Early afternoon 13/06
Hello people, id though id get my first post up ASAP to get into the habit - so here you are.
Well I have been in Kathmandu for several hours now, after 2 arduos flights it was an easy transition from the airport, with help from a hippy croatian lady I sat next to on the plane.
Actually, on the way in I could see vast foothills covered in forest below me as we flew over the border from India. Thats the Southern Terrai region which, situated on the foot hills of the Himalaya range, is the hottest part of Nepal It is characterised by intensively cultivated expansive flat plains, stretching all the way from East to west, and the foot hills are covered in semi-troipical rainforest and rice paddy's. Kathmadu, where I landed, is a higher altitude flat plain in the middle of a large valley, its cooler here but still humid and covered in forest where it hasnt been disturbed by humans. This is the middle hills region, the most densely populated, with steep valleys and mountains streching the breadth of the country. This is the region I will be investigating small scale agriculture, which is the staple of the Nepalese population (>80% depend on subsisence agriculture).
The drive from the airport was hot, sticky and smelly! The streets are quite dirty, bumpy and mainly without proper side walks (so the pedestrians have to be quick!), and there are big old trucks sperting out clouds of noxious black fumes, beeping there way through the traffic. Once we entered the inner city and further on to the touristy areas it got cleaner and brighter. The inner streets are quite narrow and bumpy with bikes, mopeds and rickshaws hussling for space and business. Lining the streets are places to eat and loads of open air shops to gaze at, I already have my eyes on some colourful cotton trousers!
Since entering my guest house I have not left! I connected to the internet straight away (which was suprisingly easy) and received an email which needed dealing with. My guest house is very simple, but clean and friendly, with on sweet and shared balcony, all for E 6.50 a night!
Soon time to explore a little and find somethng to eat.
