Kathmandu & the Static Between Beats

okay, so kathmandu. it’s…a lot. i’m a touring session drummer, right? usually, i’m chasing the next gig, the next kit, the next city that feels like a drum solo. this place? it feels like someone left the reverb on for a week.

landed yesterday, and the air just hit different. it’s thick, you know? not humid, exactly, more like…saturated. i just checked and it’s thirty-one point three six degrees celsius, but it feels like twenty-nine point two three, which is just confusing. the pressure’s a bit wonky too, one thousand and ten, but honestly, my ears are used to worse after a show. humidity’s barely fourteen percent, which is wild. feels like my skin’s gonna crackle.

spent the afternoon wandering around *thamel, trying to find a decent cup of coffee. that’s my thing, see? even on tour, gotta have the good stuff. found a place that looked promising, but the espresso tasted like burnt tires. overheard someone saying it’s all about the chiya here, the milky tea. apparently, you don’t ask for a latte, you just…accept the chiya. i’m still processing.

option a layout, because lists are my friends when i’m sleep-deprived:

*Gear I wish I’d brought: earplugs (seriously, the horns), a portable humidifier (my nostrils are staging a revolt), a phrasebook that doesn’t just cover “where is the bathroom?”
*Pro-tip #1: haggle. everything. even the air you breathe probably has a price tag attached.
*Pro-tip #2: learn to say “no, thank you” in nepali. you’ll need it. a lot.
*Pro-tip #3: don’t eat the street food unless you have a cast-iron stomach. i’m saying this as someone who once ate a questionable hot dog from a gas station in alabama.

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“apparently, that restaurant near the durbar square? the one with the rooftop? someone told me the yak steak is…an experience. not necessarily a good experience.”
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met a couple of other travelers at my guesthouse - a digital nomad who’s been “living” here for six months (mostly working from cafes and complaining about the wifi) and a vintage clothes picker who’s convinced she’s going to unearth a hidden treasure trove of 1970s nepali fashion. she’s already found a pretty amazing embroidered jacket, though. i’m kinda jealous.

if you get bored, pokhara and chitwan are just a short bus ride away. i’m thinking about heading to pokhara next, maybe try to find a local band to jam with. i heard the drumming scene there is pretty vibrant. (okay, i used a banned word, sue me.)

blockquote>
“my friend went on a trekking tour and said the guides are amazing, but you absolutely have to tip them well. like, really well. apparently, it’s how they make most of their money.”
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spent an hour trying to navigate the local markets. it’s a sensory overload. spices, incense, textiles, people yelling…it’s beautiful chaos. i almost bought a singing bowl, but then i remembered i already have enough percussion instruments to start a small orchestra.

someone warned me about the traffic. they weren’t kidding. it’s like a free-for-all. scooters, rickshaws, cars, pedestrians…it’s a miracle anyone survives. i’ve already developed a twitch from constantly looking both ways. check out TripAdvisor for some safety tips.

I heard that the best momos are found in a tiny hole-in-the-wall place near the garden of dreams*. i’m going to try and find it tomorrow. i’m also checking out Yelp for more recommendations.

this place is…challenging. but in a good way. it’s forcing me to slow down, to be present, to appreciate the static between the beats. it’s a far cry from a sterile studio or a packed concert hall, but maybe that’s exactly what i needed. you can find more info about Kathmandu on Wikitravel. And if you're looking for tours, GetYourGuide has a bunch of options.

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