Welcome to Kathmandu

After what felt like an eternity and after a very quick stop-over in Guangzhou we arrived in Kathmandu. Once at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu we grabbed our bags and headed for customs which funnily enough was just a bunch of soldiers checking our baggage stickers to check that we had the right bags. Walking out of the airport we found our transfer which was just a small van that had to fit 11 people each with 2 suitcases and a carry on bag; where to put it all? The roof of course with no need to tie it all down, just tetris it all in carefully and drive slowly and nothing should fall off. Well thankfully nothing did fall off; the driver did well and before we knew it we were at Kathmandu Guest House and straight to bed.

My first full day began with a 5am wake up thanks to the man chanting in the courtyard on one side of the room and the kitchen staff readying breakfast on the otherside of the room. They are a noisy bunch in Nepal. Once everyone was together we met in the beautiful gardens of the Kathmandu Guest House to discuss what would be happening. We were warned to be prepared for anything in Nepal and so I wasn't surprised to learn that because of the upcoming federal elections on the 19th November, there is rolling strikes (or Bandas as the Nepalese call them).  Apparently there will be 10 days of strikes starting today but it didn't stop most businesses in Thamel (the suburb I am staying in) from opening.

We explored a great deal of Thamel today; it is a very popular tourist area. So many different stores selling everything from hiking gear to pirated movies but a really fantastic atmosphere nothing like I have ever seen before. The pushy sales people that you find in most touristy places around the world don't seem as 'in your face' as they did in China or Thailand which is a relief.

From a cultural point of view it is very different here. One thing that I have noticed today is that it is not unusual for men to walk around holding hands or having their arms oround other men. It is unusual in the sense that it is nothing more than just comradery here as opposed to how most westerners would view it as 'being gay'. I think it really shines a light on how such very simple things are perceived in different cultures. In Australia, if two men walk around holding hands it takes on a completely different connotation whereas here in Nepal, no one bats an eyelid.

Day one ended with a great Nepalese dinner (Panek Paneer with Garlic Naan for me) with some new friends at a rooftop restaurant followed by a couple of drinks at a nearby bar.