Day 25: Thursday October 31st
Kathmandu
Wake up call at 5.30 and the cab is waiting to take me to airport. The cab ride to airport is like bumper cars but amazingly never hitting anything. 200 rs.
It is 0644, sitting in the airport, quite modern building. Weather is quite cloudy in the valley. Three groups to go. I am in the yellow group. Last to book and last plane to go.
Driven to plane on a bus.The plane is a twin engine, wing on top. A single passenger on each side makes for good visibility. I asked the attendant what kind of plane it was [ jsener or something like that].
It took less than a minute from acceleration to take off. These pilots don't waste any time taxing. Smooth flight all the way. Out
over the Kathmandu valley like a picture book. Fields of rice and wheat being harvested. Up in the mountains terraced fields
and houses everywhere. Incredible how these people live in these places. No roads, must walk everywhere. Could see the
road to Lasha in Tibet winding along the river.
Mountain peaks along left side of the plane where I was sitting. Female stewardess kept running back and forth to point out the different peaks to everyone. Took a few pictures through the window. The colors are a bit strange.
One peak in Tibet, [Melungste, I think] all the rest in Nepal.
I just enjoyed looking at the mountains. One half hour to about five km from Everest, then turn around and back to Kathmandu. 
We were just able to make out the famous peak. The best view was from the front of the plane. It rises up behind Nuptse and Lhoste.
Such a smooth take off, flight and landing, almost like a dream. Only an hour total. We were told the visibility was exceptionally good that day. The Gods smile on us.
I shared a cab back to Thamel with a man from Holland [a retired teacher]. His group had gone into the Mustang district. Cost $700/per for a permit to go to that area.
Shortly after I returned Pauline came back from her walk. We went to breakfast, took pictures in and then walked to Patan. Long walk. Had lunch at Patan Cafe. Found Durbar square, looked at some paintings. Walked back across bridge to Kathmandu. Very busy street. Even had a pedestrian light for crossing the street.
A cow just walked across this very busy intersection. These were the first
real traffic lights we had seen.
We were getting very tired, so decided to take a tempo back to Thamel {80 rs}. Gave him 100 rs. Picked up pictures, washed some clothes. Sat on patio and had drinks, relaxed and looked at pictures. Some were really good,but otheres we couldn't imagine why we had taken them. Nice patio just off our room. Racks to dry clothes.
16:53 hrs. We decided to eat at the restaurant on the roof of the Tayoma. Ate rice noodles, cheese puffs and beer. Spoke with some Dutch people.
Went and had coffee and Pauline had Apple crumble. To bed. Slept well, Pauline didn't.
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