Election drama
They say Jimmy Carter just flew in to observe the Nepali election coming in three days. The government has posted army and police on the major highways, but the Maoist faction that called the transit strike has still managed to firebomb a few buses over the last week, and we are pretty sure we heard an IED going off from the fabled hilltop monkey temple of Swayambunath. The news reports that this particular IED went off prematurely, injuring the dude who was on his way to blow up some minibus. Punk.
The roads are emptier than usual and some shops are shut, but it's pretty clear that the election will happen on schedule. Posters and banners everywhere, speakermobiles plying the streets, and foot and motorcycle rallies are a few of the things we've seen in the last few days. Nobody has suggested that tourists are in danger, but we'll watch the election proceedings from a distance and keep our ears to the grapevine as we tour Kathmandu's ancient monuments and devour its decedent western food. Tonight I had apricot- and rum-infused mousse for dessert, and it was very different than trekking.