Our arrival in Kathmandu was as bigger culture shock as arriving on Ko Sarn Road in Bangkok at mid night. We were mobbed by about 60 taxi drivers even before the heat had hit us as we stepped out of the airport. We took shelter in an ATM booth with a security guard out the front while the 60 taxi drivers formed a crowd around the 1m circumfrance from the ATM that had been ropped off for this reason. Crazy!!!!
We ended up in Thamel, I guess the tourist centre of Kathmandu. The first things we noticed were the pollution, the dust, the colourful saris the women wore, crazy drivers and I mean more so than Bangkok and the bicycle riskshaws that had replaced the Bangkok tuk tuk's. After being 'guided' to our guesthouse we hit the streets straight off to organise our trek. ON the streets we were confronted with hecklers 'tiger balm' ma'am, 'where you going' from the rickshaw drivers and, 'milk for my baby' from the beggers with baby's in their arms or the beggers missing limbs or with horrific scars with hands out just waiting for money.
We found a trekking company we liked and booked in out trek. We hired a guide / porter who would cary 15kgs for us and show us the way for US$13. Pretty good.
We had a few days before the trek began so we explored Kathmandu a little and were lucky enough to be there for the Nepali 2064 new year which we celebrated in a little town called Thimi where we saw a festival and orange powder, which represented good luck and fortune from the gods, thrown on everyone, including us. We were covered.
Take care and get bent
Luv Kath and Tommy
