"Smoke something?"

"Smoke something?" Now there is a question that I get asked upwards of 20 to 25 times a day; no exaggeration. More commonly asked after dark, and typically not asked before around 11 AM, I get asked this question by shady looking guys on the street all over Thamel. If I smoked pot, Kathmandu would be the easiest possible place I've ever been too to get it. I just had dinner in a 'hippie' vegetarian restaurant and the guy sitting at the table next to mine decided light up a joint just as I finished eating. I think that is a first for me, but I've never been to Amsterdam.

Anyways, I'm heading to Royal Chitwan National Park tomorrow morning for 3 or 4 days. I read that internet is really expensive and slow there so I may not be emailing or blogging for several days. I also booked my flight to Bangkok today. Unfortunately I got stuck flying the "notoriously unreliable" - to quote my Lonely Planet guidebook - Royal Nepal Airlines. I heard they only have 2 planes (Boeings fortunately) in their entire fleet. I fly from Kathmandu to Bangkok on Wednesday, 13 December at 8:30 AM (flight #401). Soon I'll really be enjoying the heat.