Kathmandu!

So after a rush to the airport and a mad dash for the plane we have arrived in Nepal's capital, Kathmandu. The flight was short, only about an hour, but the view for the last 15 minutes was absolutely spectacular. I really wish I had had the foresight to have my camera ready for some amazing pictures of the base of the Himalayas. I will be sure to have it ready for the flight out of here to Delhi.

Dr. Yeshe Lodoe Lama met us at the airport. He is the President of Citta Nepal, and also the primary doctor at the hospital in Humla. He seemed very down to earth and an over all good man.

Michael gave me a brief tour of Kathmandu. This city/country is leaps and bounds different from India. The population is much less dense here than in India. Wheras India has over 1 billion people, nepal has less than 30 million. Kathmandu is a very happening city, with interesting night clubs and fantastic restauruants.

Michael and I went to one of his favorite places called the Roadhouse. This place has the best pizza I have had more than 50 miles outside of New York. It was well decorated and charming, in an west-invades-east sense. After wandering around our area (called Thamel) we went to a dance club/cabaret that didn't really have a name. It was a really hard to get a read on the place. There was traditional Nepalese singing, which seems to be centered around the relationships between men and women. The songs all followed the same structure. First a woman or group of women would sing, then there would be a chorus, then some random drunk man would be handed the mic and sing a verse, followed by yet another chorus. Michael explained to me that they were singing folky tongue in cheek verses meant to amuse. The part I found the most funny was watching the drunk Nepale men try to come up with something witty on the spot. A good time was had by all.

It looks like I am going to be spending about 3 weeks in Kathmandu working with the office clerk of he Hospital.

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