Kathmandu is considered to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world. At five thousand feet, it is certainly one of the highest. For a long time it has been the royal city of Nepal, and there are a lot of palaces representing the various dynasties that have ruled here, along with huge pools and parks indicative of their historic wealth.

Although there are a lot of Hindu temples in the city, Nepal was also the birthplace of the Buddha, and there is a strong Buddhist influence in the architecture as well, making for an interesting and eclectic mix. When our kids were younger they had all kinds of fun climbing up the Monkey Temple and exploring the narrow market streets with their overhanging levels of their houses forming a kind of canopy that was delightfully medieval.

Pam will get a day in Kathmandu in flying out of the country, but most of the time she has spent in Butwal, closer to the Indian border. Pam describes her stay as amazing, getting to meet many listeners of the programs that Trans World Radio broadcasts into the area. But it has also been physically challenging, as conditions in the area are pretty primitive, and accommodation has been quite basic.

For those of you who have written and are wondering when you will get a response, Pam should be back in a place where she has access to the internet by Tuesday. She tells me that she is fine, but tired and looking forward to getting some time back in Malaysia after so much time away.