Sunday, November 11, 2007

well, here i am in beautiful kathmandu, trying to get into the spirit of things.....i walk into my beautiful room, throw open the curtains, and gaze out---it's gorgeous. mountains, mist, more mountains. And what a great room ---hardwood floors with a native rug, three little ceramic containers full of munchies, some cookies, and a plate of chocolate. And two big bottles of water. And a bottle of beaujolais, which'll be lost on me, as i don't drink red. (migraines)

i decide to walk around the hotel a bit, and return to the room as the sun is going down. i sit down at the desk, find the internet password, start this entry, and am startled by a gray flash. And another. and one more for good measure. then the noise starts....and I am suddenly covered in a cold sweat. why? because on the ledge outside my window are a whole bunch of pigeons. And everyone who knows me, knows birds flying around make me nuts. Away, up in the sky, fine. In the trees, fine....but there's something about that flapping nose, and the movement that causes me to lose it. And the pigeons know it----there I am, walking down the street, minding my own business....and then I pass a bunch of birds, and they all take off.....just as I'm in the middle of the pack.

But these aren't sitting quietly in a pack. They're flying in. They're flying out. They're fighting. THEY ARE FIGHTING ON MY LEDGE. Wings hitting windows, birds squaking, feathers flying, it looked like wrestling on tv.

But I figured I'd be able to take care of the problem by closing the drapes. And i was half right. No longer did i see the pigeons swooping down to the ledge. Or fighting. But I still heard them. Bumping into the glass. Squawking. thumping, tapping.

I really did try to not go green. But after 15 minutes, I realized this was going to negate any positive kathmandu energy I might receive, so I went down to the front desk. And the nice man there told me he'd send housekeeping. I said I really didn't think this was a housekeeping issue (unless housekeeping traveled with a scarecrow), but he just went on that housekeeping would come by.
So, I went back upstairs. And after 15 minutes, walked out of the room again. This time I called in the big guns. I went to the regency club lounge and asked the lovely woman running things if she'd call a manager for me. I explained the problem and, bless her, the girl didn't laugh at the lady freaked out by the pigeons. (and that should show you how upset i was----i used the phrase "those pigeons, they're freaking me out. ") I have no idea what she said to him, as she they weren't speaking english, but I did pick out "pigeons," "diamond*," "freak" and "caw caw."

I then sat down with a glass of water (should have been whiskey), and waited about 15 minutes until a nice man in his mid-30's strolled off the elevator, with his assistant behind him. I begged his pardon, and asked if he'd mind strolling down the hall with me. We (all three of us), went to the room, and this nice man (who turned out to be the food and bev manager ---probably the highest ranking employee in on a sunday night that is also the last night of a big festival), agreed the pigeons were not pleasant.
So, we set off in search of another room. He said he had two to show me, one on the 7th floor, the other on the 5th. (I was on 6, which had the club lounge). We went up to 7 first...which turns out to have only 4 rooms...one of which is the presidential suite.

NM, take a deep breath. I wasn't moved into the presidential suite. But I was moved into the room two down from it....the one between actually connects to the big kahuna's, this does not.

But it does have a patio with a dining table. And a huge bathroom with jacuzzi. And a cute little alcove with a desk in it...that's where I am at the moment. Just sitting here, basking in the glow of my macbook. Because the power just went out.

Just as things were getting hopping, too. I seem to be in a quasi-residential area. It's a holiday, and there was lots of loud music coming from a club. Firecrackers going off (left over from diwali, or deepawalli), horns honking, that sort of thing.

Oops, power back on. I think we must have a generator, because most of the city is still dark. Kinda spooky, because there are still crackers going off. oh wait, more light are coming back on...and in the blocks that are dark, so can see a few lights moving around buildings, so folks must have the candles or lanterns going.

And the horns have started back up. And I'm seeing some fireworks. But the band does not play on!

3 Comments:

Blogger Mony said...

I feel ya on the pigeons.
Otherwise it sounds beautiful, glad you got that distraction removed.

10:48 AM  
Blogger Nazila Merati said...

Ack, pigeons. You want me to call the GM and move you into the PS?

I would have never wanted to go out on the balcony again.

45 USD, top price paid in Nepal baby, well, okay you can go to 50.

12:54 PM  
Blogger Mony said...

so, um, how's the after hours action in Kathmandu?

8:36 PM  

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