K-K-K-K-K-K-K-Kathmandu

Yesterday I came to Kathmandu. I had been driving everyone pretty hard, so they begged me to take some time off for the New Year. I have not seen much of Nepal other than the little town of Bharatpur, and I wanted to do some shopping.

The 11:45 Buddha Air flight was 2 hours late. They require that you arrive 1 hour early, so the other passengers and I spent quiet moments in the sun reading and waiting. I did not bring any food with me, as the flight is only 20 minutes, and I became quite hungry.

The 18 passengers finally boarded the modified Beechcraft KingAir. I sat right behind the pilots and got to see what they were doing and saw a great view out the front window. The flight attendant closed the door as the engines started, then handed out candy and cotton balls. The cotton is for your ears - the aircraft is very noisy.

One pilot flew the airplane, and the other handled the radios and lights. We climbed over the Annapurna mountains to 9500 feet, then glided into the clouds. We couldn't see anything around us. The pilot banked the plane and began to descend to 5500. Out of the mist appeared the Kathmandu airport -- on top of a small hill surrounded by many larger hills. I can't wait to bring my students here! When pilot made a perfect landing, the other applauded him.

After landing, I grabbed a cab to take me to the hotel. The Shivani Air hangar crew had made hotel arrangements for me before I left. I guess they wanted to make sure I left town. I was told the cab fare should be about Rs300, but all the drivers quoted Rs400. "The price of gas is very high now." They are right - the price has risen a lot recently. They pay about Rs80 per liter (over $5 per gallon).

I checked into the Hotel Mandap, in the heart of the Thamel district of Kathmandu. This is the main shopping area, and the most popular for westerners. I walked down to the restaurant and ordered grilled chicken and chips (french fries) and steamed vegetables. And 2 Cokes. It was 3:00. Everything here is fresh, not frozen. Even Coca Cola is bottled locally.

I walked around the area for a while, to see what was around, and encountered many street merchants. They are very aggressive salespeople. I guess I look like a tourist.

When I got back to my room, I started the water for a shower. I took literally 5 minutes for the water to turn from ice-cold to hot, and when I finally got in, it felt scalding. Or was I that cold? One of the best things in life is a hot shower, topped only by a hot bath. Or sleeping in on a cold, rainy morning.

When I woke up this morning, the room was freezing cold. The heavy blankets I had piled on top before I fell asleep kept me warm and toasty. I lay there drifting in and out of sleep, making plans for the day. Someone in the next room took a shower. Another group met noisly in the hallway outside my door before they took off on their adventure. I want to sleep until noon.

Around 8:30, I got up and went down for breakfast. Today is going to be a sight-seeing day. I can't wait to find out what everyone else around here already knows about Kathmandu.