Kathmandu, Nepal

In Kathmandu, wow, can hardly believe it. Was a long way down to this country that is 4 hours and 45 minutes before Norway in time. Around 24 hours of traveling, 12-13 of them on a plane, the rest hanging around at different airports, Sola, Heathrow and Bahrain (whatever the name of that one is, should have known it after I spent 6 hours there).

Coming into the airport in Kathmandu was an experience in itself, not the flying, that was fine. But people have a bit of a rush of getting of the plane when they start getting their luggage out of the overhead compartment when we still are taxing in 80 k or so down the runway after landing. Why, do they think they get earlier into the terminal, maybe, but we are all going on buses from the plane to the terminal, so they don`t. The arrival for me is going nice, no problem with visa or anything. A bit exciting about my checking luggage have made it all the way from Norway, and luckily it has. :-) Have never seen so much on any beltway before, the others have not just been traveling, they are importing half the country they are coming back from, lots and lots of boxes in all shapes and sizes. An organized chaos. I am suppose to find a free ride from my guest house from the airport, but are ending up taking a prepaid taxi, 9 us$, maybe a dollar more than it should be, do not care. The taxi takes me to the right hotel, Kathmandu guest house, can never be sure of that down here, but this on is to trust.

Just a chicken curry and some beer at the guest house before I go to bed, and strangely I do not sleep that well during the night, but very well at the time I have to get up to get some breakfast.

My first day have I spent most of the time to walk around, looking for Shoonas Alpine rental, found it when I had given up the search. Will rent sleeping bag and a down jacket, buy walking sticks and some water bottle, the only things that I did`t bring from home. Curry for lunch, will be some of that during this weeks I guess.

 

To walk around here, and also other places where being kind of pale in the skin can be a challenge, some people assume you have a lot of money, which is kind of true and not true. As a Norwegian social worker one are only rich in out of Norway. Was stopped by a young man at the street today, who was starting w a kind of normal question, "where are you from"? "Norway" I said. That is the richest country in the world he said, or at least one of the top 3. And I had to reply, maybe, I think so, not sure.. but I am not rich, just my country. As the conversation went on he wanted to guide me around Kathmandu, which I was`t interested in, and I was not much interesting to talk to after that. This little story made me think about a woman I heard about yesterday that suggested that, even if that was for Egypt, say you are from Iceland and that you have visited the place you are visiting many times before, and you will be in less interest for whoever trying to sell anything. In short, Iceland is still bankrupt, and visited many times before, you know the scams. Gonne try to remember to try this out, and see how it goes. Tried it ones today, and got a lot less attention. :)

Evening, pad Thai at a Thai restaurant down the street and some old rock`n roll at an Irish pub.

Will meet up with my trekking group tomorrow, looking forward to that and to see who I will spend the next two weeks together with. Fun. Will also get some more info about the trekking to EBC. As it looks after I talked to the owner of Shoona`s alpine it will not be as cold as I was afraid of, and that sound good, anything warmer than -20 C is good, but we will most likely get anything from good and warm temperatures to freezing cold. I am prepared for anything I think. :-)