Boulia
31st March 2005, 02:47 PM
as promised a brief view from being back 2 hours!
Thai Flight was nearly full, maybe 50% tourists. Thamel definitely less tourists than my last visits (latest was June 04). Maybe of the visitors a higher % of them appear to be trekkers as opposed to tourists staying in/around KTM.
My agency claims business started to pick up just prior to Easter but many cancellations in Feb/March.
The April 2 strike is expected to go ahead. Apparently these days little recognition of it within KTM but road blockages are expected again with shortages affecting prices.
So my take, as many have said in recent weeks, its a 'normal KTM' and many groups are arriving to trek but delays will be encountered. I noticed very little additioanl army presence but I have yet to move around much.
Many thanks to all those positive folk who posted that helped push me to come again, now if I survive Don Gibson and his brother at Rum Doodle I will hit the Everest trail again.
Thai Flight was nearly full, maybe 50% tourists. Thamel definitely less tourists than my last visits (latest was June 04). Maybe of the visitors a higher % of them appear to be trekkers as opposed to tourists staying in/around KTM.
My agency claims business started to pick up just prior to Easter but many cancellations in Feb/March.
The April 2 strike is expected to go ahead. Apparently these days little recognition of it within KTM but road blockages are expected again with shortages affecting prices.
So my take, as many have said in recent weeks, its a 'normal KTM' and many groups are arriving to trek but delays will be encountered. I noticed very little additioanl army presence but I have yet to move around much.
Many thanks to all those positive folk who posted that helped push me to come again, now if I survive Don Gibson and his brother at Rum Doodle I will hit the Everest trail again.