Arrive in Kathmandu, Nepal
- Hotel Thamel Eco Resort, Kathmandu (Dinner)
- Elevation: Kathmandu - 1400 metres (4600 feet)
Well, finally the plane landed in Delhi for a 3-hour layover where Titus, Buddy and I sat at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf and chatted for a while. We had already lost Rachael for the first time...that should have clued us in on what was to come! Another short flight and we were finally in Kathmandu. A million hours later and so exhausted, we made our way through customs and waited for Titus at baggage claim. (Lesson learned, if you ever go there: get your visa in advance or you'll be stuck in a long line with all the other procrastinators.) We met our English guide, Stuart, gathered our bags and piled into the van. The ride to the hotel was insane. I had never seen such mayhem on roads before. Every road was at least partially torn up for construction, but it didn't look like they were making much progress.
We pulled up to the hotel and right when we unloaded from the van we were greeted with a traditional Nepalese welcome ceremony. The hotel staff placed a marigold flower necklace on each of us, put tika (a mixture of rice, curd and red powder) on our forehead, gave us a deep-fried hard-boiled egg covered in curry spices, and a shot of something really strong. (If anyone knows what it is, please comment below.)
It was already 6 or 7 pm when we arrived. The researchers gathered us in the gazebo and briefed us on the plan for the next day, as well as some overall trek and study info. Then they told us wake up was at 3:45 am, but since 3/4 of us are in sales, we negotiated that to 4 am. They also let us know we could bring a total of 15 kg in our kit bag and 5 kg in our carryon. We ate a quick dinner and socialized with the research team that was there, then strategized on what stuff would be left behind. Luckily, I got mine to the exact weight limits on the first try. I guess all the work travel has made me a good packer :)
Your trip starts in the lively and bustling city of Kathmandu with an explosion to the senses - take a deep breath! You will be met at Kathmandu Airport by a friendly face from Active Adventures Himalayas, who will accompany you to our hotel. If you arrive early, you can head out to explore the city's labyrinth of back street courtyards, colourful market stalls and ancient temples on your own for your first taste of Nepal's culture and friendly people. This afternoon, your trip leader will meet you at our hotel and run through what to expect from the days ahead. Tonight, your guide will take you for dinner at a local restaurant for your first experience of Nepalese dining - a culinary crossroad between the influences of China, India and Europe which makes for some really interesting flavour combinations.
Pokemon Go is a terrible idea, 1.46 billion kilometers walked thought is quite cool. I am editing this while watching the Apple keynote. From my iPhone!
Biltong corned beef alcatra t-bone pork chop short ribs. Ribeye jerky swine shankle bresaola. Biltong pig turducken rump meatball pork belly hamburger boudin ball tip ground round turkey. Tri-tip venison biltong turkey, shankle t-bone sirloin corned beef shank short loin rump. Sirloin capicola turducken corned beef cupim doner alcatra bresaola meatloaf tail. Pork belly strip steak tongue shank leberkas corned beef andouille biltong swine ball tip frankfurter pork loin pork bacon.
Rump pig pork chop tri-tip landjaeger, brisket ribeye chicken prosciutto cupim alcatra biltong swine. Meatball frankfurter picanha hamburger strip steak t-bone rump corned beef pig. T-bone pancetta pig shank short ribs landjaeger. Brisket tenderloin kevin jowl, sausage meatball turducken fatback doner chuck flank swine. Pork loin fatback sirloin, tail bresaola t-bone shoulder hamburger spare ribs beef. Pig shoulder brisket t-bone ham.
