Nepal, Land of Mystery

In 1939 Hassoldt Davis is invited to join old acquaintances Armand Denis and Leila Roosevelt Davis and their team on and expedition to Burma (Myanmar) and China, then on to Africa to make a travel documentary of adventure and excitement. Davis was to be the stills photographer. They import vehicles, have a specialist cameraman and a specialist driver/mechanic and employ guides/assistants/interpreters of varying quality!

We start of well enough through Burma, visiting all the common sites (most of which I visited in 2007 during the 3 weeks I spent there). Leg rowers on Inle Lake, monks, a snake temple and other interesting asides. All the while they are awaiting their paperwork promised to allow them into China, of course, it never arrives. Regardless they set off along the road from the border, only to be stopped by landslides rendering the road impassable.

They return to India, where they are assessing their options - most likely having to follow the crowd into Tibet which was fairly common at the time, and feeling underwhelmed by the idea. They attended a party and are talking to a woman, sayin g they will setout for Tibet in the coming days. “But why Tibet, Mr Denis? Everyone has been there. Wouldn't you rather see Nepal?” “Heavens yes, but that's impossible, foreigners are simply not permitted in there...” “Perhaps it could be arranges anyway... you see my father is the Maharajah..” And Princess Saya Mala arranged it so.

This sounds awfully prestigious, but she is one of the King of Nepal's many offspring (to the point where much later in the book the King cannot recall which of his daughters requested their entry to Nepal!) Wikipedia lists seven of the Maharajah's children then states among others!

And so the expedition finds itself trekking overland to Kathmandu (or Khatmandu as it is referred to throughout this book), whereupon the wait for weeks to be acknowledged by the Maharajah, although he does gift them the use of a car and driver - a car they witnessed being carried by porters on the route from India!

After waiting several days for permission to film, being ‘supervised' by a strange official whose title was ‘Officer in Charge of Hospitality Department' and became simply ‘Hospitality' who was theoretically to facilitate their visiting all manner of places people and things, but whose catch phrase was “sssso sssssorry” and had many reasons why places were not accessible to them. Thankfully the driver provided by the Maharajah was much more able to assist in their often clandestine visits. Largely the expedition just pushed the limits, especially while the Maharajah chose not to meet with them.

They spent much time around Kathmandu and Pathan, visiting the important temples (Pashupatinath, Bodnath etc) and at the cremation ghats of the Bagmati River, attended festivals and other cultural events. There was however an undercurrent of violence and distrust of the foreigners which was interesting, given how friendly a place Nepal is nowdays. There is plenty to amuse throughout this book, including a decent number of photographs - black and white, of an array of topics from landscapes to portraits, temples and the like.

An interesting snapshot of another time in Myanmar and Nepal.

3.5 stars, rounded up.