Return to Kathmandu

We arrive back from Pokhara, trekking fever still burning within us. So, we plan our next expedition around the valleys of Kathmandu. A chance to get a glimpse of the top of the world, Everest.
We catch the local bus to Shivapuri national park. We start in Sundajil and make our way through villages such as Chrisopani, Nagarkot and mulkara. We climb from 1000 metres to over 2000. We search the dense jungle for a hidden oasis, a waterfall cascading over giant rocks. The dry vertical drop stopping us in our tracks and we slide to a halt finally admitting defeat. Acorn trees sweep the landscape, the Langtang range accompanying us throughout. As we approach a lookout point we spot the massif that is Everest. Our walks include the occasional trip, the inevitable 'I didn't realise how deep this puddle of mud was', games and stories to keep us entertained, monkeys to guide us and a snickers to keep energy levels up. One walk in particular proved cumbersome, a stifling heat on a 6 hour hike that we endeavoured to complete. And victory tasted so sweet in the form of a celebratory snickers.

When we reach Nagarkot, our final part of the trek. We stay at the 'hotel at the end of the universe'. Recently having read 'hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy' we found it fitting. No rooms were available so we agreed to stay in the restaurant for free, it would certainly be a first. Luck had it though that Oasis (we know, great name) managed to sort us out with an amazing Bamboo bungalow. For breakfast we sat and watched as the morning became astir with native birds. Over tea we watched the white breasted kingfisher get his morning feed, the brown Cockatoo perch on a branch and the Verditer Flycatcher make it's way from Acorn tree to Acorn tree. After a morning walk around the village and a failed attempt at a visit to the cheese factory, we caught the local bus back down to Kathmandu City, where we would spend our time on the whimsical hippie favourite 'freak street'. Here, we indulged in some amazing cakes in Snow Cap cafe. We hung out with some Emo boys in their apartment and listened to their rendition of the acoustic version of Marilyn Manson's 'the nobodies'.
After days spent living a nonchalant lifestyle of a hippie on freak street we finally make a decision and book a bus down to Lumbini.