trails & tribulations

• Title: Picture taken in Thamel, Kathmandu
  Description: Picture taken in Thamel, Kathmandu
  
  
• Title: IMGP1678
  Camera: PENTAX Optio W90
  Focal length: 500
  Aperture: 35
  ISO: 100
  Shutter speed: 2222
  Time Stamp: December 4, 2011, 6:14 am
  
  
• Title: IMGP1086(1)
  Camera: PENTAX Optio W90
  Focal length: 500
  Aperture: 42
  ISO: 80
  Shutter speed: 142
  Time Stamp: September 18, 2011, 10:13 am
  
  
• Title: IMGP1095
  Description: Sadhu’s (sadhu means good man, holy man)
  Camera: PENTAX Optio W90
  Focal length: 910
  Aperture: 44
  ISO: 100
  Shutter speed: 1610
  Time Stamp: September 18, 2011, 11:55 am
  
  
• Title: IMGP1101
  Camera: PENTAX Optio W90
  Focal length: 500
  Aperture: 42
  ISO: 100
  Shutter speed: 120
  Time Stamp: September 19, 2011, 4:42 am
  
  
• Title: IMGP1102
  Camera: PENTAX Optio W90
  Focal length: 500
  Aperture: 42
  ISO: 100
  Shutter speed: 1266
  Time Stamp: September 20, 2011, 10:48 am
  
  
• Title: IMGP1104
  Camera: PENTAX Optio W90
  Focal length: 500
  Aperture: 42
  ISO: 100
  Shutter speed: 111
  Time Stamp: September 22, 2011, 6:31 am
  
  
• Title: IMGP1088
  Camera: PENTAX Optio W90
  Focal length: 500
  Aperture: 42
  ISO: 100
  Shutter speed: 252
  Time Stamp: September 18, 2011, 10:20 am
  
  
• Title: IMGP1106
  Camera: PENTAX Optio W90
  Focal length: 500
  Aperture: 42
  ISO: 100
  Shutter speed: 148
  Time Stamp: September 22, 2011, 6:54 am
  
  
• Title: IMGP1107
  Camera: PENTAX Optio W90
  Focal length: 500
  Aperture: 42
  ISO: 100
  Shutter speed: 206
  Time Stamp: September 22, 2011, 6:54 am
  
  
• Title: IMGP1108
  Camera: PENTAX Optio W90
  Focal length: 500
  Aperture: 42
  ISO: 100
  Shutter speed: 350
  Time Stamp: September 22, 2011, 6:55 am
  
  
• Title: IMGP1120
  Camera: PENTAX Optio W90
  Focal length: 500
  Aperture: 42
  ISO: 80
  Shutter speed: 773
  Time Stamp: September 22, 2011, 7:17 am
  
  
• Title: IMGP1122
  Camera: PENTAX Optio W90
  Focal length: 2500
  Aperture: 55
  ISO: 250
  Shutter speed: 400
  Time Stamp: September 22, 2011, 7:17 am
  
  
• Title: IMGP1143
  Camera: PENTAX Optio W90
  Focal length: 500
  Aperture: 42
  ISO: 100
  Shutter speed: 909
  Time Stamp: September 24, 2011, 10:23 am
  
  
• Title: IMGP1148
  Camera: PENTAX Optio W90
  Focal length: 500
  Aperture: 42
  ISO: 80
  Shutter speed: 2138
  Time Stamp: September 24, 2011, 12:43 pm
  
  
• Title: IMGP1643
  Camera: PENTAX Optio W90
  Focal length: 500
  Aperture: 35
  ISO: 200
  Shutter speed: 2222
  Time Stamp: November 30, 2011, 8:48 am
  
  
• Title: IMGP1648
  Camera: PENTAX Optio W90
  Focal length: 500
  Aperture: 42
  ISO: 80
  Shutter speed: 66
  Time Stamp: November 30, 2011, 9:09 am
  
  
• Title: IMGP1672
  Description: Picture taken from within a tuktuk, it’s a little pity the man doesn’t smile
  Camera: PENTAX Optio W90
  Focal length: 500
  Aperture: 42
  ISO: 80
  Shutter speed: 614
  Time Stamp: December 3, 2011, 8:24 am
  
  
• Title: IMGP1686
  Camera: PENTAX Optio W90
  Focal length: 2500
  Aperture: 55
  ISO: 500
  Shutter speed: 360
  Time Stamp: December 4, 2011, 9:11 am
  
  
• Title: IMGP1139
  Camera: PENTAX Optio W90
  Focal length: 500
  Aperture: 42
  ISO: 80
  Shutter speed: 323
  Time Stamp: September 24, 2011, 8:59 am
  
  

I arrived at midnight in Kathmandu.
I already have been in Kathmandu before and actually I didn’t have much sense in negotiating with pushy taxi drivers, but well, I can’t ignore them all.
After a lot fuss and having seen many business cards I finally got a taxi to take me to my hostel, and happily also did.
When I arrived at my hostel, the Holyland Guesthouse, I met Vincent, a Dutchman who was allready traveling for some time: with his bike he had cycled all the way from the Netherlands, and his final destination was Kyoto, Japan ….. impressive!

The next day I sightseeing Thamel, the tourist district of Kathmandu.
Quite suddenly the earth began to tremble under me and people ran in panic out of the narrow streets.
A brief earthquake with a magnitude of 4.6 struck the city, but fortunately didn’t caused many damage or casualties.

The panic in the narrow streets was justified, the houses are quite dilapidated and if a powerful earthquake would struck the city the damage could be enormous, as calculated by an inquiry.

The Thamel district is full of hotels, guesthouses, bars, restaurants, souvenir shops, travel agencies, mountaineering shops (with articles mostly of the brand “North Fake”).
Sometimes it’s annoying to walk through the Thamel district, vendors are constantly asking for attention “wanna buy?”. But really annoying are the”dealers”, unexpectedly they often come close by and ask “smoke? Hasjies?”.
But anyway, you get used to it and when you’re just out of the Thamel area the annoyings are passed.

Back from the Everest trail, I first had the intention to book a trip to Tibet, but decided not to go there: it was a little to expensive, to organized and I felt onerous to go there.
Instead, I just stayed in Kathmandu and had a great time: during the Everest trail, I met many new friends and together we enjoyed ourselves excellent in the vibrant heart of Kathmandu.
Thanks Tal, Janneke, Gili, the Canadian whose name I forgot, Cookie Walla a.m.m. for the good company!