Bangkok - Kathmandu

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starting afresh with the blog thing...will try to at least regularly update where i am!! but here is a little completely up to date info! (will backtrack on the other countries sometime soon....promise!)OK....After spending some wonderful days in bangkok at a weekend salsa festival (decent dancing at last & i fear possibly the last for some time!!), i decided to not take my flight to myanmar (1st october), asmuch as it pained me to lose it, but i think it was the right decision, given the situation. had much trouble trying to find flights to nepal, tried to find alternative overland via india, but all too expensive & would have had to wait over a week. as much as i love thailand, ive spent loads of time there now & was ready to move on! So, i shut my eyes & chose business class...not actually much more expensvie, given the whole scales of things, & definitely no regrets!!!!soooo...long delays with the flight but got to wait in the VIP lounge...free food, sandwiches, pastries, cakes, fruit, icecream, yummy nibbles, beer, spirits, tv, internet...everything!!....needless to say i got my money's worth & ate & drank LOADS! also had the whole lounge to myself, which was wonderful! felt sick after, but nevermind!!So, now safely & happily arrived in Kathmandu (Nepal). wonderful place! such a culture shock compared to the south east asian countries ive seen so far!durbur square is just beautiful! gorgeous old brick buildings, really interesting houses & stalls, smells of lush spices, curries... tiny little roads & quaint alleys to explore...easily lost in the maze-like streets...but so much fun being lost in them! so much happening...veg & fruit sellers, people worshipping, carrying ridiculous loads on their heads, locals chilling out around the temples, a completly wonderful buzz happening continuously, so easy to just sit & watch the world go by. only downside so far is some nasty smells of piss & poo/ sewage &...but the amazing sights of everything else more than compensate!!lush food..rice, veggies, curry type things, etc...various local cake things (im gona be so FAT by the end of this trip!)...just everything! i love it! made some great friends with locals, showing me local foods & tried some local dancing! apparently, everyone now thinks i'm nepali! am trying my hand at the lingo...will see how well i do!saw nearby temples...of durbur square, bodnath, pashupatinath & swayambhunath...really fascinating...so different from SE asian wats im used to! great structures & carvings...many erotic scenes...very rude, but amusing all the same!! buddha eyes watching everywhere, stupas (the biggest in the world apparently at bodnath...very impressive) & gompas...tibeten monasteries & at bodnath, tibeten-town. great stuff.also, much hindu culture evident alll around...worshipping, etc & also witnessed many cremations. all great to see & locals really dont mind us seeing. so much to take in at such a fast pace...the wonders of this place never cease!!!!!!!!people wonderfully friendly & welcoming. no hassles...touts are fine & not too pushy...so refreshing after vietnam & cambodia! central thamel quite touristy, but many great things to see nonetheless....much potential shopping (gorgeous clothes, bags, pashmina, chashmere & more), but im steering well away from that...money is not doing so well!! what more can i say??? im blown away with this country so far & have only been here 2 days !! think im in for a treat....if you hadnt guessed...i completely love nepal!!!!!bye for now!!oh yeh...& last night also found a salsa place...happens once a week, so i was lucky. level nothing compared to london, but always nice to have a dance! maybe i will get to go again, but its not high on the priority list right now!!

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