The Annapurna

A word about our first hotel in Kathmandu: dump. I know I've complained about all the hotels, and this one wasn't the worst. However. It smelled like cat pee. The whole placed smelled like cat pee. And it was a 5 star. I've learned that stars are relative to the town they are in.

This hotel was marginally better than the last one. It had towels and clean sheets. The water was brown, but it was hot. We only stayed there one night. Avoid it if you are heading in this direction.

We dined at the former king's residence (we was deposed several years back). There was a set menu with many courses served at low Nepalese style tables where guest are seated Indian-style. The atmosphere and the Nepalese dancers were worth the time and money. While "traditional" dancers usually signal low quality food and an over-the-top tourist exerience, this was a pleasant surprise. There were plenty of locals despite the price which is always a good sign.

My only complaint was the fairly large rodent that ran across my foot and into the corner toward the end of the meal. I was able to mask my shock to avoid unnecessary embarrassment to our guide who selected the place and to my travel companions who would not have appreciated the manuever.