Half Way Around the World in 47 Hours

 There are so many experiences to relate after 47 hours of travel.  That is the time frame from leaving my home in arriving in Pokhara, Nepal via stops in Chicago, Istanbul and Kathmandu. International travel is chaotic, exhilarating, cause for some anxious moments and breath-taking. 

It’s chaotic because you are at the mercy of others’ schedules and many times you are in an unfamiliar environment.  Just try going from one terminal to the international terminal at Chicago’s O’Hare airport.  You leave from your arrival gate and then figure out exactly where to exit security, which is something you'll regret doing later, in order to catch a shuttle bus that will take you from one terminal to the international terminal. Then there is always the issue of exactly where you can pick up the shuttle bus. Having done that, you get to the international terminal and then start regretting coming out of security because you now have to go through security in order to get to the gate for your international flight. All in the span of an hour and a half.

While this is chaotic it can also be exhilarating because in the end you're going to wind up in a place where you've never been. I was struck almost with awe as the plane was about to land in Kathmandu Nepal.  I was  looking out the window of the plane, seeing the houses, and thinking to myself," My goodness I'm about to land in Kathmandu."

Anytime you travel overseas there is the immigration issue that you have to address. And it took what seemed to be forever to get through the process in Nepal. This in no way is meant to be disrespectful to the Nepalese people but the process can be confusing for someone who is experiencing it for the first time. You have to stand in line in order to register to get your visa. You then have to stand in line to pay for your visa. You then have to stand in another line to meet with the immigration officer who make sure your papers are in order and then provide you with the visa. After all that,  you have to go through security to enter the country, and then finally find your luggage which is been available for the better part of an hour. An hour spent going through immigration.

My Optimist friends in Nepal were very gracious and very patient. They took me from one area to the next and always with a smile on their face. They escorted me from the international terminal to the domestic terminal and made sure I got where I needed to be. I was treated equally well by other Optimist friends who greeted me at the Pokara airport and then took me to the hotel where I would stay for the next four days.  The final leg of the journey is one I will always remember as we crossed the narrow portion of a lake to get to the hotel.  

Take a look at the video

Periodically over the next 10 days  there will be updates to the blog for this journey that I've titled, " A Global Perspective for 'Promise Yourself." Be Well..