KTM Today

[Boulia]

Just a few points that may be relevant for "soon" to come travellers.

Thamel is the busiest I have seen at this time for 4 years. Many very large groups are on the EBC side, I mean 20-30 per group not uncommon. Hardly anyone walking from Jiri. Many lodges are open this way if you are thinking about it.

Weather is very warm, maybe 28c in the day, no rain. No need for a fleece either after dark.

Mid range hotels are booked out if that is your choice.

Thai fligts are so full either way they will not accept waitlisting (confirmed through acgency this end and Australian T/A).

Interim Government was announced Saturday. No DPM position which was a sticking point apparently. Some parties have yet to put names to positions. Seems someone from Maoists calls for a republic to be announced before June elections almost every day.

Not hearing much of strikes in the terai, yesterday a taxi driver said there was no shortage of fuel, just limited supplies.... hmmmm the difference ?

[Linwood]

Boulia, thanks for your report!

I seem to have a knack for timing treks at interesting junctures in Nepali history (first one was immediately after the American Center was bombed and the US Peace Corps bugged out '04, second one was a month after the King staged his coup in 2005, third one was quiet).

We will be arriving in Ktm a couple of days before the elections slated for June 20th. We hope to be nearing Gosainkund on the 20th, but coming back off the beaten path as it were, through villages in Nuwakot District, after the elections.

I'm very interested in following things "on the ground" in the coming weeks from another source other than the international media or my government. Any additional reports you can manage would be most welcome.

I understand that there have been lots of intimidation tactics used in past elections to influence votes and I am concerned that will be occurring this time in spades due to the increase in Maobadi power and influence. And I'm wondering how the Maobadi might behave after the elections if things don't go their way. Any forecasts of this or other complications anticipated?

Thanks and I hope you're having a wonderful time!

Linwood

[Boulia]

Hi Linwood

you will appreciate that actions/reactions in the future for Nepal are probably at best a guess no matter how well informed we wish to think we visitors are. Like you i have been here during some interesting times. April 06 for example.

The interim government is being hailed from many quarters as a great step forward. Indeed I believe it is but each day I hear/read of events that bring back the past. Today for instance, 12 beaten by maoists, one maoist cadre taken from his home and shot dead, another strike (not well supported) in Terai as the agitators there did not want a particular home minister.

So digging under the surface raises many tensions. Can an election be held successfully, in my view yes, but if the result does not suit certain parties, again its my view, there will be problems. The maoists haven't come this far not to get their way.

I leave here tomorrow.

[Cosmo]

Following on from Boulia's comment on Thai being booked solid - The day we flew out of KTM (28th March) our flight had 29 confirmed seats overbooked on our flight. (Chaos at the airport of course - poor checkin guys!)

We'd been warned to get there 3 hours before the flight due to heavy bookings but had no idea of this problem until we arrived. We'd done as advised so we were fine. Ive never heard of overbooking as a major concern when flying Thai before but maybe we've been lucky.

[Spaceman347]

I got a flight on Thai with a couple of days notice, I had an existing ticket for much later in the month and was able to change it relatively easy (I went into the Thai office on Thursday and got a flight for Monday).

It was business class (royal silk class), I'm not sure if that helped or not.