01.05 – 02.05: The Road to Kathmandu & A Glimpse of Himalayan Life

Our journey back has begun—we are closing the circle. Descending from Bhimthang to Tilche through an enchanting rhododendron forest felt like a gentle reward after days in the high Himalayas. The crisp air and the rich scent of towering pine trees stirred something familiar in me—a memory of home.

Yesterday, we left Tilche in a rugged local jeep and bumped our way down a dusty, chaotic track to Besisahar. Calling it a road would be generous. Sixty kilometers took five hours, and we were shaken to the bone—but smiling. The following stretch from Besisahar to Kathmandu—another 179 kilometers—took an additional six hours. We arrived exhausted and coated in dust. This journey is no walk in the park, but every bruise is earned and every view a gift.

What you lose in comfort, you gain in character. The countryside unrolls like a living painting: houses in impossible colors—orange, pink, mint green with fuchsia colored heart-shaped tiles. A kind of beauty that laughs in the face of hardship that the people here must endure. Children kick footballs beside traffic-clogged roads, each wild kick a heart-stopping moment as they chase the ball toward passing trucks. Women bathe at roadside taps, veiled in thin scarves—so the around standing and driving spectators are not entirely kidnapping their privacy.

The road is a theatre. It’s chaotic, raw, deeply human—and impossible to look away from.

In Kathmandu, we’ve finally landed in what now feels like paradise: a hotel with real beds, hot showers, and private bathrooms. After days in the mountains, this is five-star luxury. And the food? Let’s just say I had the best biryani of my life. Rich, spiced, comforting—pure food poetry.

Today, we toured Kathmandu in full. We visited sacred Buddhist stupas and Hindu temples, walked the alleys of this ancient city, and most memorably, met the people. The Nepali are warm, grounded, smart. They give even when they have little, and they see the world clearly—often disheartened by the corruption of their government, but never beaten down by it.

This trip isn’t just a trek; it’s a call to connection. My intention is clear: to give back, to support the people here directly. When you book a trip with me, the full profit goes to the communities we visit. Not filtered, not divided—just shared with the people who make this journey what it is. It’s your adventure, and their future.

Looking ahead, I’m planning a new journey for the end of April/early May next year—into the beautiful Himalayas. It’s a trek that’s still wild, still raw—free of crowds, full of spirit and pure. If you book early, you’ll save on airfare as the ticket prices will go up for spring 2026, and your savings will go straight to something meaningful.

Join me. Come for the mountains—but stay for the people, the stories, the kind of beauty that changes you.

For more info send me a message, call, see me in person: +31 6 12662283.