To Kathmandu

The fields in front of the hotel.

A woman carrying some crop back to the village.

Royal Bhutan Airlines to Kathmandu.

Scenes in the streets of Kathmandu.

Back to van buses, with the ticket seller hanging out the window.

Tourist shops near the hotel.

 Dance performances.

Tuesday, April 24^th.

I woke up early and spent the early morning updating the blog for yesterday and then repacking my bag to make room for my gho.

Then I went down for breakfast but got waylaid by Nico who wanted to interview me for his mini documentary about the Dragoman trip from Chennai to Bhutan. It would be amazing to be included in the video.

Then I had breakfast with the group before getting my bags to load on the van for the last time. Sherba and Chimi drove us to the Paro Airport. It was very sad to say goodbye to them. They are both amazing people and treated us so well. They truly became friends to the whole group.

We checked in, waited for the flight and then left Bhutan. The flight was about an hour. Unfortunately, there was too much cloud cover to see the Himalayas. We managed to get our visas at the airport. Most people got one for one day or a week. I needed to get a multiple entry one good for a month, as a couple of my upcoming trips start or end in Kathmandu. And I had to borrow the money from Will, as I was out of cash. We all got through except for Jenn, who for some reason was delayed for over an hour and we all sat around waiting for. It was not explained to her why she was sent from one line to another and then back again. Finally, when she came through we all loaded up in the Dragoman van that was sent to pick us up.

When we got to our hotel, I recognized it, I stayed here back in 2011. After settling in our rooms, Will took us on an orientation walk and to the local ATM’s and money exchange places. Now I have the money to repay Will.

A couple of times today people were asking about tipping Will. I gave my spiel and found myself nominated to collect the money. So, I talked to everyone and explained how it worked and why. There are three New Zealanders on this trip, and tipping is not part of their culture, so it is foreign to them.

Because we had so much fun last night at the cultural dinner, Will found us another one tonight in Kathmandu. We met up in the lobby at 6:30 and were picked up in the restaurant’s van. We sat on chair with no legs at tables with no legs and had a variety of samples of local dishes while listening to a number of cultural presentations. It was good but as much fun as last night. After the performances were over, I presented Will with his group tip and we headed back to the hotel for the night.