Kathmandu

Kathmandu hasn't changed much from my last visit and neither has the chaos in Thamel. There are touts, beggars and carpet salesmen everywhere. You can't walk a meter without someone wanting to stop you and the rubbish still piles up on the street corners everywhere and still I like it.

Luckily if you want to get away from the hassle for a moment there is always the Kathmandu Guesthouse garden and it was here that we met up with Edwin, Ester, Jesper and Ria. It was great to see Ria and Edwin after such a long time and to meet Edwin's wife and young son.

We spend the next few days mainly in thamel with a site trip to Bhaktapur and Nagarkot, on which I will blog separately, as well as a visit to a paper factory on the outskirts of town.Young boy having an ice cream

Grocery shopping

Picture as promised

Mum and Dad on Orchard road

A classic tourist image of the Merlion

Flamingos at Jurong Bird Park

Singapore

Ok better late then never but I will try to update you on our travels.
Form Whangarei we flew to Auckland and on to Singapore. The travels went well and the airport and airline staff everywhere were absolutely terrific with Dad, who walks with some difficulty. In Singapore they waited at the plane with a wheelchair and drove him with us in tow through immigration and customs and delivered us at the transfer counter for our ride to the hotel.
The hotel is pleasant and on Orchard road the main shopping drag of Singapore so quite convenient.
We spend our three days here with shopping, eating, visiting Jurong bird park, eating, looking for electronic gadgets, eating. Well you get the drift. This trip is going to be murder on my diet.
I Can't seem to get to my photos right now so that will have to wait untill my next visit to an internet cafe.

I am off again!

This time a trip with a difference. This morning I fly to Singapore with my parents, both in their seventies, then from there to Kathmandu and after a month in Nepal we will be on our way to India.
Total duration seventy days. It's going to be an adventure!