Kathmandu

Here I am here in Kathmandu (KTM). It is 240am and I can not sleep. Let see, could it be the Jet Lag, the wild dogs barking outside, the heat and humidity or is it the one mosquito that won't quit?

I arrived to find temperatures well into the 90's with the humidity equally high. The air is very thickly polluted with dust and exhaust. The city moves at a fast pace- it was quite a shock going from the relative calm of our flight to the roar of the city. Seeing a familiar face at the airport was definitely a plus- there were literally thousands of people smashed up against the glass partition looking for their person. Luckily, Lindsay was smart and waited on the other side where she could be easily spotted. The taxi ride from the airport to Lindsay's was like Mr. Toads Wild Ride and I think I held my breath the entire way. Lindsay just calmly chatted as if the near misses, constant barrage of horns and slammed brakes were normal. Oh yeah, they are.

Lindsay lives in a part of KTM that does not cater to Westerners. This part of KTM is raw and beautiful in its own chaotic way.

I had my first taste of Dahl Baat today. Lindsay's Didi (Didi is a term used for respect and literally means older sister) prepared our Dahl Baat (lentils with rice) which was fabulous- much better than the food on the plane. We ate lunch seated on the floor - we used forks although most Nepali's eat with their right hand. It is important to be aware of your posture and position as it is considered impolite to point the soles of your feet at anyone. You can not sit with your legs stretched out in front of you.

After a scrumptious lunch we ventured out to get our Trekking passes from the Trekking agency. This meant walking on a single wide dirt streets with two way traffic moving fast in both directions that at first glance seems very random and insane - but somehow works. Cars, motorbikes, bikes, pedestrians, cows and dogs all claiming right of way - the cows always win... followed by the trucks and cars.

"Cross with confidence, never hesitate and remember it works because it is predictable" That was the advice Lindsay gave to avoid getting hit.

After running a few errands we stopped in at the Fulbright office which is an amazingly clean and modern building. We were invited to a talk that addressed ethics and gender issues in female Buddhists in Bengladash and Nepal. Fascinating.

Later today we will check out Thamel and the touristy areas of KTM. We begin our trek on Sunday.