Radisson Kathmandu

... day we had a sleep in but the guy from the tour company was hanging round reception waiting for us. Desperate for business. He took us for breakfast and we ended up booking a days white water reafting and a flight round Everest with him.

Next morning was an early start, we had to take a 3hour bus trip to the rafting place.The bus was rough but it was a class journey, the mountains and scenery were unreal. Bailey slept through it all of course. We got there and met up with ...

... I'll simply wait for other drinkers to one day show up. Either way, it's OK with me.

Surya's friends who were supposed to show up, didn't, so we went to the festival without them. I took a lot of pictures, most of them not too good. Bad lighting and hard to get through the crowds. The colours, costumes, and food offerings are elaborate. I wish I could have captured the real colour and feel of it but this camera and this photographer just couldn't get it right.

... happens next.

The sounds of joy and agony are intertwined here. Intermittently, one blocks out the other, but for some seconds, each can be indistinguishable from the other.

The madness rages on the main streets. Chaos ensues while young blue-clothed officers in white gloves and face masks direct traffic and protect themselves from the pollution, and though it's rarely mentioned, swine flu.

If you ask anyone here, there is no swine flu, absolutely not ...

... in America this would be ending in a law suit!!!!! Achy bones, fever and all the rest puts me to bed very early but all the aching makes for not so much sleep. During this sleepless night I start worrying about my flight on July 2. With the "Swine flu" pandemic . . .if there are any signs of fever . . . they will not let me board the plane. I get up and check my overnight bag to see if I had ...

We arrived at Kathmandu airport to nice, cool air, a welcomed break from the hot, humid, SE Asia weather. We were corralled into a crowded triage area where officials checked travelers for swine flu (asked where they came from, took temperatures, etc.) We got our tourist visas and headed out to the crazy, chaotic outdoors to find a taxi. It was this time that a hail storm started. We were surprised to see this and hoping this was not going to be the ...

So here we are at last Kathmandu, yes totally crazy!!!! the place of music, colour, pollution and so many nationalities. The minute we arrived we were hit by the heat, the crowds and the pollution, this place is just so crowded with narrow streets going off in every direction crammed with people, shops, bikes, pedal rickshaaws and cafes.... I just love the atmosphere here the place is buzzing. We grabbed a taxi with a young English lad we had hooked up with on the flight ...