Arrival

The dragon’s tail thudded on the tarmac and the beast began an errie screech as it attempted to come to a complete stop. At rest, the dragon vomited the contents of its bowels: several hundred weary travellers, including me. At the stroke to midnight the flight to Kathmandu, Nepal had arrived. Like Himalayan sheep without their shepherd, we flocked down the stairs, hastily assembled into an awaiting vehicle. As we herded into the ‘Arrivals’ terminal my senses were on high alert. This was my first trip to this jewel kingdom, drawn by the promise of sights, sounds, and scent of a new world. The terminal was neither ancient nor modern; it looked weary and worn, yet without strong character. My nose detected an offensive odour, a smell of excrement. Needing to go to the bathroom I discovered why. The bathroom gave me insight into what Nepal had to offer.