I'm in Kathmandu!

Freedom!

Non-censored publications!

English language!

No umbrella-toting!

Supermarkets without shrink-wrapped chicken feet!

Dalai Lama's photo!

I am positively hyperventilating at the prospect of non-censored non-Chinese stimulus around me. Heather & I are acting as if we just got out of prison.

I nearly wept at one of the 10,000 English-language bookstores around here that had something other than Chinese propaganda (and ohhhhh there are so many photos of the Dalai Lama, banned in China).

I nearly wept when I went into the supermarket and saw food that was NOT shrink-wrapped pickled chicken foot and peanuts.

I nearly wept when I saw a toilet that wasn't outside (and was western! with a seat and everything!). But what's more...the toilet...was...IN OUR HOTEL ROOM - I mean, actually connected to it!

I nearly wept when I could order something on the menu that wasn't yak and potato-based or sweet & sour pork.

I know I'm in 'tourist central' for Kathmandu (Thamel) and not 'real Nepal' but I don't care. The stimulus is overwhelming!!

But first...the border crossing

The border crossing was an interesting experience, it only took 2 hours to get through the border and into Nepal (involving 90 minutes of standing in line waiting for the frickin' Chinese government to search everyone's bags as we were exiting - why they care that the Dalai Lama's photo might be taken OUT of the country I have no idea) but 9 hours to get from the Nepalese border to Kathmandu...a distance of 100 kilometers.

I bet Heather it would take 5 hours to cross the border and it only took two, but she said it'd take 4 hours to Kathmandu and I said 7+ so we're tied. The guidebook advised us to hire a car but there were no 4WD available, only 30 year old Toyota Corollas which wouldn't fit the 4 of us plus all our luggage, so the others wanted to take the public bus. OK no worries, so we did, it took 3 hours to go 35 miles. The bus wasn't too bad, though it did play very loud Nepali music (still preferable to sh*ite Chinese love songs) and was a fairly wild ride at points. 15 minutes into it I caught out of the corner of my eye a goat - wasn't sure if it was live or dead - being hauled onto the roof of the bus. Other than that, our luggage was safely inside, everyone's body odour seemed to be in check, no one was sitting on my lap, and we seemed to be heading away from the Chinese border - so I was content.

We had 3 military checkpoints (after Tibet, we were well seasoned to those) in which the militia came on, looked in the bus and felt people's bags, then got off. The purpose of this exercise I had no idea. Heather said "do you think we should tell them the goat's on the roof?" then she squeezed my bag and I said "mmmmm-bbBAAAAA" <goat noise>. So that joke didn't get old during the other 2 checkpoints. Ooooh yes we're soooooo intimidated by you, military checkpoint man. We were later informed that they may have been looking for stowaway Tibetans who can be sent back if they're found before reaching Kathmandu - but if they reach the city they can claim amnesty through the UN compound here.

The bus dropped us off at a town that we knew was the place to change buses for Kathmandu but had no map or information about. Predictably chaos ensues as we try to find a bus bound for Kathmandu.

We were told there was a landslide blocking the road, then no, maybe it's fixed, then no it won't be fixed for 2 days, then -wait- it's not a landslide it's 'some fighting', then buses start going through from the other direction so maybe it's done, then all of a sudden about 12 buses start firing engines and we have to run to catch a bus to Kathmandu, then we're not on the right bus, then the Finnish guys got on a bus going the wrong direction (by this point I was sick of holding their hand so screw 'em if they can't work it out) then we all finally get on the right bus.

We think.

5 hours and 3 more goats later we reach Kathmandu, Heather & I check into a lovely hotel, set in serene gardens amidst chaos and traffic and horns honking in the tourist-central Thamel area. The first priority was going to be a drink but after the hassle of the day we reassess nad take showers (in our OWN BATHROOM!) instead. Really splashing out, we put on make up (because we can!) and wander into the first bar we see to consume a MUCH needed drink...or several. 3 long island iced teas whilst listening to non-shi*te non-Chinese live music and eating non-Chinese food later...we've not yet coped with the last 8 weeks of China but we're well on our way!