Grand Hotel Kathmandu

... Children School’ in Kathmandu.

De Brick Children school in Tikathali, Kathmandu
De bergbewoners uit de Himalaya en de Annapurna zakken elk jaar voor 6 maanden af naar de vallei van Kathmandu. Ze gaan er werken in de ‘Brickfactories’, de plaatselijke steenbakkerijen.

De kinderen moeten met de ouders mee naar de hoofdstad. Ze verlaten de bergschooltjes voor zes maand. Om de kinderen toch onderwijsmogelijkheden te geven ...

... through sheesh Mahal, jaigarh and nahargarh fort are around amber with impressive view of countryside. (Timing - 10.00 am to 4.30 pm, Fee- Rs 10 Indian, Rs 50 foreigners).
· GARDEN - SISODIA RANI - KA - BAGH a delicate place overlooks a series of terraces made verdant with shrubs and flowers, VIDYADHARJI- KA- BAGH an ideal place for those wishes to enjoy a picnic.
· WALK AROUND AND CURES - NAHAGARH BOILOGICAL PARK OR ...

... souper est autour de 18h ce qui nous semble tôt pour une grande ville comme Kathmandu, mais cet horaire semble être lié à la lumière du jour « gratuite » comparée à l’éléctricité payante....et coupée le soir... ! Nous retournons chez ces même gaillard à travers des ruelles illuminés par des bougies et quelques lampes alimentées d’un accu. Le resto a beaucoup plus de charme à la lueur des bougies sur les tables. Mais le choix de quoi manger est restreint, nous sommes arrivés trop ...

... the entire time, and there he stayed throughout it all. He was an absolute godsend and a saint to me. (Thank-you Chris – truly - forever – thank-you!)

At the hospital I was ushered in to sit on a dirty stool with a ripped red leather cover in front of the doctor's desk and told to wait. There was the withered body of a poor soul, laying on a cot, hooked up to a tube in the back of the room – a cement windowless hall with dirty bleak walls and stale air. What her ...

... so close up.

Back in Kathmandu it’s chaos. Glad to be leaving tomorrow as I found the city dirty, smelly, chaotic and just too much to take in. You’re constantly making sure you don’t get run over that you don’t have much chance to see anything else. Thamel was a mad place but we found a pharmacy to stock up on immodium for altitude and also found our silk liners we wanted for our trip to Tibet.

... and movement.
Horns honking and bells on bikes, a constant chatter to the city.

Tonight Khatmandu is selling vegetables by candlelight.
Single bulbs run by gerneators are hanging form the celing in the center of shops.
Sons are riding in front of fathers on motor bikes, groceries hang from the handle bars and are tied to the back of seats.
Motorcycles weave through women wearing Saris
The bright colored cloth lighting up for an instant ...

... time to move on - sooooo we headed back to Kathmandu. Again, it was a bumpy, windy but beautiful bus journey - we finally got a perfect, cracking view of those bloody mountains! Made everything else worthwhile, including the 2 hour hill-traffic jam.

Kathmandu's been a lot more interesting this time...apart from the hostels - we've slept in 3 different places in 3 days and we're still in the same city (smelly beds are ...

... of Nigel's, c*lled Mil. She w*s * tiny little Afric*n Americ*n wom*n who put *ll of us to sh*me with her *m*zing mount*ineering skillz, but she took to us very well *nd tried to sw*p us with her group, which boosted everyone's confidence but Nigel. It w*s * long d*y *nd I w*s completely wrecked, but I'm gl*d I did it. And hopefully I'll be so *m*zingly thin *nd *thletic when I get home, you won't even know me.

After Lh*s*, we were introduced to our bus driver for the rest of ...

... the restrictions are nearly not noticeable which is perfect timing as I hit the mountain roads. I love riding in the mountains with a motorbike, it is the perfect mode of transport. Motorways and straight flat roads are boring, but add lots of winding roads up and over mountains with spectacular views is a bikers dream. I make it to Kathmandu and go straight to the Indian embassy to apply for a visa that takes one week, a perfect amount of time for me to do absolutely nothing.

... Neil said that we should turn left and cross the river that smells worse than anything you've ever smelled before.

So, the first leg of the walk is down a road that is completely covered with 3 foot high mounds of dirt arranged like ski moguls. And they were all pretty set in, as if the dirt had been dumped there a long time age. There were no cars on this road, but all the motorbikes, bikes, and people all had to weave in the thin paths ...