Kathmandu!

Well, we're getting close to wrapping up the trip. Visiting sites in Kathmandu today. Bhutan was an amazing adventure- we hiked up to the Tiger's Nest monastary and I have some awesome pix to include when I return. Out of three hotels in Bhutan we stayed, the one in Paro (actually a cluster of adorable cottages on the hillside looking down into the valley containing Paro) had internet access but you had to have your own computer, the hotel in Thimpu had a "business center" but I didn't have the time, and Phuntsoling was just an overnight stay and we had even less time.

Last night we went to the Boudnath Stupa expecting to see them light it up with butter candles by the buddhist monks. It was disappointing to see that no preparations were being made to light it up. So we decided to circle it a few times like the buddhists and them go sit at the rooftop restaurant we sat at last time. Mid-way through our meal, we hear all this chanting going on in the street outside the stupa and soon there were what seemed like thousands of demonstrators marching around the stupa with candles and yelling something we didn't understand but expected had to do with Tibet. Absolutely amazing!


The next day we came across a group of monks who were taking shifts chanting and they were also fasting for 24 hours periods. They gave us facemasks of our own.

Gotta go!