Kathmandu

We arrived... and Kathamadu is probably exactly like it was 20 years ago with the added advantage of the young girls and old women selling jewellery and small bags.
The team opted for sleep in Singapore's Terminal Hotel and then a nice squashy 5hr flight to Kathamadu - Funny enough you just can't wipe the smile off Jason and Scott's faces. These guys are having a ball. They've never seen anything like Kathmandu. The way these people travel, build, walk around ... just about everything brings them both into fits of surprise, laughter and shock ... all rolled into in one. It's a total crack up to watch. Hopefully we can figure how to send pics from here and you can see for yourselves why they're just going nuts. They're gunna love the build!!

After arriving at the Hotel Magnificient View, we thought we'd be going to one of the more popular restaurants in town, only to be told our table had been taken by some famous movie star ... can't remember her name bue she's was the Ice Queen in Narnia - Old people and small children will know who I mean. We were just hungry and didn't give too much of a toss about who had taken our table.

So, across the road and dinner was an assortment of pizza's that all tasted the same, but included red wine that cost a fortune, lots of good local beer (my tip, learn how to drink beer!) and a great deal of laughs and fun. You might be thinking why we were eating pizza's in Nepal?? Well, it was close and we were hungry.

We had a very funny day. Habitat met us at Kathamadu airport and we experienced just about everything possible. The airport was surprisingly quiet and our luggage was waiting for us before we waited for it, unheard of at Sydney Airport. Also, Jon lost his luggage! Everyone else had our luggage unceromiously tossed to one side awaiting our collection - except Jon's. But there was a red back pack hanging around, it just wasn't his! Buggar!!! Big Buggar!!

Thank Christ it wasnt MY bag!!! But have to say Jon took it quite well ... considering.
Much taking the piss out of Jon and each other for the next few hours took precedence - especially because our team leader lost all his belongings, but hey, life's short, we're in Nepal and tomorrow all the hard work begins. So for tonight, it's a bit of a party night. Hopefully Jon's bag will turn up.

After dinner, Dot, Sarah, Kylie and myself thought a little stroll around the nieghbourhood would be a good idea. Friendly enough, pretty sleezy but safe-ish. Kylie can't quite get the whole lifestyle choice thing going on but ... give her time. We decided to check out a rug shop ... I just wish I had taken a photo of these magnificient pieces of art, they were just breathtaking. Thankfully, and all our respective partners can rest assured your credit cards have not maxed out... yet! WOW! How clever are these people. My Mum would be drooling right about now.

Anyway, following the rugs, we though GO GO Dancing might me more to our style. Ho Hum, sadly one beer later we unanimously decided we can each dance way better than Nepalese GO GO dancers and decided to join the rest of the team on the Roof Top of our Magnificient View Hotel.

So that is where I leave you, on the roof top overlooking Kathamadu with a glass of red. Can't ask for better than that. Bye the way, Jon's bag finally DID turn up ... Good for him but unfortunately we don't get to see him in Annettes's shorts. Probably a good thing.

Christine.