In a span of 72 hours, I had to say an unexpected goodbye to my second home, travel across a country in health and political crisis, and do everything in my power to get out on a plane before a total flight ban. This is part 2 of the account of my experience travelling from a Nepali village to my hometown outside Los Angeles, USA, during an acutely severe pandemic.
Reading time: 13 minutes
RECAP
Within one week, Nepal announced partial lockdown, then full lockdown, then flight ban. For domestic flights they gave one day notice, for international flights they gave three. It was upon receiving notice of the flight ban that I booked my flight for three days later, for the last day before international flights were banned indefinitely.
So many things had to align for me to successfully make it out of Nepal.
1. Booking and securing a flight ticket out of Kathmandu (KTM) - completed in part 1
2. Finding and securing a car/driver to take us to KTM - completed in part 1
3. Getting to KTM while the country is in lockdown and police are everywhere enforcing a no-drive rule
4. Being able to get a PCR Covid test the day before my flight, in KTM
5. Getting the test results before my flight
6. The test results being negative
7. Making it to the airport on time
8. The flight not being banned by the destination country before we arrived there
9. The plane making it out of the airport before midnight, with me on it
We ended part 1 in the village on the evening of May 4, just having gotten a car to take us to Kathmandu.
We resume our story here.
May 5
Time to accomplish number 3:
3. Getting to KTM while the country is in lockdown and police are everywhere enforcing a no-drive rule
Stuck in a traffic jam of work trucks and ambulances (allowed to drive in lockdown) on a mountain road on the way to Kathmandu. We were here for over 2 hours, 5AM to 7AM. This is very normal and happens usually at least once during any long distance travel I've done in Nepal.
The night drive from the village to KTM took about 13 hours total. It stormed the entire way; Sanam (my boyfriend) and I watched lightning from the backseat of the car as we tried to sleep. The police stopped us a few times, but showing my flight ticket was enough for them to wave us through.
We arrived in KTM around 8 in the morning. We were greeted by six more police checkpoints near and in KTM valley, one every few blocks. On main streets there were police everywhere. No one was out walking, and there were barely any cars. It was nice in the regard that there was no traffic, and traffic in KTM is normally major (think LA rush hour but no rules, one lane streets, and dust). At every checkpoint, the police looked at my flight ticket, and for most of them that was enough. For one policeman, however, he was displeased with the fact that we were there on May 5, and my flight was May 6. He thought we should only be there on the day of my flight. My boyfriend and our driver explained that I had to get a Covid test, which took a full day. The officer begrudgingly allowed us to pass.
✔3. Getting to KTM while the country is in lockdown and police are everywhere enforcing a no-drive rule
We made it to Bouddha, the area of KTM where we hoped to find a guesthouse. One of the main reasons we went here was because I left some things in a guesthouse storeroom in Bouddha, back in February of 2020 when I thought I'd be back within a month or two to get them. The guesthouse had been closed during the pandemic and was completely out of reach; none of the phone numbers worked, the email had been disconnected, there was no way to contact the owners and see if I could get my stuff. We decided to just show up there. Lo and behold, it was closed...
...But there were people inside. We called to them and they didn't notice us. We had begun to give up when a monk came to the gate. He is the owner of the guesthouse. I told him my situation and he happily let me inside to look for my things in the storeroom. I didn't find them at first, but then I saw my name on the floor. On a piece of paper on the floor, actually. With tape. It had fallen off of my bag. I knew then that it must be somewhere on the shelves - and I found it!!
It contained my books from Kopan monastery, gifts for my family, and a beautiful mandala painting that I had purchased there. I didn't think I would ever see these things again. I felt so lucky.
The guesthouse was closed, however, so we had to find somewhere else to stay. We ended up staying in the next door guesthouse, which allowed us in but only after firmly locking the gate behind us every time we entered or exited (lockdown is very strict in KTM and they would have gotten in trouble if they looked open).
Where we stayed, Pema Guesthouse. Note the closed and locked gate.
There was also nowhere to get food, aside from one secretly open restaurant across the alley. We arranged with them to have all of our food delivered to our rooms until we left the next day.
Next barrier:
4. Being able to get a PCR Covid test the day before my flight, in KTM
There were many group chats between other expats stranded in Nepal and trying to leave. I read as people were in the same boat as me, but having undesired outcomes (positive PCR tests, flight cancellations, not being able to get to KTM, not being able to get a test). There had been at-home PCR testing services, but the day prior they had staff test positive so they stopped responding to requests. Others in the group were going to testing centers and sending photos of horrendous lines, packed buildings, and no social distancing. This was so scary, especially because 45% of PCR tests in Nepal at this time were coming back positive. That means that quite a lot of people with the virus would be at the testing center, not socially distancing...
I had reached out to an at-home testing service the day prior, but they had stopped replying to my messages when their staff tested positive. However, by yet another miracle, at 8 AM on May 5 I received a text from the service: "Where are you staying?"
I responded immediately, and they asked me a few more questions before saying that my booking was in process and I would be contacted when my appointment was confirmed.
I got a call about an hour later telling me that at 2 PM there would be a collection team coming to my residence to do my test. I was absolutely shocked. I felt so grateful to not have to plan spending my last day with my love in a stressful testing clinic. But the anxiety didn't go completely - at all. We tried to enjoy our time together, but we were both in a very difficult emotional place. We had a tearful conversation and arrived at the very helpful phrase:
J hunchha ramro ko lagi hunchha, whatever will be will be for good.
We realized that whatever would happen, whether we could see it at the time or not, would be for the best. We put our trust into the universe and lived as much as we could in the present, together.
2 PM came and went, no collection team. I called and they said that my team should be on their way, and that they would send me the team's contact number. I called the team and the woman said, "Roxann who? When are we supposed to be collecting your sample?" I replied "now," and she informed me that they were over an hour away, and to expect us around 3:30.
This was okay... but keep in mind, I was still thinking that they may cancel and I would have to go to a testing clinic in the evening, risking my results not being ready before my flight.
3:30 came and went, no team. I called every number I could find. Finally someone picked up and told me that my collection team had left for my guesthouse, they were on their way. After so much back-and-forth, the collection team finally arrived at 4:20 PM, just under 24 hours before my flight.
I was SO happy to see them. They were awesome. It was only five minutes from when they arrived to when they left. They did a swab up my nose (and poked my brain, I'm pretty sure. Instant tears) and on my throat. They told me the results would be ready in the morning, and that they would deliver them if they had time.
✔ 4. Being able to get a PCR Covid test the day before my flight, in KTM
The happiest human to have a swab up my brain!
From this moment on, I was feeling so happy and grateful. The barriers were being crossed off, and there was nothing more I could control now. I just had to hope for a negative test, and for those results to be ready before I needed to leave for the airport.
Sanam and I enjoyed our last chunk of time together. We stayed positive and hoped for the best.
May 6
The day of my flight arrived, and we still had plenty that needed to happen for me to successfully leave Nepal:
5. Getting the test results before my flight
6. The test results being negative
7. Making it to the airport on time
8. The flight not being banned by the destination country before we arrived there
9. The plane making it out of the airport before midnight, with me on it
It all felt so out of my control. Partly that was nice - there wasn't anything I needed to do anymore - but it was also so hard. So much anxiety arising over things I could do nothing about. The most important news came at 8 AM in a phone call and then by email:
My test was negative. I could go home.
We had checked out of our hotel room and were waiting in the parking lot for my result. No one had come. It was 12:10. I needed to be at the airport by 1 for my 4:10 flight. I called the service and they said my test results had been picked up, and that the deliverer would come within the hour. My response to that was quite loud and worried, thinking they would not come in time. I just hoped that it wouldn't be that long, but realized I was completely out of control.
The most wonderful thing happened: the delivery man arrived at 12:30 and handed me my test results. The last big barrier outside of the airport had been overcome.
✔ 5. Getting the test results before my flight
✔ 6. The test results being negative
Now, it was time to go to the airport!
I forgot to mention, probably because I didn't have mental space to think about this: we were having car problems on our way to KTM. The car was having trouble starting. The driver said we would have to get it fixed in KTM but that we could make it there. Then, as we were about to leave for the airport, the car wouldn't start...
We all held our breath as he tried once... twice... and on the third time, it started!! We thanked our respective deities and we went off to the airport! This part was a breeze because there was NO traffic in KTM. It only took us 15 minutes to get to the airport. In normal traffic, that would have easily taken an hour. What a gift. We arrived at the airport before 1.
✔ 7. Making it to the airport on time
Sanam got out of the car and waited with me while I was in line to get my PCR test checked, the necessary step before entering the airport. Film cameras were there to record the event for reporting later: "Last Flights Before International Flight Ban" type of stories. I was crying of course, but I was so happy Sanam was with me then.
Barriers Remaining
Barriers to successfully making it out of Nepal:
1. Booking and securing a flight ticket out of Kathmandu (KTM)
2. Finding and securing a car/driver to take us to KTM
3. Getting to KTM while the country is in lockdown and police are everywhere enforcing a no-drive rule
4. Being able to get a PCR Covid test the day before my flight, in KTM
5. Getting the test results before my flight
6. The test results being negative
7. Making it to the airport on time
8. The flight not being banned by the destination country before we arrived there
9. The plane making it out of the airport before midnight, with me on it
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