Kathmandu

We spent the day learning about the residents of Nepal. Where they came from and how the country was formed. Like India they are primarily Hindu with Buddists thrown into the mix.

Kathmandu is a bustling city, and unlike India clean. They are still recovering from the 2015 earthquake.  There are collapsed buildings and lots of rubble everywhere. But at the same time there is construction going on. Modernization of their buildings is also taking place. Steel is now being used in new construction.  Consequently there is dust everywhere. Good thing I had my  masks with me.

During our walking tour of an older part of the city we were invited into someone's home. The buildings are primarily made of brick and mud and are usually 4 stories tall. We walked into the entranced to the building and saw the walls were made of mud.. We climbed a ladder to the next floor to get to this person's residence. She lived in 2 small rooms. One room had a single bed and a sewing machine. The other was open and had 2 burners on a table which made up the kitchen. This young woman was a seamstress and supported herself by making clothes.  I noticed there were two quits folded up on her bed. There is no heat so the quilts are a necessity. Her home was spotless. The door frames and ceilings were quite low. Nepalese at one time were very short. Not so much the case any more

One of the things I noticed as we drove through town is how many schools they had. Our guides daughter is currently a junior at the University of Texas studying engineering. She had been a biology major in school in Nepal but decided she did not want to be a doctor. She would have to go back to school for another 2 yeasts to take the required courses to go to engineering school in Nepal. Like in India students take exams in 10th grade to determine their career  path. Their last two years in high school is devoted to that career path.

It's another early day tomorrow as we leave at 5:30 am for the airport. We have our fingers crossed that the weather is good and we can take a flight
Up to the Himalaya and see Mt Everest.