Namaste! We staggered off the plane safe and sound and full of food to be greeted by Getaway staff. Whisked away to the Nirvana Garden Hotel to our basic but comfortable room. Spent the first afternoon buying essential supplies such as bottled water, having our first banana lassi, changing travellers cheques for rupees and surfing cable TV!
Had a pre-trip briefing with the lovely Praveen and handed over our passports and a small fortune in travellers cheques as payment for our two trips and sojourn at Royal Chitwan National Park. Then had bit of a lay down in our room to get over the shock of parting with all that money.
Kathmandu is as chaotic and noisy as we remembered it. Honking horns, ringing bells, barking dogs, hawkers selling all manner of stuff - Tiger Balm, silk purses, pen knives, buddhas, bangles, flutes and weird little stringed instruments.
Our hotel is next to a school and our balcony - yes, balcony (with table and chairs) looks out over the hotel garden (complete with fish pond) and into the school yard. Thursday afternoon kids were playing in the yard when the school bell sounded. As one, an enormous cheer of "HOORAY!" went up and all the kids streamed out of class and home!
Yesterday morning we were treated to school assembly with a wonderful rendition of what we assume is the national anthem. Later in the day we could hear them learning the English alphabet - reciting out loud "ABC..." just like we did at school.
It's hot, humid and cloudy cos of the monsoon. No mountain views yet. Took ourselves off to Swayambhunath yesterday - one of the most significant Buddhist/Hindu temples in the valley. Struggling up the 365 steps we kept passing a little family of nan, mum and daughter. I said 'Namaste' to nan and she responded with a whole lot of Nepali that I did not understand. Daughter smiled and then gave us two of the flowers she was carrying! Mine promptly wilted - an omen I should have heeded as I went on to get a little heat affected and ended up very hot and bothered and with a migraine that knocked me about for the rest of the night. Poor Smithy missed out on dinner cos of it despite my attempts to convince her to order momos on room service. We did treat ourselves to a bottle of Everest beer and a "Jolly" shandy!
Watched Shrek on telly before the power went out and fell asleep to the sounds of the generator, tooting traffic and thunder.
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