Hustle and Bustle

Hanging out with the locals.
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The bus we got from the border was falling apart, sometimes the driver couldn't get the door open, but we arrived in the capital safely, to be dropped off on a dark, dinghy road, with no idea of where we were (we've since found this is a common occurrence in Nepal).  We found our way to Thamel, the main tourist hotel area and headed for the Kathmandu Guesthouse, being followed and bugged all the way by hawkers with "Trekking, trekking trekking", "Rafting, rafting, rafting", "Hashish, hashish, hashish".  The guesthouse was a bit expensive so they discounted it for us but the next morning we went scouting for somewhere better and found the new Hotel Florid, the guys there were really nice and for AU$5 we got a double ensuite. While checking out of the Guesthouse we ran into Claire (taught in China near us) and she was booking in to surprise Ryan for his birthday so we arranged to meet for lunch.  Unfortunately we'd adjusted our watches to the wrong clock and arrived an hour late to surprise Ryan.  We went to the Brasserie for lunch where Edde and James tried Dal Bhat for the first time and ate it in the local style, with their right hands (the left one is to wipe your butt with).  We thought that the locals spelt and mispronounced 'beef' as it was on all the menus as 'buff'.  Then we realised it was actually buffalo steaks or stroganoff as the cow is sacred in Nepal and you get a life sentence for killing one.  We shopped around Thamel all afternoon and then tried to sneak through Durbar Square without paying but we were caught.  So we sat on the edge and waited for the fun to come to us, which it did!  2 little boys tried to sell us necklaces and silk bags but ended up giving me one as a gift which I tried to sell back to them.  A lady with a little boy came to beg, well to make her son beg anyway but we taught him how to high-5 instead.  And a guide came and tried to take us to the Kama Sutra temple.  We asked if he gave demonstrations on the tour and he couldn't stop laughing.  We headed out to dinner at a rooftop restaurant for cold pizza and live music that came from the restaurant next door.  Said goodbye (yet again!) to Claire and Ryan.

Claire, Ryan and James bargaining with some young salesmen.
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The rest of the week was spent haggling for things we didn't want anyway and checking out a couple locals sites.  We went to the square and saw the Living Goddess in her palace, she came to the window for a second.  The story is that there was this King who was in love with this little girl and slept with her and made her into a goddess and now the goddess lives in a palace in Kathmandu until she becomes a woman, then she is no longer a goddess and some other little girl takes her place.  Anyway, we saw her!  She's about 8 years old and wears bright red lipstick and we weren't allowed to take photos of her.

ate it in the local style, with their right hands (the left one is to wipe your butt with

Nightclub in Kathmandu (Guido Hatsis in the background).
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The rest of the week for me was spent lying in bed groaning and watching old tv shows, as I got the stomach flu.  Managed to make one day out of bed to go rafting down the tamest river in the world!  We spent 12 hours away on this trip and only one and a half hours was spent in the raft.  ah well, it's not the time of the year for rafting.  James, Edde and Emma jumped in the water and sped away in the current for an exciting swim.

We spent most nights in Kathmandu in the back garden of our hotel drinking G&T's which we're hooked on now, gin is so cheap.  We got a massive bottle of Blue Diamond gin for 265 rupees.  (divide that by about 50 for aussie $)  We said goodbye to the lovely staff on Tuesday and headed out to Chitwan National Park to see some wildlife.