I beat my alarm and get to the bus stop with plenty of time. The view from my seat on this trip is not as good as last time, so I try and sleep. I chat with a few people over lunch, which is good.

The road between Pokhara and Kathmandu seems much rougher this time. Maybe we are driving more quickly, maybe I am less numbed by the charms of Nepal. I think Pokhara is the epicenter of Nepal for me.

As we near Kathmandu city we get stuck in a number of big traffic jams. The weather is hot and the pollution is bad. I notice Maoists with their heads covered with scarves waving communist flags, and I'm supposing collecting donations. They are close (maybe within 2kms) to the city center. I could do with a cold drink and a shower.

The bus drops us off in Thamel and I start fending off the touts. I am tending to ignore them now. I ignore quite a few as I try the Acme Guest House, in the thick of Thamel. The second room I am shown is really quite nice, and a little more expensive than the Hotel Encounter Nepal I stayed at last time. But I will be spending quite a few hours here before I depart tomorrow for Nagakot.

I nip down to the Wayfarers travel agents and buy a return ticket to Nagakot tomorrow, in the hope of seeing Mount Everest. I am planning on two nights there, with some day hikes and a lot of writing.