Rain rain go away

Over 50mm rain in 24 hours = splish splash! Shame I forgot to shut the back door before I went to bed on Friday - by the time the cat alerted me half the kitchen floor was set. So was the fridge and the cupboards, and Lakshmi now had a swim-up food bowl. Not that she was very impressed by it.
Another busy week at work followed by Zumba on the Xbox every night except Friday. I'm just just as uncoordinated as ever. But having fun anyway.
Robin had to appear at the Indian Embassy during the week to prove he isn't a terrorist. When he left India to go to Bhutan last May, the immigration police chappie didn't have a rubber stamp so just scribbled whatever in his passport. So the embassy fellow in Nepal told him that he hadn't left India (clearly, since he was now in front of him in Nepal!) and needed to show up so that they could see he wasn't a terrorist. Not that they could say what terrorists look like. Ah, India!

Yesterday was the festival of Holi in Nepal and India. Celebrated on the full moon, it signals the start of spring. It's marked by the vigorous hurling of coloured powder and water bombs. In recent years it has become increasingly violent however, so the police in the 'du were ever vigilant to stop 'hooligans'. And quite right too. You can imagine how hard it is to get this stuff off your clothes and body. Not a day to be wearing chiffon. Robin very sensibly hid in the hotel till drinkies o'clock. I got to spend it shopping at the Target sale and watching the Tahs get done like a dinner. And a not very good dinner either!
But the BIG news this week is that Robin's guide book is OUT NOW! He got some sent to him in Nepal but I still haven't seen it - gotta wait for him to post me one.
Well it's time to watch The Amazing Race - I love how dumb some of the contestants are. Captivatingly awful TV.

Bhatti drives me batty

that's right the electricity situation here is driving me nuts. In theory we have 12 hrs every day of power cuts, all nicely arranged and duly notified, so that you can plan when to be home and when you can go out. The last few days we have had some huge storms that go for 10 hours or more, which increases the water level in the rivers, and the amount of hydro power.
So the powers that be very kindly just leave the switch on, so we all get more power. Problem is, you never know when they will turn it off. An hour ago I was stuck in netbanking, email and weather forecasting when it went off, so have now come out to a cafe to finish what I started. I am enjoying a rather good mango smoothie while I work so it could be worse.
I've not gone back to the pool because all the rain will have made the pool even colder than it was on Saturday. And I am such a wuss.
Had dinner and drinks last night with Billi and some friends of hers from her hometown Garmisch in Germany. we went to a Bhutanese restaurant for dinner - and boy am I taking my own food when I visit next month! More on that later. I tried to upload a photo of the cheese curry  but the website spat it out.
There has been a huge dump of snow at Everest Base Camp, and Makalu was apparently way too cold to summit.The rescues on Dhaulagiri, Annapurna and Manaslu this season are quite the talk of the mountaineering community - a joint venture between Nepali Fishtail Air and Swiss Air Zermatt has proven that it is possible to rescue above 6000m. Read more about it here:http://www.billibierling.com/2010/05/24/engagement-parties-and-everest-summits/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilliBierling-
We now have the youngest climber: Jordan Romero aged 13. He has completed the Seven Summits - quite an achievement. And as for the nutty British chap who swam across the glacial lake under Mt Pumori - why?
And speaking of why, Robin has another big pass on Thursday, then they arrive in a place called Laya - if I had a decent map I could find it - and then it is 'all downhill' from there. They got soaked yesterday, just as I predicted, and were lucky enough to pal up with the forest officer who comes originally from Nepal, so he let them stay in his house and warm up by the pot belly stove. 
On yesterday's topic of the missing doctor, apparently an investigation has discovered that he is OK and will return home in a few days. What does that mean? Did he go to India to the Bata shoe shop? A quick trip to Lhasa? How vague and irritating.
Looks like none of my photos want to upload today so you will just have to go without.
Bye for now!

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...