From the moment you land it's clear that you are in Nepal. Kathmandu airport has no air-bridges so you have to come down the stairs. However since my last visit it has been decided by the powers that be that rather then walk from the aircraft to the terminal you have to go by bus. So the first thirty people get of the plane and on the bus, the bus drives fifty meters to the terminal building and unloads everyone again, then it drives back and picks up the next thirty people. It takes a while to disembark a plane load of passengers this way.
The next act gets underway when everyone lines up to buy their visa. The young Spanish couple behind me try to pay for their Nepali Visa in Nepali Rupees. No luck.
"Sorry we only accept Euros or US dollars"
"You don't accept your own currency?"
Embarrassed looking guy behind the counter,
"Please change your money at the bank over there"
he points at exchange window.
When I get down to the baggage collection area I still have to wait another ten minutes for my luggage. Luggage handling is done manually here.
The taxi to the hotel looks like it was recycled after the it got hit by bomb and the driver charges a premium because there is a festival and the direct road from the Airport to town is blocked by people going to the Pasupatinath temple.
When I finally sit down in the hotel and ask Yves what the government has done for Visit Nepal Year he deadpans "They raised the prices".
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