A Day Out with Little Adventurer

Our little girl, Akshada, recently turned four, and for weeks she'd been asking us for a ride on a "hanging car"—our family's nickname for a cable car. Her excitement was contagious, and we knew we had to make it happen. The perfect destination came to my mind: Chandragiri Hills, a popular spot just outside Kathmandu. With its picturesque cable car, awesome views of snow-capped mountains, lush green forests, and child-friendly space, I knew she would love every single thing in this adventure.

Akshada got up early on the day of the trip, filled with energy and excitement. We took an early lunch and set off from our Balkot, Bhaktapur residence for a 45-minute drive to Chandragiri. Being a public holiday, the place was quite crowded, so we had to wait a bit for our turn on the cable car. But Akshada was cool, she had a curiosity-filled little mind running at that moment, which kept all of us entertaining while we were in the queue.

As we were in a line, she looked up at the cable car swinging above and asked, "How does it move up without a driver? Then, her eyes wide, she asked, "What if it stops right in the middle—do we just hang like monkeys?" Her imagination knew no bounds, and we couldn't stop laughing at her ideas. "If we get stuck up there, can we swing from car to car?” she mused, adding to the fun of the wait.

It was only after we finally boarded and gained height that Akshada didn't take her eyes off of what was lying below. Of course, at one time we asked her if she could see Dharahara, the big white tower standing at the center of Kathmandu.

At the top, Akshada was eager to see all the places we had talked about while coming up. Her first stop was the Bhaleshwor Mahadev temple, a beautiful and revered temple at the top of the hill. She enjoyed ringing the bells. From the temple, we went straight to the children's play area. She couldn't wait to slide, jump around, and try the horse ride.

Of course, she immediately challenged us to a game of hide-and-seek, so we ran around laughing and playing in the cool mountain air, creating memories we'll always cherish.

To wrap up our day, we took a break for some snacks. Being vegetarians, it was exciting to see a proper spread of fresh snacks, including Akshada's favorite potato smileys, that she termed as "the happiest food!" Cheese popcorn, delicious vegetable momos, and crispy french fries rounded up our day.

Looking back into the day, I felt that sometimes it's these small, simplest outings that give us the most cherished memories. Watching Akshada's curiosity and joy reminded us of how magical it is to observe this world through the fresh eyes of a child. Moments like these, kids teach us how to rediscover the joy in exploring, the thrill of asking questions without hesitation, and the beauty of embracing every adventure with an open heart.