63.02 Nepal, Kathmandu, walks and city captures while we await health recovery and the City of Pokhara.

Brothers and sisters bless each other annually at this shrine. (Nice!)
Recent rains show their mark in Kathmandu as they go with the flow-The Bagmati River.
  It seems the routine is that we arrive in Kathmandu, look around for a day or two, and then take ill. Don't get us wrong. It's not the sights which make us sick but rather, our delicate bodies and gentle immune systems unprepared for an Asian assault. Well, that's one of the theories. Admittedly, there are many people we know that might give up eating, sleeping and even breathing should they find themselves in this part of the world. Far be it a criticism of either the locals or ‘those people’, but standards of hygiene appear to have many degrees of leeway. 

  Each morning, I invariably find a cockroach in the kitchen sink and proceed to dispense with it in haste. I always wonder, after the final act, whether I’m too harsh and impulsive. After all, doesn’t it have a right to satisfy its belly, too. Just kidding—the world’s not large enough for me, flies, mosquitoes, and cockroaches...continues below... 

A squawk for help in Kathmandu...too late it seems.
Kathmandu is for the birds...take it how you want.
We suppose it's a less rugged trail by Nepal standards.
'Like a bridge over troubled waters', she might just wait for me.
A different frame (scape) of the city...better to escape from the chaos. 

 The river is deep, the river is wide, the river washes Kathmandu...in a fashion.
Holy waters in the city.

  One of the techniques we have perfected to help us through the process of eating hygienically, is after selecting a place from which to purchase food, we avert the eyes from further examination of the preparation process, wrapping or any contact between foreign body and food. I suppose it would be rude to inquire of a waiter or chef whether upon leaving the bathroom, he/she might have washed hands. We might, in a moment of weakness, take a peek to ensure he eases up on the ketchup or not wipe his nose on a soft hamburger bun. I love my rolls hard and dry. Call me strange, should you wish. I suppose the real test of principle is whether one would walk away from one’s food had one spotted some unsavory action in, for example, the stew. 

  Whatever the case, it’s a little frustrating being ill, losing one’s fitness and struggling to move about. Fortunately, there’s sufficient strength and in Jenni’s case, some guts (dieting vigorously though), to propel ourselves and undergo city hikes in Kathmandu. It’s okay because the real great hiking is at our next stop, that of Pokhara. Because of the monsoon season, the plan is to adjust to the weather rather than be confident, as in the past, that most days were suitable for taking on the mountains. One of the advantages of being in Nepal in the summer months is that most of the visitors have returned to home countries or gone elsewhere. Thank you. 

  As we write this, we arrived recently in the City of Pokhara by plane. A year before, we tried the bus for the experience and thought it might be safer following a couple of crashes that had occurred. In fact, a few years back, we flew from Lukla Airport and two hours later, heard about a fatal crash at the same airport. Getting back to the bus journey. One of the problems we encountered in the previous year is that the road between the two cities was under construction/repair. This mountain "freeway", some 200 kilometers, took us ten hours to complete. We decided against a return leg by bus, selecting a flight. Currently, in addition to construction works, flooding is not conducive to safe and efficient travel.

 After an hour departure delay of the flight, we did arrive safely in Pokhara but unfortunately, we were unable to leave our illnesses behind. The worst part of it is that the illnesses obviously weighed us down. This extra burden in turn increased our baggage weight which meant that we exceeded the limit, notwithstanding Jen’s extra guts. So, it cost us even more money but was still worth it in avoiding a horrific bus ride. 

(Should you not be reading this because it’s been censored, I trust you’ll realize that Jenni is a 'bad sport'. Actually, much better than me). 

"Oh! when the saints, oh! when the saints come marching in..."
Pull back the curtains to reveal the bridal couple...
and in all of it, he has to stop for brunch...so crass. (At least, he uses a spoon, not a common sight.)

Cheers, 

Jenni and Jeffrey