Kathmandu

My first glimpse of Nepal was impressive - snow capped mountains poking through the clouds at 7500m.

My first encounter in Kathmandu was not as inspiring. A driver from my hotel met me at the airport with several of his friends who "offered" to carry my bags to the van before demanding a tip. I almost laughed when 30 seconds later the driver told me he was also a trekking guide and offered me his card. It's an interesting quirk of Nepali ethics that although outright theft is frowned upon, extortion is considered fine.

Although the infrastructure of Kathmandu hasn't changed much in the past 50 years, the population has exploded. Consequently the city is a chaotic mess and suffers from traffic congestion, water shortage, poverty and pollution. The local people didn't seem to notice, going about their day to day lives with an enthusiasm that I admired but couldn't share.

The next day we took an sight-seeing trip around the city with the world's worst tour guide - a small, slimy man with a bizarre accent, who must have spent several years studying at William Shatner's School of Vocal Timing.

The Buddist "Monkey Temple" which sits high above the Kathmandu valley had impressive views, however it was a visit to the sacred Hindu temple on the banks of the Bagmati river that was most memorable. Corpses wrapped in cloth are carried beside river where they are prepared, cremated and then scattered into the water. The whole process takes place in front of grieving family, rows of tourists and hordes of hawkers trying to sell trinkets to the tourists. Between cremations young boys 'fish' in the river for jewellery worn by the deceased while a hundred meters away women wash clothes in the same water. The whole experience left me feeling pretty uncomfortable.

One of the few positive experiences I had in Kathmandu was when I discovered the vast array of mountaineering and outdoor shops which line the main street of Tamil. They offer good quality, knock-off outdoor equipment at very low prices and allowed me to pick up a few last minute items. If I ever trek in Nepal again I would bring only the essentials and then pick up the rest after I arrived.