Namaste! We have arrived in Nepal. It was an early start this morning which left us with a couple of hours at Bangkok airport prior to departure. We had been told that due to the death of the King there would be tributes around. All airline staff wore black ribbons and many wore badges with the King’s image on them. There was a stunning memorial at the airport with the most beautiful flowers and a place for people to sign the condolence book.

The flight from Bangkok to Kathmandu was rather uneventful, however towards the end what we had assumed were clouds turned out to be the Himalayan Mountains. Not the best pic, but I hope you get the gist…

The approach to the airport was a little hairy- a quick descent after we had cleared the mountains. The density of the housing was immediately noticeable from the air- no yards as such and most dwellings were apartment buildings.

After collecting luggage and clearing customs we were met by Sonam, our in country guide. Leaving the airport reminded me a little of Fiji with the number of bikes, scooters, cars and busses trying to merge into narrow roads, but it was also vastly different. I was surprised cyclists were not collected by larger vehicles, however drivers tended to stand their ground. No traffic lights to be seen, however a strong police and military presence around places like the Old Palace and some directing traffic along the way.

The hotel we are staying at tonight is in the tourist area of Kathmandu and allowed us to change currency (you cannot obtain Nepalese Rupee outside Nepal) and pick up some bottled water. Of course I just turned on autopilot and brushed my teeth in the basin with town water. Let’s hope my constitution is as good as I claim it is!

We ventured up to the rooftop garden on dusk which was well worth it…

For dinner we went to a Tibetan restaurant and were treated to the yummiest hotpot…

Another early night for my roommate and I- these early starts are taking their toll. We do hope to be up early tomorrow though to look at the sunrise from the rooftop.