Need to organize what I will be carrying in my day backpack and what I need to pack in the porter's large pack that I will be sharing with Jim. I check the weather forecasts for the various destinations we have on our itinerary. Quite the range between daily highs and then the lows at night. It will get below zero at the higher elevations at night. I will need to layer during the day and when sleeping wear fleece and cotton to keep as warm as possible.
Good to have Wolfgang with me. He is a very seasoned traveller and has lived in many different countries. Around 10am we navigate ourselves to Durbar Square http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathmandu_Durbar_Square located southwest of where we are staying in Thamel.
Lots of camera opportunities and time to rest and people watch. We find out that this attraction has a entrance fee for foreigners, but no entrance fee for persons who don't look like tourists. In addition, there are locals who offer themselves as guides to Durbar Square at a fee of course. You can negotiate the fee, but we decide to utilize our Lonely Planet travel guide for reference.
Colourful religious motif near the entrance.
Pigeon heaven? They get fed regularly here.
Colourful frills hang from the edges.
Royal palace area and very quiet sanctuary amid the hustle and bustle of Durbar Square.
About 500 year old building where you can hang out if you wish.
I love these small faces from the Lohan Chowk building.
Very cool.
Very beautiful and colourful stalls selling all sorts of stuff. This will be the Hindu influence in Kathmandu.
I had to get a picture of one of the many locals wearing a face mask to lessen the pollution you are breathing in this city. The second most air polluted city on the planet.
View from the ninth storey of the Tower. Many sellers below where locals and tourists will accumulate over the day and negotiate a price.
View from the ninth floor and some views of one side of Kathmandu.
The square below where Royals at one time would have been safe.
Time to get some lunch. It is quite common in Kathmandu for restaurants to be located on the rooftop terraces. We walk up the many stairs of Vishram Restaurant to get a great view of Durbar Square. Our server is Yaman Gurung. Another momos platter for me and a sweet banana lassi to drink.
Yummy momos (dumplings filled with meat or vegetables)
An example of the unique approach of the Kathmandu restaurants to be located on the terraces above the buildings.
Around 3 pm we decide to leave the Durbar Square area and return to the Nirvana Garden hotel. On the way, I add 100 MB and voice/text to my Nepali SIM card for about $7CDN - pretty cheap. We head out onto the streets of Thamel for some errands.
Phat Kath Bar & Restaurant. We can relax and enjoy the beer with our legs on the bench. We are briefly away from the noise and chaos of the streets.
By the time we make it to the hotel, Jim and Dorjee are on their way from the airport. First priority is for Jim to get to an ATM for some Rupee cash. On the trek Nepali Rupee is the only currency that will be accepted. Jim and I return to our rooms to coordinate what will be going in the huge porter backpack. More FaceTime with Lana and then try and get some sleep before getting up early for the flight to Lukla airport and begin our trek to EBC (Everest Base Camp). Getting pretty excited to finally begin our trek.
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