Nepal is a country I have wanted to visit for as long as I can remember. Maybe it’s the draw of the mountains themselves, or the country’s deep spiritual connection to them, or the mystery surrounding mans need to try and ‘conquer’ them, I don’t know. But for whatever reason, it was important to me that we included Nepal on this trip, and I was pretty unwaivering in my decision on that (sorry Ted!)

So having negotiated our way through visas and immigration, survived the hustle of the taxi rank hoardes and wandered out into the absolute chaos of Kathmandu on a cold, grey day, I really hoped I hadn’t got this wrong!

Thanks to the perpetually amazing WarmShowers community we had a place to stay in Kathmandu for a few nights. Our host Pushkar was out of the country, but he very kindly allowed us, a couple of complete strangers, to stay in his apartment whilst he was away – how incredible.

Kathmandu is like nowhere else we’ve ever been. The roads are total chaos. It took us a few minutes to even decipher which side of the road vehicles ‘should’ be driving on. Generally the cars, trucks and many many motorbikes just do what they like – they see a space and they drive into it. But it’s not just the traffic you need to be aware of, the road itself is also out to get you – one moment of lapsed concentration and the road surface would see you roll an ankle into a pothole, stumble over a pile of bricks or swallow you entirely in a hole in the road. Footpaths weren’t a thing. But above all this, I think it was the sheer disregard for human life that shocked us the most. Whether we were cautiously pressed against the walls or bravely trying to cross the street, the cars and motorbikes still speedily aimed to fill the gap we were stood in, as though we weren’t there, and if we didn’t dodge then it would have been splodge!

The pollution was also something that could not be avoided. The cold misty winter air was filled with white grey dust that covered everything and hung in the air in a heavy cloud. It was so thick you could taste it, even when breathing through a facemask. It felt oppressive and suffocating.

We spent some time walking around Thamel, the underwhelming touristy district, and we were surprised by how quiet the streets were in the winter off-season for tourists.

We wandered further South through bustling streets of locals, where each shop seemed to sell a hundred different versions of one item. Here the hustle was added to by the insistence of locals that they could drive down streets too narrow for their cars – pretty comical.

But our favourite place was the Patan Darbar Square area. It’s a region of crumbling buildings and temples, where walking over the wobbly cobblestone streets feels like walking back in time. The street rats added to the Dickensian feel. Each small shop window was framed by heavy wooden shutters, and the intricate carvings on all the buildings gave a glimpse of the impressive craftsmanship of years gone by. The wonky, wooden overhanging balconies felt like they belonged in a medieval movie set, and they seemed to be the favourite place for locals to watch the world go by below. The streets smelt of the dusky, heavy, sandalwood incense that wafted from every ornate temple and added to the air of mystery about the whole place. And the more we walked, the more it’s charm grew on us. But it was when I saw fruits and vegetables being sold from the racks of bicycles I knew it was a sign that I had been right all along to insist on visiting Nepal – not only the land of vegetarian food, but the land of colourful fresh produce being sold from a bike – Perfect simplicity!

It was an enjoyable novelty for us to be able to walk into a restaurant and be greeted by a menu of mainly vegetarian dishes. There was absolutely no sense that being vegetarian here was being ‘difficult’ or ‘awkward’ and it was such a relief. We were able to truly enjoy the culture of the place without thinking we were missing out on experiencing the traditional food of the area. We also enjoyed the experience of wandering into the local tea bars – similar to a pub, but only selling tea, mainly to stylish, well-groomed men whilst they smoke cigarette after cigarette and sip on the sweet masala chai Nepal is famous for.

But just as the pollution of the city was starting to make my lungs rattle, our few days in Kathmandu drew to a close. We rebuilt the bikes, packed up our bags and mentally tried to prepare ourselves for somehow getting out of the city centre and into the Kathmandu Valley. As usual, the moment we started riding, we shook off any worries we may have had and just enjoyed the movement and seeing the world from the saddle. Our nerves and focus inevitably shifted to what was coming next. Our time in Nepal would be starting with something a little different – a 200hour yoga teacher training course – and for this we really didn’t feel prepared, but do we ever!?! where would be the fun in that!?!