Kathmandu

Today, we should be camped out at Everest base camp. But given the choice of still suffering the effects of AMS and bruised ribs in a tent or being here in a comfy bed, I know which one I'd prefer.  Am mighty annoyed with how things have turned out though.  The Tibet to Kathmandu ride was the one section of the trip we both REALLY wanted to do.  A real highlight.  Luckily Den is wonderfully understanding, and has said she'll wait until I'm fully recovered before she thumps me for messing up and getting sick.  She's so understanding.

Doctor says no high altitudes for a couple of months though, so I must obey. Luckily Kathmandu has lots of good restaurants to take my mind off the frustration.  They can serve you up a bewildering array of good food and possibly 3rd world Asia's most expensive beer. They must have some kind of heavy tax on booze or something.  All the local kids are sniffing super-glue. 

Yesterday, did a spot of sightseeing around the town, and Den persuaded me that a Yoga class may be a nice relaxing way to spend the afternoon.  It wasn't.  Some middle aged guy with pathetic died red hair pulled back in a ponytail, got increasing frustrated that I couldn't do a full lotus after 30 minutes of him giving us attitude.  Clearly only my bruised ribs prevented this, but maybe it was bad Karma... or maybe it was krap teacher.

Last night I saw my first drunk person since arriving, western or otherwise.  We were sat in a middle eastern restaurant having just been served our main course, when the very relaxed kid in the corner who we thought had just nodded off to sleep, woke up and decided he must answer a call of nature.  Unfortunately, he had incorrectly identified the WC as being narrowly to the left of our table. 

He staggered over, hands fumbling for his flies, ready to put a dampener on the evening so to speak.  Luckily being British, I can spot a pissed up student from a mile off, so I jumped up, grabbed hold of his arm and pushed him towards the nearest waiter, as if to say, “look at this pissed bloke, can you get rid of him please?”.  After a somewhat needlessly long discussion by the staff and after due reflection and consideration, they thought it best to eject him from the premises.  Then bizarrely, they failed to stop him coming back inside a bit later on and lying prostrate in the middle of the restaurant for 5 to 10 minutes while his 'boyfriend' begged him just to go home.  For god sakes, just throw the idiot out!!!  Just like being at home.

India visa's take 6 working days to process in Kathmandu, well actually that's not strictly true.  They take one day, but the visa processing centre needs to check that they are allowed to issue you with a visa which takes 5 working days to do.  So, we are going to be here until the 15th at least, minor accidents not withstanding.  The plan is to then head west across Nepal, before crossing into India, and heading to Amritsar then on to Delhi and Agra to see the Taj Mahal before heading back for our week in the sun.... err, I mean rain lashed UK.