I'm loving the new hotel, woke up to what sounded like a thunderstorm at 8am, so didn't venture out. Turns out to be the laundry on the roof. The electrics are also fascinating, it's certainly the first time I've seen a down pipe used to support cabling. Wonder if that'll catch on back home?

Had breakfast of hash browns - very good hash sir - baked beans and toast. Unfortunately it's complicated to explain you want it all on one plate and at the same time. Anyway, the bowl of cold baked beans starter is on it's way to a Harvester near you.

To be fair the food is excellent, if eccentric in places, and pretty cheap - a 12inch pizza is £3 or so. There's not many places you can get 12" for less than a fiver in the west. However Yak milk and yak cheese are an acquired taste, and I'm not entirely convinced last nights mozzarella was really that. Big fan of the Tibetan bread and Momos though. Although it's a little disconcerting when someone jumps out of a doorway shouting 'momo' at you, I thought it was an insult. 'i'm definitely not my friend, I've got a girlfriend.'

Went for a walk today, got lost in a pretty rough area, when I realised I hadn't seen another westerner for ages. Amazingly I stumbled on Durbar Square a few minutes later, which is probably the principal attraction here in KTM. Lots of 'guides' and holy men who want 100 NR for doing nothing obvious. The temples and palaces are something else though, and I spent a nice hour just sitting on the steps watching the world go by, and repeating 'pardaina, pardaina... Insert chess set, flugelhorn, sacrifice goat...' here. Quite why I'd want to sacrifice a goat I don't know. I asked if I could marry one and he wandered away.

Also strange was the Indian guy who wanted to polish my sandals. They're suede and plastic, but if I hadn't needed them it might have been worth 10 NR to watch him try. 

A rickshaws dude at Durbar told me his cart was a helicopter during Dasani the upcoming festival. I explained we have strict regulations on flying rickshaws in England as they're a menace and kill seagulls. Spread a little knowledge....

Also got accosted by some dude with a sick child. Oh brother very sick. Luckily I had just walked past the free hospital, so imagine his surprise when I walked him there and put him in the queue. I saw him on my way back still hassling tourists and the cheeky fecker waved to me!

Had to do some shopping today, there are lots of soaps guaranteed to lighten your skin, shampoo to make your hair blond and enough chemicals to make your toes curl. Haven't shaved since I've been here but it seems to work as a symbol of someone who's already been trekking, so the touts have started to leave me alone.

I might get round to going to the monkey temple tomorrow, it's Sunday the day of rest today, and I'm resting. I've  got to fulfil a promise later of helping some kids with their English, arranged with a charity guy I met yesterday. They bring a newspaper and we read it together and explain as we go on. So I get the news, very slowly, and they get some new English. 

Then I might hire a motorbike, they look great fun, the Hero Honda 600 seems to be the weapon of choice for scattering crowds. 



Ps if any of my loyal readers have got better comms than me can they be kind enough to check the prices at Island Resort in Chitwan for two nights. 

Namaste.