Namaste Kathmandu!

Flying into Kathmandu was one of the best flights I have ever had; visually. As we flew closer to Nepal, you can see the terrain getting more and more mountainous as the Himalaya's begin to form. It was a very special experience to have Everest outside my window at eye level.

Once through the airport, which was very stressfull, as our baggage tram was changed 4 times, I got a taxi heading directly into the city. As we left the airport and crossed the main bridge to the city, we passed a special site where the Hindu's come to burn the dead bodies. Aside from that, it was peak rush hour and that means absolute mayhem! I have ever seen traffic like this! Pedestrians, cars, trucks, motorbikes, etc, are all funneled into these small and ancient streets. There are no traffic lights, but instead just a current that barely flows in one direction. I had morotr bikes passing me on either sideof the taxi.

I took the first guesthouse my driver took me to just to let all the stress stop. Plus it's the peak of the high season so schlepping all over town trying to find a guesthouse would have be the worse thing ever.

I have found that Kathmandu has a very similar vibe as Marrakesh in the sense that the streets are formed into a winding labyrinth. At this point I walk had been walking around for nearly 2 hours and it was well into the night. I had read in my Lonely Planet that there are power cut all over the city and you never know when they might happen or for how long they will last. I had just taken a wrong turn and gotten myself very lost when the power went out. This was the first time on my trip that I actually got worried for my safety. Walking the streets at night, in the dark, not knowing where the hell I am. After about 5-10 minutes the power came back on and I scurried to find something familiar. Fortunately, everything worked out ok and was able to find my way back to my guesthouse. That was enough adventure for one night so I decided to get to bed early to recharge for a big day.

Tomorrow I will explore the old city of Kathmandu.