Safe before sorry and a lot of monkeys and steps! Kathmandu is truly interesting!

We got up at 5a,m this morning, ready to leave. Bags packed and weighed, all sorted. As the previous flights during the last couple of days have been cancelled due to the bad weather, we were waiting to hear if the first morning flight could leave. It did, so hopes were up, 
Mike who yesterday morning was so tired he couldn't speak was jumping up and down today! So excited! We all shared his enthusiasm, and also the disappointment when we couldn't leave.
I have looked at the runway at Lukla, and I am really glad they are so careful. Previously there was competition with a few airlines which ended up in less security and more business = more crashes.today there is only one company operating and they are very hard with security. The previous group has been stuck at Lukla for three days now, as no plane has been given the ok to fly in. I feel a lot safer knowing this. 

Runway at Lukla

From the other end.. 

Plane coming in for landing

Swayambhunath ( the monkey temple)
Instead, we went for some cultural influences and visited the monkey temple. We decided to walk as it was only about 45 minutes. the city looks completely different during the day, but for the first time i could see the different colours, clothes, hand crafts.. i am really starting to fall in love with this place, its so different to anything else I have seen. The temple is an old monastery which today is one of the most sacred buddhist pilgrim sites and totally taken over by monkeys. 400 steps up to the hill, and then some different sales booths, monk prayers, souvenir shops.. Really different and cool place. The monkeys are everywhere and they don't care about the people walking by. We tried a new local drink as well; lassi. It's a fruit/yoghurt shake which was interesting.its funny how things that you wouldn't mix actually are really nice when you do, or is it the place and smell or company that makes it better?

A baby monkey eating



The beautiful flags that we see everywhere in different colours are representing the five elements. They have prayers written on them and when the wind takes them, the words and prayers are spread with the wind. I find it so beautiful. Except from the traffic which is really chaotic, I find this place nice and peaceful. Not sure how that can be combined, but its some kind of balance in this city, built on sea ground and touching the clouds with its mountains around. Fantastic.


Barbara at the top of the stairs, taking pictures of the view, Kathmandu from above.


Pretty big city, Kathmandu 

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