Grand Hotel Kathmandu

This is my first time to see Nepal, so I was excited for this trip. I arrived Kathmandu late last night, Manila-Hong Kong-Kathmandu on a Cathay Pacific then Dragon Air flights. I checked in at the hotel around 12:20 am local time, around 2:40 am Manila time.

Ok, this is my hotel. I am attending the 3^rd Asia Liberty Forum at Crowne Plaza, about half block away. About half of the foreign participants are staying here and the other half, mostly the speakers and organizers are staying at Crowne Plaza.

It is an 8-storey building and I stay on the 7^th floor. The right most room, one floor from the top/8^th floor, that’s my room, my house for four nights here including  last night.

My room. Twin sharing, another participant from Indonesia, Rofi, will be my roommate. I think I have met him in Hong Kong during the EFN conference last November. He has not arrived yet as of this writing.

My work area table on the right with a coffee set (I will ask Rofi that he work In his bed so I can monopolize this table, hehehe).

This morning, I got a wifi coupon for Nepalese Rupee (NR) 500 or around US$5, 24 hours. It is unreliable, I get connected then  it disconnects after about three minutes. Retried it about 3x and 3x it disconnected. So I would go down to the hotel lobby to check  emails, free wifi. Of course I cannot stay here for long as there are other guests coming in and out. 

Retried for the 4th or 5th  time, I think it is working now.

Outside the building, this is the swimming pool. No one may be swimming here, it was about 10 C or 50 F last night  when I checked in, maybe at noon it can  go  up  to 20-24 C. The red building outside is possibly a hospital.

Above photo, a souvenir shop on  the left side of the hotel building, just across the hotel restaurant.

Lower photo, a clothing shop also within  the hotel compound. This is between the swimming pool and the souvenir shop.

Nepal has huge power or electricity deficit, so buildings must have their own gen sets if they want to have power 24/7. This generator keeps the hotel have continuing electricity.

The street outside the hotel. Streets are narrow, so motorcycles and small cars are common here.

Next, the city viewed from the hotel.