Day 65 Mon 6 November, Kathmandu, Nepal

After a peaceful sleep and luxuriating in the bathroom, we have breakfast on a sunny terrace and plan to do absolutely nothing. However eventually we venture out into the maze of narrow streets and alleyways which is the Thamel district of Kathmandu. Its touristy but not glitzy, with thousands of shops selling trekking gear, maps, pashmina and cashmere scarves, Buddhist thangkas (colourful religious painting), wicked looking Ghurkha knives and all sorts of bric a brac.

Dodging rickshaws and tiny Suzuki taxis which cram the narrow streets (did we really drive thru this maze last night in the dark?) we get to Durbar Square, the site of the old royal palace and numerous C16 and C17 temples, pagodas and shrines. Its a fascinating collection of buildings, mostly timber and brick with elaborate carvings and joinery. There are a few soldiers around, blending in with the sadhus (holymen who make a living posing for photos) and several sandbagged guard posts, although its hard to believe this place could be the scene of violent protest.

Dusk is falling and we return to the Kathmandu Guest House for drinks and dinner as it has wireless internet. Unfortunately the computer battery is flat so we can’t make use of it but the manager at our hotel promises to move us to a new room with broadband – we’ll see.
Weather 25C, Sunny
Distance today 0km
Distance from start 14,051km