Here at last!

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Well following the wittering on to anyone who would listen for the past 4 months or so, have made it to Kathmandu!

Following instructions from Graham that he was taking me out to have my final meal I felt like I was being sent to the slaughter not on my way to a journey of self discovery! It was very yum and much appreciated as those people on Qatar Air don't really have your best intrests at heart whilst you are their paying guest......let's just say that if KLM is one extreme (feeding you as soon as one mouthfull has gone.....though I do recall a gap at one point) Qatar Air feel that you have to practically beg for food..... Mind you it was probably for the best that the rest of the rabble as otherwise they would have thrown it on the floor/generally around like the rest of their posessions. I was warned by the lovely Roger from Peru, but I kind of hoped that he was overexaggerating.... at least I din't find any dirty nappies in the loo as I was promised! 😉 To be honest, I've never quite seen air travel like it. Passengers who don't listen to the instructions and who as soon as the back wheel hits the floor, jump up, get their handluggage out of the locker and stand their ground as first in the queue to get out in the middle of the aisle. Now don't get me wrong, I too had the desire to escape, but even I thought that was a tad extreme!

Must apologise if you feel I go on a bit.... Reasons are 1. I always do and 2. This will be my diary for the trip, so bear with mw and get excited that you are in fact having a cheeky look in a girl's diary!

So, arrived in one piece, managed not to be sold at the bunfight that was the taxi rank and got myself to relative comfort. Unfortunately preceeding the taxi jaunt with the odd African/South American driving characteristics - not following ny of the rules of the Highway code - I suffered at the hands of passport control..... Hands up how many people would think that getting a visa BEFORE you enter the country would speed things up? Well you are clearly as misinformed and divlike as myself. During the long wait managed to chat to a little man (and he really was little) who seemed quite nice until he asked me did I want to "join" him tonight? Thankfully the YTS boy on the desk had to go for a well earned gob in a corner (Yuk....someone hit my leg with their spittle today....lovely) and I ran away from him.

The Ambassador hotel - nice place I'm staying in. Disappointingly no ferero rochers.

So the first adventure. Walked my legs off today, mostly due to my inability to work out the map but did manage to do what I set out to do and went to the big temple with monkeys that begins with s (it is evening and I'm trying my best not to look like a traveller so have left my LP in the room!) Div struck again as as I was trying to take a photo of the infamous monkey I forgot to hide everything away....needless to soy have now got a photo of a monkey with what used to be my water bottle! It brought back memories of childhood and a stolen ice-cream in a zoo. 😞 Lots of the locals are friendly. Still not quite sure who is talking me because they are genuinely intersted and who wants a bit of money. I think I've found the best way to decide - when they ask if you are from England and you say yes, and then specify Yorkshire, if they look confused and carry on chatting they are ok. If they frown, look at you like you have dropped out of a dog's bottom and walk away, they see you as maybe not being as flash for cash as those southerners!

Talking about pooh - it really does smell. I have found my snot blacker than when darn saurf in London Town. I can only describe the smell as a combination of rotting pineapple and the paediatric on call room at the Friarage! Sad but true. To be fair though I possibly didn't see the best bits as I decided it would be nice to walk by the river.....Interesting. Read river/rubbish dump. It's pretty amazing to see how much crap one city makes and then how much money people can make from it as locals were rifling though junk, finding clothes, washing them and selling them on in the market. Pretty clever if you ask me.

Anyway, that's been my first day or so. Good weather, good food. Off to have something to eat now. Tomorrow I've managed to hire a little man for the day who will drive me about as there are a few places out of the main town that I want to see and I figured it would be easier given the navigational skills from today.

Speak to you all soon,
Love Becca xx

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Comments

[Pops]

Nice to know where you are
Rebecca, We thought you were going to China. It came as a suprise that you are in Nepal. Your aged parents would appreciate an advanced warning of your intended route. This way we can worry in different languages and cultures.