KATHMANDU / NEPAL

I love Kathmandu, but I really love Potkara.  Kathmandu has everything that you want. The scenery is beautiful, the people are very friendly, and the night life is great. Of course, coming from India, anything would be great.

Going to a higher elevation in the Mountians helped tremendously.  No more muggy heat and spending. But picking up on the night life with Kellie is great.
 
Aah, but getting back to the old Chuck and doing the 24/7 with Kellie was fantastic.

We did the tourist things and saw the palace, temples, and several interesting places.  We even went to the Chinese Embassy to get a visa to Beijing, China.  They wanted to keep my passport for a week, thus I decided to get the visa in Bangkok, Thailand later.

Kathmandu lived up to its reputation, but actually Pokara is probably better.  Pokara is cleaner and better scenery.  In Kathmandu, we stayed at a hotel that I picked called Prince.  I thought the name was appropriate.

One day, I hired a guide and car to take us to Barazahan, the cultural city.  It is noted for its wood carvings that go back to 300 B.C. Kellie laughed the whole time as I split the pants that I had.  I felt like I had a mini skirt on.  Fortunately, these pants had zippers in the legs to make them from long pants to short.  I unzipped the legs and covered the front and the back, until I could negotiate for some new pants.  Thank goodness I lost the memory card to my camera because Kellie was snapping away.  Needless to say she laughed the whole time.  When I got the new pants, I changed in the car and then enjoyed the trip. 

Once we heard rapid gun fire in the mountains about a mile away.  I asked the guide about civil unrest and he emphatically said that it was the military training.  I later learned that it was the Maoist rebels clashing with the government troops.  In the countryside away from Kathmandu, there is an 8 o'clock curfew.  Several bridges have holes in them from being blown up.

The people are very friendly, but poor.  It is a buyers market, and the night life is great.  After shopping, I met a business man and he invited me out to dinner.  Kellie passed but I met her later for the night life.  Many pubs and discos.  We blew it out.

TIBET

It was fine to get a visa for Tibet, but not the rest of China.  They are still very restrictive.  No vehicles can cross the border.  Once across, you use the Chinese vehicles.  What can I say about it except that it is beautiful.  Keep in mind that it is isolated from the rest of the world and every thing is primitive. There is no hotel above a two star rating.  The scenery is five stars.  I wish I hadn't lost my memory card with the photos so that you could see the wonders of nature.  Getting to Tibet is not much of a problem.  Once you pay the $26 plus tax visa you transfer to a Chinese vehicle and go to Vlasa.  You have to hire a vehicle since Nepal has no long range buses or trains. We had a great time.