then it started to rain

A LOT. I had to hole up in the after hours office for AGES last night to avoid being drowned. But it meant that the views this morning were great! Mind you, I think I drowned on the inside!
So what have I been up to since Saturday afternoon? Well I went back to the pool and jumped in - the water was about 10 degrees colder than the pool in Delhi and it was all I could do to stay in it, but once I got swimming it was sorta OK. I need to eat some cement and harden up apparently!
Didn't end up going to the press conference for the Spanish climber, but stayed in town on Saturday night - not that it was very busy. Most of the trekking is finished for the season, so most tourists have left. Not so many people are going to Tibet at the moment (this is the best time of year) and there are still a few mountaineering groups in the hills waiting to summit. There has been some dreadful weather this season, and it was good to see that there is now a Nepali/Swiss operation doing mountain rescues and air ambulance.
Yesterday I tried to make an inventory of my trekking gear here - I currently have 6 tote bags and a barrel in the room - and that took me most of the morning. Outrageous. I had intended to do some internetverke, but the net dropped out badly for most of the day. Maybe this is why:

Anyway, it seems OK now. Robin is now safely over the worst of the Snowman trek, and is now going to be heading south rather than west. At least now I can pinpoint where he is on the map, which makes it easier when I try to forecast the weather.
Today's mission was to find an outfit for the wedding next month. I made sure I had permission from the father of the bride NOT to wear a sari! So it was time to get a kurta salwar made up - the long top and pants outfit that you see everywhere. I was quite surprised that I got something that I think will look good in the second shop I went to. You select the material for the top then the pants then the scarf then get measured - talk about complicated. All I can say is that it is purple and it does have sequins - you can't be seen at a wedding here without sequins! And thank goodness the bride came with me to help me choose.
And in crazy local news, a doctor in the Terai disappeared on his way home from work the other day. His car and briefcase have been found in different locations, but no trace of him, and no ransom demand (kidnapping important people is a popular pastime here). So yesterday the Nepal Medical Association called a strike of all staff to protest against the government 'failing to reveal the missing doctor's whereabouts.' I kid you not. If the doctor is not 'produced' within 3 days there will be a national strike of all medical staff until the doctor is found. Is it just me, or does that sound so completely batty I couldn't possibly be making it up?
I love this country but I wonder why sometimes...