Another crazy story ahead, be warned. Woke up at 5am for my mountain flight to Everest, couldn't shower, since the water did not seem to heat up, I bet they must have turned the hot water off in the middle of the night and re-opened again after a certain hours. Picked up by the same driver to the airport. Nobody at the service counter even though the flight was scheduled for 6:30am (50 mins from when I arrived). It was just a domestic tourist flight, maybe that was the reason. I found their office, and they said the counter will be opened in 10 mins. I waited, checked-in, waited again at the gate. He said there would be a 30 mins delay due to weather condition, it was very foggy at the Kathmandu airport this morning, you couldn't even see the runway. Just before 7am, they announced the flight would be delayed till 8am. The sky had started lightening up, but not the fog. A Swiss girl and a Malaysian girl and her mother were on the same flight with me. We were talking a bit. Meanwhile, the airline people came to us and told us that there's a chance the flight would be canceled. We should wait for 30 mins more, it was at 8:10am at that time. I was so devastated when the bad news dropped. Though I could have tried my luck again tomorrow if I wanted to since my flight to India won't leave until 4pm, it kind of a hassle to wake up and have to arrange a car again, but it is Everest, I have to. So, all of us went to the airline office.


Out of curiosity, I inquired the airline stuff, how much the refund money would be if I decided not go again tomorrow. He said US$249. That's the ticket price. I told them but I paid an extra fuel charge of US$350 to my agent. He said it was the agent charged me not them. He was puzzled by the money, so he called the person who booked the flight. It was another agent (not my agent), they operated in so many layer of agents and brokers. Anyway, he confirmed that the ticket only costed US$249 including the fuel charge. I tried to call my agent, no answer. So I told the airline, let's change the ticket for tomorrow for now. Something just didn't add up, I paid such a big surcharge that the agent pocketed. More angry is that he lied to me, said the US$350 was the additional charge for fuel for airplane and the rental car. I expected to pay more because I found this online. But that is more than double the plane ticket. I was not happy about it. When I got back to the hotel, I had breakfast, and the owner came over to my sad face, and was like, guchi guchi, what's wrong? So I told him about the whole thing. He was calling the airline, and calling different people, and said that is not right, ba..ba..ba.. it kind of got me all pissed off too. He suggested I should cancel my ticket with the agent, ask them for the money back including the surcharge they billed.


You know me, I don't like confrontation really. I kind of just wanted to let it go and go on with the flight set for tomorrow and try again. He continued after you got your money, I will help you to re-book another flight the same price. He told me a whole strategy how I should tell my agent, I would first go to two other different travel agents on the street, ask for their quotes, took their name card or quote paper. And showed them to my agent and proved them how much they had charged me extra. I hesitated, the plan was kind of complicated. But after I went into the first agent on the road for a quote, I started to believe in it. The quote was much lower, obviously, than what I paid. The second travel agent quoted me a price closer to the original price I paid without the surcharge. So I stormed into my agent office, the guy who I was dealing with was not there. But his partner (the other owner) was there. I told him about it, he said Rabi would be back in an hour, he would explain to you. I was like, cut the crap, I was asking for more excuses, I wanted money back. Money money money! He called him and siad he would come to my hotel in an hour. I said I was angry and felt being ripped off. I demanded them to tell me how much refund I was going, of course, they did not tell me. So I went back to my hotel, and waited for an hour.

They arrived with my guide from yesterday as well. I showed them all the evidence, quotes from other agents, and the mountain flight ticket price. He gave me this crap about the USD$350 was the extra service charge, their service was better than other travel agents. Ba..ba..ba.. Don't even get me started. I said I anticipated to pay a little more, but with the surcharge, the price was almost doubled than the other agent quote. Worst of all, he lied to me, said the surcharge was primarily for the airline due to the fuel crisis. The ticket price was increased for 30 dollar from what he originally quoted to me. I paid the difference, then please explain to me where the other US$320 went. Ok you rented a nice car, but that was part of the original deal of the tour. The little thing about no lunches and no dinner (which was different from what they stated on the website) I didn't even care. But they couldn't just rip people off like that. I said I understand there was a price difference for the plane ticket, to be frank, I needed US$300 back. Nepali words flying in front of me between themselves. They did not want to pay me back anything, and thought they could just talk me out of it. I was totally lid up at that time, that was no going back. I was like, if you were not planning to give me refund, why did you even come here, what was the point, the conversation was over. I would take all the evidences to the tourist police and add a comment on tripadvisor with every single details, and let people decide whether I was being tricked. The guide still tried to soft tone me and said they would gave me back US$100. I said no way, I would rather take the loss and report this. I was not begging for some lunch money for back. I already found the tourist police address on my computer I showed him. A long silence, I asked if this conversation was over. The guide said no. They said US$150. I said, look my bottom line is US$250. With the extra US$100, the price I have paid was still way higher than the other agent's quote. I could live with that. Rabi, the manager, said no, and I could find the police and write whatever I wanted he didn't care. Shake my hand and left.

I packed my things, tried to stay calm, breathed in, breathed out. I walked over to the front desk, we were pretty much having this loud conversation in the lobby of the hotel. I asked the stuff, they all knew what happened, to find me the address for the tourist police, it was on my computer, but I rather had a local to make sure I was heading the right way if I was going to do this. He called them for me and said the police would come to me instead. Two men arrived after 20-30 mins, one is more tidy than the other. I told them my story, and said, look I am not asking for the entire US$350 back. I just wanted a fair refund from this extra money I paid, I felt like I was totally being ripped off. They said they understood. And we marched to the agent together, me and the two tourist police. The agency was near Kathmandu Guest House, the building was old and stair was dark. We walked up, the tourist police talked to the other owner I talked to in the morning. Rabi and my guide from yesterday was not there. They were speaking Nepali, so I had no idea what they say. Next thing, they opened the window and called two uniformed policemen up. So, the four of them were sitting in a tiny sofa that normally seat two persons. They looked at my paperwork and discussed. Rabi and another man who I might have met on the first day came back and sat down in that tiny room, totally 8 of us.

They spoke mostly Nepali, but the owner occasionally spoke to me saying their business was tailored for European and American customers, so their prices were normally higher than the other agency on the street (which were for mostly for Indians). What do I care what he said at this point really?! After another round of calculation, police talking to them, they talking to police. They offered me a US$200 refund. They asked if I wanted to cancel the mountain flight tomorrow. I originally said Yes, I could re-book it with the hotel manager. But the police suggested me not to, since they were penalty from the airline if we cancelled this late. With hesitation, I accepted it to keep the flight and get a US$200 in US dollars back. The owner said this was a rare incidence, and care for me as a customer ba..ba..ba.. and they would give free transfer to the airport, I said no need. At 5am, who know where they would take me to. I said I have already booked a taxi with the hotel. Got my money and ran. The policemen stayed, I guessed they would have more to talk about this crazy Chinaman creating all this fuss.


The hotel manager of course was waiting for me at the lobby for the juicy details. He was like, come, come, come sit down, want some tea? tell me what happened. I told him I got US$200 back. There was an invisible high-five with the eyes, I could tell. I told him some high level details, but not many since they pretty much talked in Nepali at the agency. I liked to discuss it some more but I was really hungry, so I left to eat, it's close 3pm already when all these were done. From the bottom of my heart, I really didn't want to create all these troubles for them, for myself, I was just saying yesterday I would let it go, and try not let it bother me. Once the flight was cancelled, found out the price, and talked to them about it. Their faces of that guy was unbelievably evil. They were just dishonest people. Without trust, there is nothing, I don't want to use your service, I don't want to let you earn another dollar from me. That's the bottom line.


After lunch, I came back to hotel to type up my blog so I wouldn't forget any details of the whole incident. Since I still had some time left for this afternoon, I decided to go for a late walk to Kathmandu Durbar Square like 5pm-ish when it was just getting dark. Otherwise, I would have no pictures for this post tonight. I wished I have taken pictures of the whole conversation in the agency office and how the 4 policemen squeezed in that tiny sofa. That would be funny. Anyway, the market on the way to Kathmandu Durbar Square were still bustling as usual even in the after dark hours, some had candles on, some had lights, others just sold their stuff in the dark in these one lane tiny streets, the people and the motorbikes were still coming and going from all sides. At night, it was hard to see motorbikes, but you wouldn't miss their honks, just try not be a deer and stand and just look at them. I even bumped into a Nepali wedding. How interesting I have seen a burial in this trip, now a wedding. They had the ceremony in the alley right next to the meat store, I thought that was kind of interesting. I guessed one of their parents must be living there. The chimes and drums were adding the charms, but I must continue my way to the Kathmandu Durbar Square.


I just had a quick walk in Kathmandu Durbar Square, which was definitely more damaged than the other two Durbar Squares I visited the day before yesterday. There were a lot of street food stands, I took a lot of picture of those. I hope they added another sense (smell) to my pictures. I thought about the whole incident on the way to Kathmandu Durbar Square, and then I was looking at these people on the streets. They lived in such harsh condition, a lot of the buildings really didn't look very stable at all and were supported by wood beams, their stores were just underneath and they continued running the business. For the normal citizens, they were lack of electricity, lack of gas, they still carried their smiles and lived on despite the hardships. It moved me a little bit. I think the scam that I have encountered was really isolated incident. I mean, there are dishonest people anywhere, whether here, or in US and definitely in HK too. It was just an incidence of bad luck and poor planning. I definitely became more guarded because I was here alone in a really foreign country.


So there, the incident was behind me officially. Now I have some money back and I still have a second chance to see the Mt. Everest tomorrow. Let's hope, let's just hope I will make it. If not, "someday" I guess. The hotel will arrange a taxi for me at 5:15am this time. I have liked this hotel, each stuff have been helpful and polite, and definitely loved juicy stories. I happened to have a few.

See the other photos from Day 14 here.