"Safe" for tourists, but expect disruption to plans
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"Safe" for tourists, but expect disruption to plans
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In Reply to: Is it still safe for trekking in Nepal posted by Derek on April 19, 2006 at 15:27:29:
: I will go to Nepal and have a classic EBC trek tomorrow. I want to know whether it is still safe or not, and also the domestic flights have affect by the strike or not. Many thanks.
Nepal is still "safe" for tourists, just as long as you avoid demonstrations, observe any curfews and (if you meet them) pay the Maoists baksheesh.
Kathmandu central seems more "normal" today than it has for the last week or so. Some shops are open, others aren't. Taxis and private cars are driving around unimpeeded. But there are still the daily demos around town (mostly towards the Ring Road). Some commodities are becoming scarce (according to some sources) - the Kathmandu Guest House ran out of lemons (wot?! no G&T!), and I've just seen some loooong queues for kerosene. 250 teachers have just been arrested in Pokhara. Yesterday a number of civil servants were arrested for demonstrating in the Home Office cafe. And a plain clothes cop has just been sussed out for taking a HAND GRENADE with him when he infiltrated a demo a few days ago. The death toll stands at 6, and many more injured & detained.
NOTE: it says in todays paper (Himalayan Times or KTM Post, I forget which) that the pilots say they might suspend all domestic non-emergency flights from tomorrow. There are flights today, but right now it's impossible to say if that will continue or change.
We've had a couple of wet days in the Valley to dampen things a bit, but there is no sign of backdown from either side just yet. The agitators are saying that tomorrow there will be some REALLY BIG demos.....