Namaste!

Kathmandu - loud, dusty, chaotic.  But it's organized chaos.  The road system is a great example.  Cars and motorcycles flow in an unrecognizable pattern.  Horn use is encouraged, if not downright required.  You walk on the left side of the road, usually without a sidewalk, and as long as you don't make any sudden movements, you should fit right in.  Otherwise imitate the locals.

On the 34 hour trip here, we flew through Paris.  Kathmandu definitely differs from Paris, or any other Western city.  The dust clogs your throat, and many people wear masks over their faces.  That explains the frequent coughing.  The noise is constant throughout the day until it suddenly dies off around 9 pm.  Wait for an electronic rooster to wake you up.  There are no city lamplights at night, so without car headlamps or shop lights, you're stuck in the dark.  That's not much of a danger, except for the foot-deep potholes that easily exceed the ones in Chicago after a rough winter and the ensuing road-salting.  Incense always fills your nose drills and most likely masks some of the dank smells.  Hawkers of goods approach you every other step.  Not used to it, we keep in mind that it's only supposed to get worse in India.

You also have to watch out for scams.  We sort of fell for one on Friday.  We got out trekking permits (7,500 NPR or about $90 for both of us), and then headed to the Indian embassy to get started on our visas.  We haggled with a taxi driver over the prices, got it down to a fourth of what he was asking, and headed out, very happy with ourselves.  Well, it turned out that the embassy and its visa providing capabilities closed at noon, and we got nothing accomplished.  The taxi driver, of course, knew that, as he provided us with several other details, including a question if we'll need his services tomorrow.  Except tomorrow was Saturday and the embassy is closed for the weekend.  This one is on us, and I hope we learned our lesson.

But I love Kathmandu.  It's a city with a vibe.  The organized chaos seems to liberate, to set you free, from a schedule, from rules, from how you should behave.

We set up shop temporarily in Elbrus Home near Thamel, the tourist neighborhood of Kathmandu.  It's a bit pricey at $14(!) per night, considering the comparative prices, but we really like it.  We eat our breakfast every morning on a beautiful patio, stories up above the city.  With limited space, everyone builds up.  Each balcony is decorated with potted plants and pastel rainbow-colored walls.  Enchanting.

We spent the last few days in parts of the ancient city, near Durbar, or royal, Square, which is a complex of intricately carved temples and shrines.  A symbol for the cultural and religious life of the Nepalese people, the square hosts the coronations of the Nepalese kings.  It was also the King's residence until the early 20th century.

Today, we crossed the river border from Kathmandu into Patan, the second largest city in Nepal.  With its own ancient Durbar Square, it impressed us beyond belief.  We took a moment to just sit atop one of the temples and take in the sights.  Despite development, we could still imagine the way it looked back in the day.  For lunch, we found an interesting place off the square.  We were greeted warmly by the owner, the only tourists in the place at the time.  Sitting cross-legged by a low bench, we ate a delicious meal of chataamari, or Nepali style "pizza".  After asking two local students for a photo, we were invited to join their table.  It was interesting to get a Nepali perspective on many topics.

Now we're resting on our patio, taking in the sunset.  I'm finally writing a blog update and Pawel's chilling with a fellow American, enjoying a Danish beer, (toughly haggled for) for the low price of 180 NPR (Nepalese rupees - about $2.50).  On Monday, we plan to go apply, again, for the Indian visas, and take a bus to Pokhara.  We will stay there for a night, rent out some equipment for the trek and set off for Besisahar, the origin of our ABC, or the Annapurna Base Circuit.  Of course, as we already found out, plans can change quickly.

But life is good.  Since we're heading out into the mountains, it may take a while before we post another update.  But thanks for following!

                                                         Mandatory Eiffel Tower photo.

Patio breakfast

                                                                            We're rich!

                                                               Busy streets of Thamel

                                                               Durbar Square in Patan

                                                         Durban Square in Kathmandu

                                                        Vishnu - red chalk is used for blessing

                                                                      Patan

                                                                       Patan

                                                                 Patan streets

                                                                Vishnu altar

                                                       Restaurant with ambiance

                                                    Can you imagine it in the past??