On a trip to Kathmandu, Nepal, my friend and I had a great conversation with an incredibly interesting AirBnB host. Over a few beers, he explained how he became a host after retiring from the national police force, where he was the Chief Superintendent.
Clearly captivated by this, my friend and I asked him to talk more about his past experiences. He talked about his time in Bosnia, Sudan and Iraq as part of a UN Peacekeeping force in the 1990s. Having grown up only knowing Baghdad as one of the most dangerous places on earth, I was fascinated by his recounting of the city as a safe cultural oasis back then.
Our host’s colourful past did not end there. He was part of the security force that oversaw the protection of the royal family in Nepal at the turn of the millennium. He was on duty when Crown Prince Dipendra opened fire on his family, killing the King, 11 other members of the royal line, and then himself. He explained that according to Nepali custom, commoners could not subdue royalty, and so the Crown Prince was not stopped during the massacre. In the end, Nepal transitioned to a democracy.
Our host was easily one of the most interesting people I've ever met.
