The Himalayas accompanied us all the way into Dhulikel. It was a smooth but winding upwards road. The mountainous scenary stayed with us until the sun hid behind one of them.
We dumped our stuff in our rooms quite out of breath after climbing up flights of stairs to get to the actual resort, which was spread across a number of terraces. I hung around for a while after a lovely dinner in the resort's restaurant with Simon, Sharon and Michelle, letting the wine caress our brains! The ambience was typical Nepalese with traditional paintings, tapestries and furniture - so unlike the westernised Last Resort. We were curious to see the view the next morning. Each of our rooms had a wide balcony facing the Range. And what a view! I stumbled out of bed at the break of dawn to get the best sunrise photos. I was mesmerised.
We continued to consume the breathtaking Himalayan Range over breakfast which we had in the sun on the roof of the restaurant! Awesome! Pure food for the soul, as Sharon remarked. She had planned a visit around the historical town of Panauti for the day. We walked down the hill to the main road, got a local bus and to make sure we continued to get the best of all views, we sat on its roof!!!
What a joy ride! Desperately holding on to the iron bars (roof rack) at every turn or hump in the road, laughing our heads off with the wind and dust brushing against our faces. We jolted amongst fields, cows, people on foot, bikes and carts, others yelling from their market stalls at the side of the dusty and dirty roads. 
We stopped at the busy and loud bus junction. Buses just crammed into one spot of the square so we actually had to jump over to the top of another bus to get off, while trying to avoid getting caught in the electricity wires dangling like ivy from the lamposts and adjacent buildings!!!
We met our local guide and started to walk away from the noisy square and into the narrow streets. The facades of the buildings had a turkish oriental look to them.
We walked until we came to an opening in the countryside and 'entered' a sacred place adorned with temples and a open crematorium. Everything was so still and quiet as people paid respects to their gods.
Back to the bustling town through sweet and vegetables stalls, cows and people we visited a local bakery/confectionary/restaurant. The locals were eating dal bhaat with their hands (the Nepalese staple all-day meal of lentils, rice, potatoes and greens). We sat at the bench & tables reading the English version of the local newspaper as we were served with cups of tea and homemade veggie samosas.
They were yummy! Infact they were the best in town. We couldn't have been luckier with the weather. A photo caption of the pristine Himalayas in the paper described the previous day 'a phenomena' with crystal clear visibility of the full Himalayan Range.
After that we walked along the street for a while before heading off back on a bus. This time we got off half way and walked amongst the fields and out of nowhere came across a local University. We climbed back uphill and like little kids raced one another to the resort. We sat in the warm sunshine on the roof of the restaurant for the rest of the afternoon. It just felt good to be up there!
That night we had a party in one of the room's balconies and let ourselves be elevated by the white spirit!!! The night - a sky of diamonds!
Next day we headed towards our final destination of our M&M tour; Kathmandu - the heart and capital of Nepal. It wasn't far off and got there within a couple of hours tops. A short tour of the Thamel (the heart and soul of Kathmandu) made us feel at ease and at home with the number of hippie westerners wondering about and narrow streets lined with bookshops, bakeries, patisseries, pubs, restaurants, markets, souvenir shops boasting colourful hand-made products. We fell in love with it! We ate at a western cuisine restaurant then headed off for a bit of shopping.
At one point I decided to stop with Aaron and Jori at the internet cafe to check my flight for Bangkok. Funnily enough, my reference number 'could not be recognised'. I thought I'd check again later but a funny feeling was stiring inside of me. Putting it aside I joined the rest of the group for a tour around the Durbar Square. We squeezed our way through people, cows......I just realised that I mentioned 'cows' many times in this blog, actually they roam about just like people in the streets of Nepal, this cause they are considered sacred Hindu creatures, and even more valuable than human life...... motorbikes, old cars until we finally got to a pot pori of Hindu and Buddhist temples amongst them the Royal Palace.
We also had the honour to see the Kumari Devi for a few seconds. The Kumari Devi is a girl who is chosen from others mainly for her beautiful looks and during her reign is condisered to be the Living Goddess for both Hindu and Buddhist worshippers and as such is an object of worship during ceremonial religious occasions. Her house, the Kumari Ghar is a store-house decorated in magnificent carvings. We weren't allowed to take any pictures when paying her a visit in the courtyard of her house, however this is what she looks like. 
The notoriously popular Freak Street was still open and bustling with business competing with the open market of freaky stuff just round the corner. There was something romantic and mystique about the place which I felt I has getting hooked on instantly. We decided to buy Sharon a thangka - a Buddhist type of scroll-painting generally used to adorn monasteries. In Kathmandu they were an expensive souvenir for Westerners. We bought her a classical one; the wheel of life - a visual representation of the Abhidharma teachings, the Art of Enlightenment. After shopping and bargaining our way around we finally bought the thangka from a young artist's shop. I loved the paintings and thought of buying one for myself before leaving Nepal, that is within a couple of days, or so, I thought.
Later that evening, I checked my flight again and when I got the same result decided to make a call to the ThaiAirways office. Unfortunately, there was no reply, it was Saturday but their offices were closed. I had no option but to find them and check things the next day. I was due to fly out of Kathmandu to Bangkok on Monday.
I still decided to go and look for the airline's offices. I set out desperately but soon enough got lost in the maze of the Thamel streets. I gave up in the end and decided to tackle it the next day. Warily, I found my way back again. I scouted the printed papers I had with me for contacts, references, bookings, etc... but nothing gave me peace of mind. I sat on the step outside of the internet cafe. I was going through Intrepid's trip cancellation terms and conditions when at one point I raised my head and got sight of Kate and Jori coming up to me. Then my vision blurred. They comforted me and promised everything will turn out right in the end. It was their sympathy that caused tears to run. Somehow, I did not feel sad. Despite the sense of loss; of loosing out on a big trip to the South East and the fear of not knowing what will happen next, the weird sensation I felt earlier was intensifying. It grew as the day wore off and manifested itself clearly within the next two days.
............
Nicky
X X X X
mmmuuuuuuuu!!!!!!
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