Kathmandu

We left Southeast Asia and headed for Nepal, starting the 4th section of our trip. We were eagerly awaiting it by the end, if only to escape the eternal 30-35 degree, high humidity heat! It was a relief to arrive in Kathmandu and feel cool air, sunshine and a totally different atmosphere, though Kathmandu is also incredibly dusty, so while this makes for beautiful light and incredible views, it's also hard on the lungs and has also been chaotic with more traffic and sensory overload, so turns out there's no such thing as peace even in the land where Buddha was born.

Dave and Sumi met us and we spent 6 days together based in Lalitpur (a town just next to Kathmandu) going around Sumi's hometown. We
explored some of the local sights - the huge and delightful Buddha Stupa; the Hindu Temple at Pashupatinath; lots of local markets and several Durbar Squares. The one in Kathmandu is home to the Kumari: a living goddess, or young girl who's chosen through various tests from local 3 and 4 years olds and lives in the Ghar as the living incarnation of the goddess, meaning she appears in the window a couple of times a day to be watched by worshippers.

We also ate an astonishing amount of momos (Nepalese dumplings), Daal Baht and Thali (rice, daal and tasty curries) and Thukpa (a delicious noodle soup).

Then we spent a few days getting organised before heading off trekking in the Himalayas.Read more