The four of us settled into Kathmandu, changing accommodation on the second night because, with a fresh pair of eyes and filled bellies, we were able to find even better accommodation. It was already becoming apparent to us that Nepal was going to be a much much much cheaper stay than China. Our hotel room was one of the nicest rooms we have had on our trip, with a fantastic restaurant on the ground floor that uses as many home grown vegetables as possible and it was costing us about ₤3.30 per night.
On the bus heading in the previous night, everyone was joking about the western delights that awaited us in our Shangri-La, Kathmandu; pizza huts, cineplexes, clean toilets, hot showers and other unimaginable wonders that had been a forgotten dream for the last fortnight. We never actually expected to find half of it when we got here but we did. The big western brands don't exist, nor does the cinema (though rumour has it there is one tucked away somewhere) but Kathmandu is a total tourist town, set up to furnish us with all the comforts of home. It is so ridiculously cheap that a simple snack ends up being a feast of abandoned decadence.
There is such a strong Indian influence here, in the food, the appearance of the people, the music and the general chaos that is Thamel district. You would never know that China is only a hundred and fifty kilometres away, not a hint of it. Throughout the centuries the boundaries between Nepal and India have moved backwards and forwards so much that the present cultural mix exists.
Nicolas and I both had the same agenda for the next couple of days - blog. In China it had become increasingly difficult to keep up to date, as you probably noticed, due to various reasons ranging from availability of computers, internet, time and opportunity. Kathmandu however has an abundance of internet cafes. While the boys did the blogs, the girls went shopping and Nikki has almost completely replaced her wardrobe for the cost of a T-shirt back home. The streets in Kathmandu feel jam packed with cars and motorbikes and it's true they are, but this is more because of the restrictive size of the streets than the quantity of cars on the road. There are even long stretches at a time when we can walk side by side before having to make way for a barrage of traffic. Just as well too for the many people we see carrying goods across town, all supporting their burdens on their backs by a single strap crossing their foreheads. The sight of an old lady struggling up a hill with a full size wardrobe hanging off her forehead is quickly surpassed by men carrying fridge freezers and the best so far, spotted only fifteen minutes ago, a three seater couch.
The streets bustle with opportunistic salesman, the little wooden violins coming second top to the number of people who approach you and discreetly whisper 'hash', or 'smoke' in your ear. The shops are awash with hippy tie-die'd outfits and rip-off hiking gear, all of which Nikki avoided, and every restaurant it seems has a roof top terrace, many of which we have not avoided.
We spent a few days soaking up the return of comfortable sleeping and good eating until we accidentally bumped into one of our bus buddies who was looking for friends to join him on a very reasonable trip down to Chitwan National Park. He had done all the research and price checking and the package sounded really quite good so we promptly signed up to join him and two days later we were heading south.
On the bus heading in the previous night, everyone was joking about the western delights that awaited us in our Shangri-La, Kathmandu; pizza huts, cineplexes, clean toilets, hot showers and other unimaginable wonders that had been a forgotten dream for the last fortnight. We never actually expected to find half of it when we got here but we did. The big western brands don't exist, nor does the cinema (though rumour has it there is one tucked away somewhere) but Kathmandu is a total tourist town, set up to furnish us with all the comforts of home. It is so ridiculously cheap that a simple snack ends up being a feast of abandoned decadence.
There is such a strong Indian influence here, in the food, the appearance of the people, the music and the general chaos that is Thamel district. You would never know that China is only a hundred and fifty kilometres away, not a hint of it. Throughout the centuries the boundaries between Nepal and India have moved backwards and forwards so much that the present cultural mix exists.
Nicolas and I both had the same agenda for the next couple of days - blog. In China it had become increasingly difficult to keep up to date, as you probably noticed, due to various reasons ranging from availability of computers, internet, time and opportunity. Kathmandu however has an abundance of internet cafes. While the boys did the blogs, the girls went shopping and Nikki has almost completely replaced her wardrobe for the cost of a T-shirt back home. The streets in Kathmandu feel jam packed with cars and motorbikes and it's true they are, but this is more because of the restrictive size of the streets than the quantity of cars on the road. There are even long stretches at a time when we can walk side by side before having to make way for a barrage of traffic. Just as well too for the many people we see carrying goods across town, all supporting their burdens on their backs by a single strap crossing their foreheads. The sight of an old lady struggling up a hill with a full size wardrobe hanging off her forehead is quickly surpassed by men carrying fridge freezers and the best so far, spotted only fifteen minutes ago, a three seater couch.
The streets bustle with opportunistic salesman, the little wooden violins coming second top to the number of people who approach you and discreetly whisper 'hash', or 'smoke' in your ear. The shops are awash with hippy tie-die'd outfits and rip-off hiking gear, all of which Nikki avoided, and every restaurant it seems has a roof top terrace, many of which we have not avoided.
We spent a few days soaking up the return of comfortable sleeping and good eating until we accidentally bumped into one of our bus buddies who was looking for friends to join him on a very reasonable trip down to Chitwan National Park. He had done all the research and price checking and the package sounded really quite good so we promptly signed up to join him and two days later we were heading south.
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