and then there was sun

Finally after 3 days of unrelenting rain, to add to the post quake woes, the sun has come out and everyone is busy doing laundry. I had 3 lines going on the balcony today - and I'm supposed to be on holidays! At least I still have a balcony...
Kathmandu appears to have gotten off lightly although the old Hanuman Dhoka has some rather large cracks in it. A Nepali friend yesterday bemoaned the fact that immediately after the quake on Sunday, when all the nutty Nepalis had run into the streets while buildings were still shaking, the TV wasn't taking the opportunity to tell people what to do. All they did was show the 1934 earthquake aftermath. Which made even more old ladies scream. Nepalis really aren't very good in a crisis. Most houses here have potplants all over their rooftop edges, and if one of those came down and brained you I think you would need more than paracetamol. Also, the streets are really narrow and most buildings don't have straight edges, so running into the street just puts you into a shooting gallery really. This whole country is so poorly prepared it just isn't funny.
I now have 2 earthquake apps on my iphone and ipad just in case. One has very useful instructions on what to do, plus a flashing light, torch, whistle, megaphone that sends morse sos and a thing to make you keep awake if you are trapped. Not that you would ever get found in this place if more than a few hours had passed. But I guess it makes me feel better.
I am supposed to be packing for India but seem to have lost motivation after all the laundry I did. The weather down the road in Delhi is about 10 degrees warmer than here so I have to get out a few things I packed away. Maybe I can hit the pool there.
Oh speaking of pools and quakes. At the Shangri La on Sunday, many guests ran out into the garden dressed, as Uttam so quaintly put it "only in their panties" as it was just after 6pm and everyone was getting ready for dinner. So, the staff at the hotel grabbed all the pool towels to redignify the ladies. How sweet. Uttam is sorry he wasn't there to help. Instead he was at home with his son hoping that the 11 storey monstrosity under construction next door didn't collapse. And he was pleased his wife and daughters were out shopping!Uttam is one of the few Nepalis that you can trust in a crisis.
Anyway onto other news. Our hotel escaped without any cracks and the water got fixed quickly..
We watched what may be the worst movie ever the other night: Dinocroc versus Supergator.. I don't think any of them could act (no wonder David Carradine end up tangled in coat hangers in a Bangkok wardrobe!) and it was heartening to see so many of them get devoured. Do check it out.