Culture Differences

The next morning, we were greeted by an electricity brown out. There are
not many capital cities where electricity is unavailable for up to16 hours
a day. Electricity cuts ('load shedding') are a fact of life in
Kathmandu, it seems. Electriticy is currently rationed across the city,
shifting from district to district every eight hours or so. Most hotels
post a schedule of planned electricitycuts. Our hotel had a generator.
What this small 'annoyance' meant was going to a very lovely breakfast
with wet hair.

Over breakfast we planned our next few days. The planning was complicated
by an impending strike in the country to occur on April 12th. It was
understood that when a strike occurs, transportation, i.e., buses,
airplanes, etc. halt. It is recommended that you stay home on this day as
it is not always a peaceful day. After some research, we decided not to
take the eight-hour bus ride up and down and around the mountains to
Pokhara, but take a 30-minute plane ride instead. From there we planned
to go to Lumbini, the birthplace of Budha.

The plane from Kathmandu to Pokhara was delayed for approximately an hour,
of course. Between the electricity 'brown outs' and delayed transporation
times, we are learning a completely different lifestyle in Nepal that we
are not accustomed to. Luckily for us, we are 'on vacation'.