Kathmandu is a very rough translation of "wooden gazebo" as the ancient city had a building made out of the wood of one tree. In Patan, you can also find a temple which is said to have been made out of one block of stone.

This city has a rich history and I could fill this entire page of odd figures and quirky facts but I will leave that for you all to find out from locals and dodgy information pamphlets.

Accommodation
The accommodation here ranges from the divine to the dumps. A friend of mine managed to find a place in Thamel which had its own en-suite for only $5 US dollars a night. Others will cost in excess of $100. Outside the valley, one tour operator told me I could find dorm accommodation in tea houses for 20 rupees a night.

Airport
The airport is small and not as confusing as some. The visa clerk was impressed with the little Nepali I knew and was very friendly. In fact, I beat my Nepalese friend out to the terminal. They are not as stringent about declaring items or searching for drugs as they were a few years ago which makes it easier to get out of the airport.

When you get through visa and luggage check you have to run the gauntlet of touts for different services. If you don't mind paying extra, this is probably the easiest way to find your way into the city and the first night's accommodation.

Otherwise if you have a particular destination in mind you can catch a taxi unless you really want to plunge head first into the culture. If you do want to catch a bus there are old coaches leaving from the front of the airport but you have to walk about 300 meters to get there and while they are cheep (about 6 rupees) they are crowded and do not go directly into the city center. You have to change to a tempu (see below), so it can get a bit confusing.

Money
The currency is the Rupee (Nrs).
44Nrs = A$1
48Nrs = US$1
There are one hundred paisa to the rupee but inflation has made these nearly obsolete.

Budget
I have been living with a friend, so I have not been paying rent or buying food, or going out much, so I have been living on about 1000 rupees a week.

But realistically if you pay for low budget accommodation and stick to dhal bhat as your main food source, you could probably live on about 3500 rupees a week: 2400 for accommodation, 1000 for food and 100 for transport around the city.

This does not include all of the very expensive tourist activities such as trekking, or sight seeing. It is not unusual for tourist to pay up to 25 times the entry fee on certain attractions such as the zoo or a museum.

Bring an international student card if you have one as you can get a 25% discount on the already very reasonably priced internal flights.

Transport
The main mode of transport is the tempu. These come in three varieties, the black or karlo which seats two to three and is metered, about 6 rupees a km, I think.

The second, which may not be here when you get here as they are being phased out at the beginning of the next Hindu month, is the diesel tempu. These cost 4 Nrs anywhere along the route.

Then there are electric less polluting tempus which are usually white. These cost 5 Nrs anywhere along the route. Someone tried to charge me 40 Nrs when I caught one today, so be wary.

These travel in set routes into and out of the city. Other forms of transport are taxis (very expensive) and the coaches I mentioned earlier. All tempus are crowded and this is hard to get used to at first. To catch them at peak hour you must fight your way on as you run behind them.

Useful Links
Window Into Nepal
Info Nepal
Visa Changes
Trekking Companies

Myself
I am a 23 year old "student" running away from the horrors of study (God only knows what will happen when I hit the real world). I have no travel itinerary, nor have I any fixed goals. I have learnt to plan for nothing immediate or expect anything to happen no matter how likely it is to happen or how hard you push to make it so.

I am booked to fly out on the 18th of January and between now and then would like to see Chittwan, Pokhara, Bhutan, and some dolphins.

I would like to go trekking but am pretty sure that the organised trek is not for me. While tea house trekking is becoming more popular it is always safer with others.

So, if anyone is interested in hooking up perhaps we can form a group of independent travelers.
E-mail me and I will get in contact.

I spent months trying to find non-leather hiking boots for this journey to no avail, so I am decked out in a pair of the typical Colorado's.

The days are getting shorter with night falling at about six o'clock. The cold weather has definitely descended for the year. With a short period of very cold, very miserable rain, at the beginning of this month.

Dasai has been great. The weather has cleared up and it reminds me of the on set of an Australian summer with warm days and cool nights. Every body is happy because of the festival season. The sky is full of kites, which are traditionally flown at this time. And some of the playgrounds have these massive bamboo swings in them, it is considered good luck to swing on these at Dasai.

On the 5th to the 9th of November is Tehaar, the second biggest festival of the year. This also should be good fun. This is five days of celebration with a different puja on each day: crows, cows, ox, cow dung and brothers. This festival is more of an adults affair with lots of eating of good food and drinking. There is less emphasis on the family obligations of Dasai.

Trekking
I have just come back from the Gosainkund and Helambu route. The trek takes nine days including two days traveling to and from Kathmandu. This route is cheaper than the others and is more accessible. The route is hard. It has a lot of ups and downs.

The cost for me was $10US per day for guide and another 8300Nrs for our food and accommodation. So all up just over $200 for nine days. You can do it cheaper if you don't take a guide and travel with a friend as you can share costs for accommodation. The major expense is for food; that can cost as much as 80Nrs for a piece of Tibetan bread, and averages around 120Nrs for a meal.

Altitude was not a problem for me but the lonely planet guide recommends an ascent of 1500 meters in three days. This is unsafe!! I met a doctor who had to treat a guy for AMS at Gosainkund because he had done just that.

Other News
How to get an Indian visa
Don't, or get it in your own country before you leave. In Nepal, it takes one week and at least three visits to the embassy here. It has taken me three weeks and six visits to the embassy. It will also take a long time while you are there in queues, so bring a book. This is the instructions for a six-month tourist visa (the only sort available), a 14-day transit visa can be issued on the spot and is a lot cheaper but you cannot extend it.

How to get a visa
Step one:
The embassy opens at 9.30, but to get one of the first tokens, arrive at 8.00 to 9.00am and wait to be let in. They will give you a token (a piece of cardboard with a number on it).

When the visa section opens, take this to the line outside the door to the office at the back of the embassy. When it is your turn they will interview you and make sure you have not already got a visa. Bring your passport, the one with the Nepal visa if you have two. Here you will be given two sheets to fill in. Make sure you use black ink and block CAPITALS or you will be sent back to do it again.

Step two:
Go to window B hand in these and 300 rupees. They will be faxed to the embassy in your home city (and the embassy of your other nationality if you have two passports). Wait one week and return.

Step three:
Return in one week and collect a number again. If your name is on the list of clearances go to window B and line up. Here you will be given a larger sheet of paper and told to fill it out and go to window A. If you have not been cleared, go back to step one again. It will be explained to you why you did not get clearance.

When at window A hand in your passport, a photo, and 2100 rupees.

Step four:
Return at 4:30 in the afternoon (not before) Your passport will have been stamped and you are free to go!!

My Route
One: Kathmandu to Dhunche, bus 100Nrs, 8 hours.

Two: Dhunche to Sing Gompa, all uphill. Very hard, but the town is beautiful even if it does look like a town in Switzerland.

Three: Sing Gompa to Gosainkund, also all uphill but a little less steep. Beautiful views of the lakes and very comfortable accommodation.

Four: Gosainkund to Ghopte. The pass at Laurebina is awesome, the accommodation at Ghopte dismal. Uphill for 300m then downhill for over 1000m.

Five: Ghopte to Malemchigaon. Beautiful Sherpa town, a fairly easy day compared to the last three.

Six: Malemchi to Tarke Gyang. Another beautiful town, would make a good rest day. A lot of downhill.

Seven and Eight: Tarke Gyang to Malemchi Pul Bazaar. The first day is easy, even if the paths are a little rough. Stop at any of the many towns and teahouses that are along the way. Sermathang is a nice place with many places to stay and friendly people but it makes the next day a long walk. The eight-day starts off very easily very flat, and lots of views of the receding Himalayas and upcoming rice paddies. It then slowly turns into the steepest downhill I have ever walked. The last leg is the hardest. The path is wide but made of clay and can be slippery. Malemchi Pul Bazaar is a dismal town with overpriced accommodation and long waits for food. If you can, try to make it before the last bus for Kathmandu leaves at 3.00pm.

Nine: Malemchi Pul Bazaar to Kathmandu. Four-hour bus ride quite pleasant.

Questions?
If you want more information about this area you can email the author or check out our Asia Insiders page.