In a few hours time we will pile into a chartered bus along with our gear and guides and take the long road north from Kathmandu. We are expecting the drive to be bumpy, noisy and to take a lot longer than the 2 hours 53 minutes predicted by our sat nav.
Escaping Kathmandu alone usually takes an age as we will need to plough our way through the chaotic streets thronged with traffic, people and potholes. Then the road will turn twistier and bumpier as we climb up into the foothills and escape the urban slums that now fill the Kathmandu Valley.
Kathmandu is noticeably different these days. This is our seventh visit spread over thirty years and much has changed and mainly for the good. Maybe it was the 2015 earthquake that signalled the need for change? Gone is the acrid air created by the blue, two stroke fumes of teaming tut tuts. The prowling dogs that barked into the night have vanished and there are far fewer hawkers and beggars on the streets. Thamel is now largely pedestrianised and is smoothed in tarmac. The open drains seem to have vanished along with the stench of uncollected rubbish and dog muck underfoot. New builds are rising up from the ruined city and much of the re-construction appears either done or underway.
Well done Nepal for building and cleaning your way out of disaster. You are giving the right messages to your visitors who will surely spread the word and send more tourists and their dollars your way. You deserve to prosper.