Ka-Ka-Ka-Ka-Kathmandu.....

you know it, you love it, Bob Seeger..... guessing it was a pretty hip place, back in tha day, and its still got its character, but man, there are ALOT of two leggedz running round thiz place, folks, lotz uv em!
gotta say the return to Kath, after being in country for bout a month now, was a bit less shocking than the initial visit, but not seein any permanent roots in this place.
Spent the day wandering around the city, finding my way to a supermarket (not so easy when the street signs (when they exist) are in Nepali script, and not a lotta folks speak english, once you're outta the tourist ghetto...
good people tho, and thru a combination of gesturez, mime-ing (is that the same thing??), and repeating thiings in english 10x (why don't they understand?? don't ya'll speak american? ;-) ) i mananged to find my way around (and escaped gettin my camera confiscated for pulling it out to take a picture of the apocalyptic traffic in what was apparently a no photo zone near the police headquarters.... i later saw the sign 200m down the rd.... silly tourist).... managed a ride on tha back of a motorbike (wasn't planning that one, and don't plan ta repeat it... walkin in this place is bad enough!)
on that subject, just read that one is 30X more likely to die in a traffic accident in nepal than any developed country, which, i figure, means I'm safer climbing the south face of annapurna than hangin out in this melee for any length 'o time. :-)
my three week search for a Nepali equivalent for Heet (methyl alcohol) finally paid off today as well... tried every hardware store, motorcycle shop, supermarket, you name it between here and Annapurna with no success....turns out all ya gotta do is go to the drugstore- distilled spirits... pure alcohol... schaweet! (tho ya don't wanna drink it, methyl, not ethyl... remember curious george?? - its for primin my stove... the kerosene here is pretty crude) Apparently the mtn folk make their own "loose alcohol" (draw yer own conclusions as to the orgins of namesake) ... similar to tha moonshine back home, and just as illegal, but the Nepali lawdawgz have their hands full keepin more pressin matters at bay.... might have to switch to tha white lightnin once i burn thru this... would be a lot more versatile in staying warm, eh??
'nuff ranting and rambling for tonight, ya'll got a few more loose ends to wrap up before headin out to Langtang/Helambu/Gosakund circuit on Thurs. Gonna be a 18ish day trek, lotsa mts, lotsa cold mtn air, very few oxygen wasters.... ahhhh.....
Until when-
glen