We made it to Kathmandu!! It has been such a long dream!
Once again the aiport is pretty tiny but it's great, we love the small airports.
When we got out from the airport as usual we got attacked by cab drivers and after settling on a price we headed to the car. We thought we were dreaming, the car must have been around 40-50 years old, just like any other surrounding car. It might have been one of the old station Dacia's from Romania. Small, dusty and beaten up. Since we were four passangers (another couple we met in the aiport and shared cost) had a few bsgs too, there was no way to fit us all in. It was so funny!
We found another one, sqeezed in and headed out. THE CITY WAS NOTHING WE HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED! It was a mixture of Romania 25 years ago and images from Baghdad seen on TV. It was the wildest thing, totaly chaotic, dusty, dirty and all the roads were thorned up and piles of rumble and dust left on the side of the roads but still it had a hiden magic. This is our forht day and we love it.
The people are so different, they say that Nepal is the mixing bowl of Asia. A mixture of Indians, Tibetans, Chinese, Mongolians. The clothes they were range from traditional saries to western clothes. I love watching the people and they are genuinly nice despite being in the city.
The city is totallty chaotic everywhere, even in the nicest and quitetest part of the town too. We took a room in a guest house in the elite part and it was a good ease in but it was too far from the center.
Next day we went for a yoga class, it was so cool I felt energetic again and full of enthusiasm. The cool weather has done it's magic on me. In Indonesia it was so hot all the time that we didn't feel much enthusiasm to do anything. One day we took out bicycles and we were drenched and worned out after a few hours.
So, I'm all excited again and we cannot wait to hit the mountains.
We found a few travel agents (Thamel is packed with stores selling trekking items and travel agents, it's a shopping PARADISE) and we finally narrowed down a trip, we are heading into Manaslu region and Tsum valley. It's off the beaten track but with stunning mountains in the 6000 meter range and tibettan remote vilages, very few tourists. Exactly what we need. We are a bit nervous of the living conditions, trekking for three weeks with few shower opportunities,slepping in flee blankets and eating from less then hygeenic places are just just a a few our concerns but we are ready. The 7 days Andes trek was a good taste and preparation for this one.
Today we'll get all the special permits and gear, it will be a long day but I feel so content. We finally made it to an internet place and updated the blog. It's been such a pressure, we tried so many times to write, get to a place upload pictures etc. It was discouraging and frustrating, one day in Ende, Flores we spent 3 1/2 hours and I only managed to put up one paragraph and Kenny uploaded 2-3 pictures.
