With my eyes still closed I can hear the cacophony beginning.  it's daybreak and from the sounds of dogs barking, crows cawing, generators, motorcycle horns, it could be any large city.  I lay with my eyes closed for a few more minutes listening to Natasha's soft breath and remember that it's our first morning in Nepal.

Our room is positively luxurious - our own bathroom which is very clean and it has hot water, a big bed and TV (which we discovered doesn't actually work).  Almost feels like cheating until I remember that I'm no longer a 20-something backpacker trying to do this trip on the cheap.  Ah yes, another sign that I'm a grown up.

It was 52 hours from the time we woke up in our own beds on Protection Island until we crawled into our sleeping bags here in Kathmandu.  Pretty sure Natasha was asleep before I finished brushing my teeth (with bottled water of course). She continues to be a fabulous travel companion; never complained, grabbed naps as often as she could and retained her high level of excitement even while valiantly trying to stay awake on our final flight into Kathmandu.  She's going to be a great traveling companion for others in the future.

For me the past four months of working with my naturopath paid off in spades - only two tiny nigglings of anxiety on the planes.  Otherwise I enjoyed the plane rides as much as I have in the past; it's good to have that part of me back again.  I don't have the words to express how freeing and joyous that made me feel.

I have to buy a whole new camera already?!?!

Our only glitch so far has been a broken lens on my new camera which I discovered in the Hong Kong airport.  Better there than here!  Not wanting to be without a camera for this trip I bought another one and will unleash my wrath on Nikon when I get home.

Our first foray into Kathmandu involved a walk to Durbar Square - Natasha once again proved herself to be an excellent navigator, getting us there and back again through tiny backstreets.  I had forgotten what a barrage to the senses being in a crowded city in a developing nation is.  Honking, reving motors, multitude of scents good and bad.  And people, always people everywhere!

I've been told three times so far that I have a Nepali face which makes me smile and think of how my sister told me that she gets that all the time.  Natasha announced yesterday that the next time we head out she wants to look less like a tourist and more Nepali.  Already wanting to be a part of the experience instead of an outsider.  Yesterday she embraced the act of haggling over the cost of some blankets with a smile on her face - her uncle David would be proud.

As many of you know the drivers here are CRAZY!  It's like being in a rally race and the two taxi drivers we've had so far have seemed to revel in it.  Must admit that I'm loving sitting in the backseat taking it all in.

We went to Bodhnath yesterday and I was overwhelmed with the beauty and sense of faith that was there.  It's much larger than I had anticipated!  We were there in the evening so there were many Buddhists doing their clockwise walking and spinning of the prayer wheels.  So amazing to see the Tibetans and listen to the evening prayers emanating from the gompas. We must have made ten revolutions around the stupa.... a few of those I admit were for shopping purposes (heehee). 

Last night Natasha experienced her first bout of traveler's belly.  Even through hours of being sick and not sleeping she managed to keep her sense of humour about it all.  A hardcore traveler in the making.  She's been sleeping almost all day today but did manage to keep down a bowl of plain rice earlier.  For me it's been a lazy day of sitting in the warmer than anticipated sun in the garden reading my books - fabulous. 

Tomorrow we head to Pokhara and Natasha's going to take her adventurous aunty's advise and go paragliding!