Kathmandu – Indonesian Model

Thamel Guest House, 80 NRs

After so many lazy days in Kathmandu, I decided to move on. Today I applied Indian visa in the Indian embassy. The embassy opens at 9:30 but I started queueing at 8:30 (got the 5th position). The embassy is famous for the low efficiency and strict working hours. It closes at 12:00 precisely, no matter how many people still waiting in line. For most of Asians, they only issue 3 month visa here if you have never been to India before. Multiple visa is possible, depends on your nationality. The total visa fee is 3350 NRs. For Chinese passport holders (and sometimes including Hong Kong passports) they only issue 1 month visa. Better not to have Pakistan visa in your passport if you wish to bargain for longer visa.

During my waiting there, suddenly I saw a black man holding an Indonesian passport, applying for Indian transit visa. I was so curious, as this man seems completely not an Indonesian. And then a girl popped-up, quite Indonesian Chinese face. And the man told the visa officer that the girl was his wife. Brought by my curiousity, I talked with the girl, which is indeed an Indonesian. The man is a Nigerian, her bodyguard .

The girl, happened to be a famous photomodel in her hay-days, some 15 yrs ago. Now she is 35, married, but doesnt look so (looks 18 yrs old of something). Kinda common Jakartans when visiting Asian countries, she complained of everything in Nepal. Dirty food and water, smelly road, terrible transport, smelly people, etc etc. She has been travelling for ….. a week, and she missed home very much. 2 days in Singapore, 2 days in Bangkok, 2 days in Nepal…, is already a turture for her. Well, maybe this kind of trip is surely not for cute covergirls.

But for me, she is indeed an interesting girl to talk to. She is from completely different world as I am, and it’s indeed interesting to know the celebrities’ life from their own point of view. And a dinner with her, after long chat in her hotel room, was really rewarding.