Mike in Nepal

cooksinindia
I just got a call from Mike in Nepal. He and the other Fulbrighters went to the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu first thing yesterday morning to have their visas switched from tourist to work visas. After standing in line for hours they were told to come back next week. They are hoping to get their visas by Monday or Tuesday. They are not sure what the hold up is. It was supposed to be a routine one day process. We did read in the guidebook that the Embassy in Nepal is notoriously slow and apparently the person behind the counter didn't like the looks of their clearance letters.

In the meanwhile they are enjoying the cool mountain air in Nepal. Tomorrow he is taking a plane ride over the mountains to see Mt. Everest. (If I sound a little envious it is because I am- it has been 95-100 degrees here every day.)

Mike has decided he will come back to Delhi on Tuesday. Hopefully his visa will have cleared by then. He decided this because the kids and I have to be at the airport on Tuesday night for a 12:15am flight on Wednesday morning. We'll at least have a couple of hours together before we take off.

Quinn and I went to the Tibetan market near Connaught Place (New Delhi city center) yesterday. It is booth after booth of cool things- fabric, purses, incense, brass, clothes. I find it very overwhelming. The shop owners beckon you in and show you 50 different things. Once you see something you like it is expected that you will haggle over the price. Quinn finds this pretty embarassing. You are, after all, bargaining over the equivalent of less than $1. I figure it is just part of the game. I have found that I am just not a super shopper here. I am too overwhelmed by all of the choices. It is hard for me to make a decision and as a rule the kids only tolerate a short time in these busy places.

We had planned to go to the Red Fort today but I read in the paper today that there was some kind of processional happening in that part of the city that is meant to tie up traffic all day and all evening. We'll go tomorrow in the afternoon.

I'll let everyone know what happens in Nepal.