers go or give way. There is liberal use of horns. It’s madness but it’s strangely calm. I have yet to see a single look of impatience or angst. That, in itself is something...

The air is thick and hot. Blaring horns, whistles, motors and music. Buses are decorated and packed full. Dogs are everywhere, unmoving in doorways- oblivious to the surrounding sounds and crowds.

Sooty exhaust, incense and curry spice fill the air. Sometimes the smells are lovely, Sometimes nauseating.

Kathmandu is a place and a people that know tragedy, hardship, resilience. As a whole I would not say it is a beautiful city. It is a city that contains much beauty. There is warmth and kindness here.

I feel as far from home as it gets. It is not an easy place to be. Stimulation overload rubs the nerves raw. It is hard to find a sense of inner calm. And yet, this is why we are here. To push our comfort zones. To open up and broaden our perspectives. Being here is challenging, invigorating, eye opening. It is humbling and exhausting.

This is Kathmandu!