Escape from Kathmandu

Today an adventure within a journey begins- like always I suppose. With Prakash-ji, our small camera cinematographer, guide, friend, and accomplice, we’re headed from Kathmandu throughout Central Nepal to meet journalists and human rights activists. For this trip we’ll mostly be in tourist-economy locations, like Pokhara and Chitwan National Forest. Luckily, we’ve planned a rest day in Chitwan to get some footage of riding elephants (elephant cam), going on leopard safaris (jeep cam), and strapping Prakash to the roof of the bus (Prakash cam).

For July we’ll be traveling by microbus, which is a glorified minivan, most often through rural and impoverished areas. I’m prepared for massive quantities of dhal bhat (traditional lentil, rice, and vegetable meal) and copious mosquito bites. More than that, I’m excited for the individuals I will meet, the experience of traveling throughout the country, and diving headfirst into a new environment. Living in Kathmandu the past month has shifted my ideas of luxury, culture, development, pollution, and design; I’m curious to see how all these perspectives shift, slide, and landslide. I just hope I can catch it on the landslide cam without getting mud on the lens.