Awake since approx. 0200. There is an eleven hour time change from Canada and it is very difficult to adjust. Kathmandu is noisy at night. Lots of dogs barking and fighting, cows mooing, someone coughing, roosters crowing.

This morning Kumar took us to the rooftop of the hotel. The floor is finished in marble and has many flowers growing in pots. We can see the Swayambhunath temple. The peaks surrounding the valley are hidden behind clouds today. Rooftops are used on all the buildings to eat, to pray, for solar panels for hot water, growing plants, satellite dishes etc. A world apart from the chaos and dirt in the streets below.

We walked to Tibetan bookstore but it was closed. Pauline had a message for the owner from someone in Canada. We each bought a skirt at a shop nearby. We then walked down the main street that is filled with shops selling meat and many other things. (unbelievable the conditions, lots of flies), past the vegetable market and many temples. Street very narrow and busy, women doing their shopping etc. The women are dressed in these beautiful colourful saris and all look so clean. One wonders how they accomplish this is all the dirt and chaos.

Walked to the post office but there was a long line-up and we left without mailing our cards. The pollution is very bad on this busy street. We decided to take a bicycle richshaw back to the hotel. The first one broke down so the driver borrowed one from someone else. He took us back the same busy street we had come on. What a ride, thought we would tip over more than once. Many people tempos, richshaws, and an occasional car weaving their way through the street. We arrived safely at the Potalla. Gave the driver 100 RS.

Dale Davis (Australian) came to pick up the thesis from Pauline with her sick adopted Nepali baby. She has lived in Nepal for 6 years. Works for the Helen Kellar institute. Very informative. Told us some of the people sell their daughters to the Indian Tata bus drivers coming through the country. They are taken to Bombay and used as prostitutes. The Indian truck drivers are also bringing Aids into the country. Again the price of progress!

At 1700 hrs we went to trekking company and picked up our passports and met with the guide and porter (Ram Hari Kandel and Hari) On the way back we met Willie the mountaineering guide I had sat beside coming from L.A. He had given me a lot of information including how to tell if you were acclimatizing well. He had been on the American expedition in May when Rob Hall and Scott Fisher died on Everest. I had really enjoyed his company on the long plane ride. Lucky to sit beside him and another young computer guy going to Bangkok. Made the 20 hour trip go a lot faster when you have good company. Willie wished us well on our trek and warned us to be careful up there.

Stopped at shop on way back and bought several sandalwood carvings ($76.00 U.S.).The Hindu shopkeeper gave us some history on the Hindu religion. (108 Gods).

Ate at a vegetarian restaurant. Not great, wondered if I should eat it, not very hot.

As we could only take one back pack on the trek I spent a long time trying to get everything we needed in it. We left our remaining gear at the hotel in their huge storage room. We each were going to carry a daypack.