A note on riding cars, jeeps and buses in the mountains:

Don't ever do it. It sounds romantick and rustick and all sorts of other interestingk things, but it's a bloody nightmare. They take the approach of "living cargo" here. First off, going from Rumtek to Gangtok was a bit amusing to all of us, because there were fourteen people onboard the one jeep, not counting the three kids and one guy hanging off the back (literally just holding one with his hands and feet), because they didn't count as people and thus everything was perfectly legal if uncomfortable. Later on, when we got up at 4 am in the craphole Kakarbitta inn to take a (count 'em) fourteen hour bus ride through the mountains over a road that was long stretches of pothole with occasional bits of road, I appreciated the irony.

It didn't keep us all from swearing like sailors at every turn that threw all my internal organs into one side of my ribcage, though.

Anyways, we arrived in Katmandu, took the first hotel the taxi guy showed us to, and dropped our bags. We decided that we'd earnt a nice meal, so we went out to this Thai restaurant where everybody ordered chicken and noodles and all that but I decided to put my foot down (but gently) and order "Fettuchini Carbonera". Was worth it. Kathmandu is also a shopper's dream. Tailors, embroiderers, jewellers, wood-carvers, whatever handicrafts you want, bookstores, everything. None of them are very modern, but they're all good value. I think I'll pick up some rings and bracelets for you undeserving picklesmugglers.

Also, there's hippies everywhere! It almost feels like Victoria.

-Bashu