Day 14
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Day 14: Thursday 12th December

Kathmandu orientation starting in Thamel; free time afternoon (Patan) and evening meal (Mexican and cake shop).

The first meeting is at 10am, so it's a lazy start if you want it to be. Breakfast is 6:30 to 9:30 - I go down at 8am, change £20, and most of the others are there - the rest have got up earlier, it seems (except perhaps Alison, Carolyn, Sally and Alex?). I sit with Graham and Lynn.

Eggs are cooked-to-order by the on-hand chef (you just give him the order and he cooks it right in front of you, garnished as requested).

10am is the walking tour of Kathmandu. This starts off with a walk down to Thamel, the centre of shopping, and then goes around a host of temples, squares and stupas further south, ending up at Durbar Square (Kathmandu) [p2, Map p1, p2, p3, p4, p5].

The group just about manages to hold itself together despite the enormous distractions of shopping until the prescribed tour finishes at 12pm. Carolyn wants to see Patan this afternoon (another 'city centre' in the Kathmandu threesome), as do Caro and Sue, so we browse through a market beside Durbar, wander down Freak Street (famous hippie road!), and then grab a taxi (100Rs!) to Durbar Square - of Patan (Lalitpur), that is.

At the square, we are barely out of the taxi before Sue engages a kid with a brief game of badminton!!! There is no decisive winner.

Lunch is at the Café du Patan, where we get the 'top table' (so to speak) teetering at the pinnacle of a tower; the hotel beneath had rooms available at 400Rs per night, and we had a look around as we came back down from our pedestal.

We walk along a straight road toward the heart of the square [p2, p3, p4, p5, p6], and duck into the first courtyard to see the temples offered by Patan (better than Kathmandu!!). Continuing along the main road we then duck into a local ethical shop [p2] (mentioned in the Lonely Planet, as it turns out) where you can buy genuine replica rickshaws (except they're wooden toys).

True to the Lonely Planet, we examine some of the erotic depictions round some of the temples and pagodas... - it took us a while to be able to work out what was depicted but we soon got the knack of it (and took photos!). At the end of the square (and back into shopping area) we have to halt briefly to allow a wedding band (in full regalia) and the wedding car to squeeze down the narrow side road.

Further down this fairly unassuming road we find (courtesy of Lonely Planet) the Golden Temple [back], guarded by well-endowed lions (much to Carolyn's shock). The Golden Temple 356690/CNV00001.JPG, CNV00002.JPG, CNV00003.JPG] was quite serene, apart from the occasional scuttling of the rats, which are 'sacred'. We got a tour from - perhaps - a monk, who took us up to the prayer room where the monks were studying (though at the end he wanted to take us to his shop just round the corner...).

Walking through the streets (more erotic art) I discover silliness can be a polite way to refuse hawkers: you're constantly offered tiger balm (a heat ointment), in either white (weak) or red (strong). If persistent, ask for green, and invariably they give up looking very puzzled. The same goes for carved elephants/rhinos - get interested but look disappointed when shown - ask for a **real** elephant!

We get a taxi back to Thamel; I'm offered 125Rs but Sue charms her driver down to 100Rs - we all leap into his taxi.

Walking back through Thamel Carolyn & I are latched onto by a young kid who can name the capital city of any country - very impressive - then demands a 'meal'. I mishear this as 'mill', so ask if he wants water and a wheel... he then tries "My brother is sick." so I say "Well, my brother is Muslim."... and eventually he gives up.

Meanwhile, Caro and Sue branch off on a quest for a cardigan. Carolyn and I wander round Thamel - buy nothing - and end up at the Pilgrim's Bookshop, which is alcove-upon-alcove of little craft shops crammed into the bookshop itself.

On the way back to the hotel, as it gets darker, we take an extended detour North of the hotel into Lazimpath to the sister shop of the ethical one we went to earlier on today - this shop's bigger and I manage to get an assortment of teas to take back with me (including an 'anti-diabetic' one).

It's pretty dark by the time we get back to the hotel. There's about 1 hour spare before dinner, which isn't pre-planned, so it's back to our rooms to change and relax. I stop off to chat with Gill (and Chris, I think) in the 'lounge' area en route for the rooms, and see her purchases... puts my weedy attempt to shame!!! Frances is there, too, and she's been talking to locals again, such that she's been invited round to his house the day after tomorrow.

Clare goes round the rooms at this time to collect the money for the (optional!) Everest flight tomorrow, to collect together contact details for the whole group, and to get signatures on Gill's card... for her birthday meal tomorrow night!!!

En route to reception to pick up people for tonight's meal I meet Gill, Chris, then Sue and Carolyn. I go into Thamel with Carolyn and we bump into Andy, Graham, Lynn and Kirby (what a small world!!) and we all join up... for a Mexican meal!!!

After dinner we want coffees/teas/hot chocolate and the opportunity to sample some pastries/cake at the Pumpernickel Bakery, but we find it closed, so we stop off at another 'bakery' - by this time there aren't any others open. And we get huge slices of cake (probably the last of the night) and our hot chocolates...!

It's an early start for those going to Everest tomorrow - 6am!