Safe, but Cold in Kathmandu

My initial reactions to Kathmandu: very dusty and dry climate/air, half the roads in city are unpaved (dirt), probably the least clean city I've seen since leaving the US, and the coldest weather I've seen for almost a year (60F when I landed at airport and down to below 50F last night).

Everything about my hotel is very 1950s vintage and it was once the palace of a raj. Really gloomy and spooky - very much reminds me of the hotel in the movie "The Shining" staring my main man Jack Nicholson! But my room is large and has a balcony overlooking what can best be described as shabby streets.

Soon after checking into hotel, the power went out. The manager explained to me that the power grid in Kathmandu is incredibly outdated. As a result the power company has planned, rolling power outages 24/7 throughout the city. At best, the manager explained, each section of the city gets about 12 hours of power a day. I have been in the city for about 15 hours and
there has been no power at the hotel since I checked in. It was a very cold night in my hotel room without heat!

Soon after checking into my hotel I starting roaming the nearby narrow streets - the hotel is located in the center of Kathmandu's "shopping district". Because I have only t-shirts and shorts, I was in quest for warm clothing! Ended up buying a North Face down jacket and a pair of long pants. Total costs $62 - because they were Chinese knock-offs. That price also included the cost of some fairly complex tailoring (shortenting pants) that was done within 15 minutes! But they are doing a good job keeping me
warm.

I must say that what I have seen of Kathmandu is incredibly "exotic" and it feels more foreign than anyplace I have ever visited. The people are very exotic looking as well - mix of mongels (sp?), Indian, and Asian. And they are very friendly, polite, and have good senses of humor. Most also speak English. Evidently very few Americans visit Tibet, so they are all very happy to hear that I am an American.

I am very much looking forward to exploring this isolated part of the world where Hinduism, Buddhism, animism, and many, many religious cult derivatives/blends have coexisted peacefully for millennia. Experiencing this blend of religions, cultures, ethnicities, and languages (evidently more than 50 languages/dialects are spoken here), not to mention the topography should be fascinating.

At the moment I have no set plans - but I am working on a possible trip to Tibet. I’ll probably hire a guide/driver today to explore the city itself.