Bandah!

Today one of the Maoist parties called a general strike. That meant, among other things, no buses, which meant our planned trip will have to wait. It was interesting to see Kathmandu slowed right down. It was a joy to walk down the middle of the road with no beeping and fumes everywhere. It felt like a holiday and there were kids playing football and cricket in the street. Apparently if anyone breaks the strike the people who called it will crack down on you with violence, and the police to nothing.

Instead we went for a walk to a local temple, where I met this handsome man, and then we walked through the hills to Kopan Monastery and then back home via prayers in one of the monasteries near home. It was a good three hour walk, though my legs are now aching a little!

There is talk of another strike tomorrow, so who knows what we shall get up to. We are also short on water. It seems that this time of year is not good for water supplies, so we have no water in the house. Though we (our landlady) have managed to pump some from the ground and get it in the house, but it is only fit for toilet use. Tonight I had a "bath" in drinking water, which is what we do everyday at home in the U.K., but here it feels crazy!