Eating Out in Kathmandu--Part 1

Hi!  I hope everyone reading this is having a nice day!  We're enjoying exceptionally beautiful spring weather after a mild winter.  Of course, the sky is hazy these days and the spring rains have started.  This means you can't see the mountains these days. 

It doesn't even look like they could be there, does it?  But they are!

Here is the same field (see the same white house) a few months ago.

If you're planning a trip to Nepal, try to come in the winter.

Yes, it's colder, but you can be pretty sure you'll get to see the mountains!

Anyway, this post is going to show you some of the places we eat lunch at when we go to Kathmandu on our days off.  Kathmandu has some lovely restaurants and many varying kinds too.  Even though we've been here almost four years already, we have hardly even scratched the surface of where to eat!

One place we like is the Roadhouse Cafe.

This is the branch in the tourist area of Thamel.  There are at least two other locations that we have been to.  Maybe there are more!  Anyway, their menu has a nice large selection, including hummus (that's delicious!) which I usually order to take home!  Yum!  The decor is cute too.

The bathroom has a cute mosaic theme.

If you order the bruschetta, you'd better be hungry!

For Chinese cuisine, we recommend the China Garden at the Crowne Plaza Hotel.

Here you will find good food and friendly service.

The Crowne Plaza also has an Italian Restaurant named Al Fresco that we really like.

 

(This picture is from their website, as I can't find ours!)

 

For Mexican food fans, there's The Lazy Gringo!

 It was started by a couple from Arizona who lived here for a number of years.

We met them at a Thanksgiving "party" at the American ambassador's house.

They have since left Nepal, and someone else has taken over.  We haven't been there

since the new management started, but now I think we'll have to go soon as this picture

has me thinking about the homemade tortilla chips that are to die for!

Once in a blue moon we go to the Everest Fast Food Cafe, which is a chain all around Kathmandu.

Their cheese naan is delicious--really delicious!

To give you an idea of prices, here is part of their menu.

(The exchange rate is about 100 to one, so for example that plate of cheese naan was about $0.75!)

Yes, Kathmandu has a Pizza Hut and a KFC.  

(Actually there are more than one--not sure exactly how many!)

It's nice inside and the food is good too!  We go there now and then for fun.

They usually have American music playing, so it's homey for me!

The KFC has several vegetarian options, all good, but a little spicy for me!

I do have a funny KFC story.

Soon after we got here, some of the kids asked me if I knew what KFC stood for.

"Why yes.  It's Kentucky Fried Chicken."

"HOW DO YOU KNOW?!" they asked incredulously!

(Maybe they hadn't actually met anyone who knew what it was yet!)

"Well," I said, "I've BEEN to Kentucky!"

"SHE'S BEEN TO KENTUCKY!  SHE'S BEEN TO KENTUCKY!"

They were so impressed!

(Smile!)

To end this "Part 1" post, here's a restaurant we haven't tried yet!

Stay tuned for more good places to eat in Kathmandu!

Have a lovely and blessed week!

When We're Out & About--Part 2, "Dhulikhel & Nagarkot"

For Part 2 of "When We're Out and About" I'm going to tell you about a recent day off, when we went to Dhulikhel instead of Kathmandu, and then also when we went to Nagarkot.  These two towns have amazing views of the Himalayas.  Since Dhulikhel is only three miles and a five minute drive, we decided to go there not long ago and relax without a long ride and with peace and quiet.  Yes, we do like to go to Kathmandu, but sometimes it's nice to do something different.  Dhulikhel is just up and over the mountains we see here right behind our campus and our apartment.  (Yes, that's the view from our living room window!)

If you climb up to the top of that mountain, you will be at an elevation of one mile, and you will get to this tower:

where, if you're lucky, you can see the mountains behind Dhulikhel.  Naturally, when we hiked up there, we didn't see the mountains.  Yes, they are there, behind the haze.

  If you missed the post about that hike, you can read it here.

When the sky is clear, this is the view we've had while in Dhulikhel:

  Sorry to say, this visit we didn't have that lovely view.

This is the view we had:

 

:)

We didn't mind though, because we knew what was back there behind the cloudy haze, and we wanted to  rest and relax, which we did.

I finally had time to get in some good reading--yeah!

Ramon enjoyed some computer time.

 During an afternoon walk, the clouds slightly (slightly!) parted and if you looked really hard, you could see a glimpse of a peak or two.  Look closely now!

Look more closely:

Well, it was like a fleeting dream, but still awesomely beautiful!

It's like the saying, "Now you see it, now you don't!"

There is a sign to tell you the names of the mountains back there.

However, I must say, that this winter has been the cloudiest and haziest winter since we've been here,
and it seems like the warmest too.  Mind you, it's definitely winter, but it's not as cold as in the past.
  I suppose that's why we have more hazy skies this year.  Usually, in the past three winters,
during the days, we had crisp blue skies, like this:

Now that's a blue sky!
This is the kind of sky you get here when it's really cold!
This picture is from the trip my mother and I took to the tourist destination city
of Pokhara when she was here.  If you missed it, and want to see more, click here.
That will take you to Part 2.  At the end of Part 2, click "Older Posts" to see Part 1.

Another place we have gone to which is an hour's drive closer to the mountains, is the scenic mountain village of Nagarkot.  This sign awaits you when you arrive at Club Himalaya.

As you can see, it says that only the lucky ones get to see the Himalayas on their first visit!

Were my mom and I lucky when we went?
Yes!  Here's the proof:

If you missed them and you want to see the pics of that trip,
you can find them here.
(Again, that link goes to the second post about Nagarkot, and the first one is after that in the "Older Posts.")
(That first one called, "Nagarkot and More" has a surprise--the "More" part!)

Were Ramon and I lucky when we went?
Yes, and No!
When we first arrived, this was our view:

THEN the clouds started parting!

Pretty awesome!  As they say, "This is what I'm talking about!"
This makes you glad you're out and about in Nepal--and we are glad!

Anyway, that's it for now.  Next time, some more pics of what we've seen lately in Kathmandu.
Take care and God bless!