Preparations

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I checked into the Hotel Encounter Nepal in the Thamel tourist district when I arrived in Kathmandu. Not having made a reservation in advance and arriving late at night, I took the first decent offer for a taxi ride and hotel that came my way, figuring that I could always change hotels the next day. After a decent night sleep, I awoke to the noise of the city and took stock of where I had landed. Fortunately, I got lucky. The hotel, while certainly not the Ritz, nor even the Motel 8, was clean and the staff was very friendly. I had a decent breakfast and then was about to start planning my trek on the Annapurna Circuit when I was approached by a trekking agency representative. I was initially skeptical about going with a guide because it isn't really necessary for the Annapurna Circuit. After meeting a couple of the of the guides and hearing the prices, I changed my mind and decided to take a guide. While I was sure I could meet other trekkers and plan the trek myself, I figured that I would learn more about the culture and see more if I had a Nepali guide. My guide's name is Kapil and he seems like a great fella. I'm sure we will get on well.

I spent much of the past couple of days taking care of random errands in preparation for the trek. Much of the preparation was done in Thamel. Being the main tourist district of Kathmandu, Thamel is full of people trying to sell you something at any chance they get. People will stop you on the street and try to sell you Tiger Balm, hash, pot, magic mushrooms, bicycle rickshaw rides, taxi rides, and on and on. Once you develop a thick skin and learn to say "No" and/or ignore the hawkers and get used to the constant traffic, Thamel can be kinda fun. There are lots of toursists and Nepalis wandering about and just about anything you might need or want is for sale for often very negotiable prices. The traffic is a bit annoying, though that problem extends well beyond Thamel. Nepalis seem to have made a national past time of laying on the car/motorcycle/bicycle rickshaw horn. I'm not sure what it is getting them; they don't get anywhere any faster, but perhaps it does keep pedestrians from getting run over. As interesting as Thamel and Kathmandu are, I'm looking forward to getting out to the countryside and away from the noise and dust. Tomorrow I start my trek and with luck I will have some good pictures to post soon.

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Photos

Kathmandu, Nepal
View from my hotel.

Thamel, Kathmandu, Nepal
Typical street in the Thamel district. Thamel is the heart of tourist activity in Kathmandu.

Kathmandu, Nepal
Intricately carved woodwork.

Kathmandu, Nepal
Religious object in a courtyard. Religious symbols, both Hindu and Buddhist, are on virtually every street corner in Nepal as religion is integrated very publicly into the daily lives of Nepalis.

Solar hot water panels, Kathmandu, Nepal
Many commercial and residential buildings use solar energy for heating water. It is very effective, as long as the sun is shining ofcourse.

Maoist protest, Kathmandu, Nepal
These were a group of Maoist protesters chanting and running through the streets with torches near my hotel. The protest was peaceful. The Maosists were protesting because the Masoist Prime Minister Prachanda had just resigned when the president had blocked his decision to remove the head of the Nepali army. A new prime minister from the Marxist-Leninist Communist party was recently chosen as part of a new unity government.