Learned Traveller

Have anow been in Kathmandu for six days.  It seems to have changed quite a lot since I was last here ten years ago.  Much more crowded (a lot of people have fled here from the countrryside to avoid the Maoist rebels) and I think more Westernised.  Thamel, the tourist centre, remains a bewildering mix of trecking agencies, curio shops and colourful restaurants, still with a distinct hippy influence persisting from the 60s.  But compared to last time there are also lots of mountaineering stores selling brand name goods with misspelt labels at rather suspiciously low prices, and of course there are Internet cafes by the dozen.

After arriving I spent three days in a small resort caalled Shivapuri village just the other side of the range of foothills which lies to the north of Kathmandu.  The proprietor bought some land there which used to be terraced farmland about ten years ago, and converted it into gardens surrounding the accommodation.  There is a fantastic view of the Himalayas to the north (when it's clear) and it's situated on a hillside just below a National Park. A good rest and a bit of acclimatisation before the exertions to come.

We leave for Tibet tomorrow.

April 16th - Noticed from newsspapers that the group have reached Base  Camp within the last day.