Kathmandu - 4200ft (1300m)

Finally arrived in Kathmandu, there were a few delays! As previously mentioned the flight was late pushing back from the gate, due to bags being loaded at the last minute, then it was a storm cell, and then the storm changed the wind directions, so all the planes on the ground had to taxi to a new runway.

Once we got to Kathmandu, the airport had no room for us, so we circled for about 20mins before they found a place for us to park. An amusing start.

I got a prepaid taxi from the airport (700rupes later, about NZD$9, but it's easier just to work in USD, of which it's $7). The taxi came with a guide who of course had his own travel shop. 

We spoke and negotiated a trek for tomorrow, I honestly don't know where it is to, he told me and I know it involves a gondola going up, and a walk going down, start at 8:30am and be back by 5pm. Once we had a business relationship established, I also had him lend me a person to act as my negotiator to handle currency exchange, data SIM card, and getting me to the hotel. It's possible I'm getting ripped off, but if I am, I feel good about it.

The currency is proving a problem. I shall use US dollars here, because it makes it easier, but I'll note the Rupees as Rs). I need around USD600 (60,000rs) all up, and the preferred denominations is less than USD10 (less than 1000Rs notes).

The problem is all the currency places offer 1000Rs notes at those amounts, so I've tried (and mostly failed) to get lower denominations. Even the shops in Kathamandu don't like 1000Rs notes. As an example of pricing, a 1.5litre water bottle is 200Rs near the hotel (usual tourist markup I assume), but the guy at the checkout had to send someone off to make change.

Tomorrow I have the gondola trek and I'll talk to my new friend Deepak about where I can change these notes. Imagine a wad of USD600, made up of $1, $2 and $5 bills.... in an ideal world I'd not carry all that — but Everest doesn't have ATMs yet.

I found out why the Internet is slow.