Time to blog

OK, so leaving Kathmandu was difficult. It's not that I'm that sad to leave, but of course I have great friends there. And what was even more poignant were the people who cried and it's not because they were so sad to see me go. Several people: Kamala my boss, the sales office coordinator, my guide friend Raj and our cook Kumar among them, were so visibly upset because someone leaving drives home that it's not them leaving. Life is Nepal is so difficult and the pressure is so intense that a reminder that they are not going to escape it is devastating. Kumar, a dignified and reserved man, managed to say through his tears that if he doesn't find a job soon he'll have to take his only son out of school. Kamala said that I was the only person to whom it was safe to discuss her problems. Nepal is a heartbreaker and to see strong people who have never wavered crack a little is a heartbreaker. Sigh. And Korean Air lifted us up and gave us warm towels to wash our hands of it. Update on Seoul tomorrow....xoc