Krazy Kathmandu

Namaste! It is barely four days since we arrived in Nepal and already we have seen so many different facets of the country. Our journey to Kathmandu was relatively easy, despite a short delay in Dehli. We were pleasantly surprised on arrival to discover that reports of being surrounded by taxi drivers, hawkers and hotel/guesthouse 'recruiters' were unfounded. We headed straight for the driver with the Kathmandu Guest House placard (Thanks girls for recommending it!) and more or less hit the road.

The guesthouse, located in Thamel the centre of tourism in Kathmandu, while significantly more expensive than what we intend to spend for the rest of the trip, it was well worth it. After almost 24 hours travelling and 2 nights sleep lost, peace, quiet and a comfy bed were essential! Its a quiet little haven, just off one of the main streets in Thamel. A private garden almost buffers guests from the continual beeping on the streets. (Turn right = beep; turn Left=Beep, Overtaking you, watch out = beep - you get the picture).

After the incredible journey from the airport, we decided to wait till day 2 to brave the city. Its only a short drive (15-20 mins) from the airport to Thamel, The city itself is unlike anything I've seen before and it was quite a culture shock for two weary travellers. It is impossible for the poverty to escape your notice, there are are crowds and crowds of people, some working, some sitting, some sifting through the huge piles of rubbish on the side of the street; cows (as a sacred animal) wander the place freely as do packs of wild dogs. Thamel, gives a different perspective. There is no evidence of significant wealth, however there are hundreds of small businesses which appear to be thriving off the tourist industry. You can't walk down the street without being approached by people willing to organise treks or accommodation, rickshaws, taxis - you name it. It should be oppressive, but its not. Admittedly, it can be tiresome after several hours, but generally we never felt pressured or threatened, its just the way business is done!

No photos just yet, but we'll upload them in a few days - along with the next installment - the trip to Pokhara!

Fi & Schmo

Just a week to go till we depart and all of a sudden the 2 weeks preparation time since christmas doesn't seem to have been half long enough. It is hard to believe that the months of planning and talking about it all are almost over and this time next week we'll be somewhere over Eastern Europe on our way to Dehli and ultimately to Kathmandu.

The wierdest part about this trip for me is that I have absolutely no idea what to expect. I suppose that is both the exciting bit and the scary bit! I do like my plans!!! But I guess I'm just going to have to learn to roll with it!

So just a few more goodbyes to say, mostly the hard ones, a few more boxes to be stashed away to be dealt with later in the year, a final pruning of the "must take" pile of clothes and we're ready to rock! (Also need to learn how to drive this thing, hence the pre-departure posting)

We'll keep the updates coming when we get a chance and hopefully post some photos along the way too (if we work out how to drive that part!)!