Now we are in Nepal

First, the airport in Bangkok is very beautiful and full of shops. It seemed futuristic where the departure gates were. The Thai people were very friendly and cordial.

The flight was uneventful. The weather was clear and we were able to see Mt. Everest and the Himalayan range from the plane.

Kathmandu airport is infinitely smaller and more realistic dating back to the early fifties.

We are about 5000 ft. above sea level here in Kathmandu. The Radisson is a nice hotel.

We ventured out yesterday afternoon to a portion of the city called Thamel. Thamel has many small hostels, cafes and lots of trekking shops. The narrow winding streets are lined with little shops selling all sorts of Nepalese and Indian trinkets from pashmina cashmere scarfs to local crafts.

We stopped for a bit to watch some folk music festival that was taking place in a soccer field. It was quite interesting and crowded. We did not have our camera with us so we weren't able to capture the moment.

In the late afternoon we sat upstairs of the hotel outside where there is a pool and bar. We quenched our thirst with a Gourkha(?) beer and a snack. The sky was very clear but a bit hazy at the lower levels due to all of the dust kicked up by the traffic on the non-paved roads.

At sunset, there were thousands of black crows that started flying all around the city. They were joined by flocks of white cranes flying through the rooftops.

It was a spectacular sight. We asked our waiter what was going on and he said that one of the crows died and they were all flying around announcing it.

Today, we will meet the group and sign up for a day tour to visit some of the historic sites here in Kathmandu.

Namaste!