From Kathmandu...

The flight into Kathmandu....

Namaste' friends! I write you from the Ganesh Himal hotel in the Thamel district of Kathmandu... my sort of base for the next several months, and a welcome respite from the colorful, chaotic craziness that is Kath, in all its wonder and overwhelmingness ( yeah, I might of just made up a word, but its my blog, eh? ;-)

Got in last eve about 6 pm local after 26+ hrs of flyin and airport wandering. Managed to touch ground in 4 countries during that period, leaving SF, layover in Taipei, Taiwan, another in Bangkok, Thailand, and finally touching down in Kathmandu. Thank tha lucky stars I had arranged a pickup from the airport from my hotel, cause that place is a madhouse!! Seems to be really no traffic rules here, other than honk your horn alot, tend twds the left side of the road, and, in general, try not to kill anything. In spite of all the craziness though, I've yet to see a single accident and people are smiling and nodding the whole time that they're honking and weaving. Bizarro!!

Crashed last night for bout 10 hrs of much needed sleep and awoke to sights, sounds and smells totally foreign to me. Pics from the walk around my little corner of Thamel first thing this morning... Diesel and 2 stroke exhaust burns the nose, as beauty and wonder flood the senses. It is so real here, so indescribably real, and unapologetic for being thus. This place shatters my worldview...