Mountain Air

Sandy, Tara and I had a lovely few days - including a visit to Nagarkot on the outskirts of the Kathmandu valley to see the Himalaya. We went up on Thursday after school - it was amazing to slowly drive higher and higher and to see the sky get bluer and bluer. The haze and pollution in Kathmandu can only be appreciated when you get out and see that the sky is actually blue!

We spent the late afternoon hanging out in our mountain view hotel room - playing with balloons, reading books, watching part of a video, and just relaxing with a view of the mountains. We also thoroughly enjoyed the central heating in our hotel room! We watched the sunset, sort of, there was a lot of haze so mostly we just saw the tips of the mountains. But it was nice just to get away. And while sleeping, I woke up a few times and marveled at the stars that seemed so close we could reach out and touch them! Sunrise started around 6-ish and Sandy and I went outside several times over the next 45 minutes to try and get some good photos. It was still pretty hazy, but we still saw the tips and later in the morning it cleared up even more. All in all, while not the best viewing, it was a great retreat from the city and much needed trip to fresh air.

We headed back down the hills, into the haze, and went to the ancient city of Bhaktapur for a few hours of touring, more shopping (of course) and a small lunch. One of the things that makes Bhaktapur enjoyable is the wide spaces between palaces and buildings - not by design but do to a earthquake awhile ago - but the end result is that there was space for Tara to run and jump in before we headed back to Kathmandu - and she nicely slept in the car ride.



Our evening was spent at a special treat for the adults. We were joined by Jennifer and her daughter Maya for a 12-course Nepali dinner at a fancy hotel - Dwarika. We got there early for the happy hour at the bar, enjoyed a few drinks while the girls danced and played. And Sandy played with them both while they ran around, giving both Jen and I are break!! Then - 3+ hours of dinner! The girls were both so well-behaved - with minimal fussing and good eating. Tara was so tired that she couldn't get comfortable on my lap but eventually she fell asleep as the last course, and coffee, came in. She slept through the night and I kept her in bed until after 8 - so hopefully not too many repercussions today.



All in all - a great few days. And I get email notification on Thursday that my file was officially registered at the US Embassy in New Delhi - so now the count down starts to a response. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers for a favorable response so we can come home soon.