Phew, phew - Kathmandu!

Amazing place, Kathmandu - a surprise around every corner. Noise, chaos, strange smells - reminds me of home, somehow...
During the few days before I left, I felt as if I was on one of those passenger conveyor belts - but it just kept going faster and faster. Final visits to the gym? No chance. Christmassy letters to people? No chance - though I felt very pleased to have sent out Christmas cards to various friends / family who will probably be very surprised to receive a card in early October - give or take a year or two with the posties' strike.
I decided it was far more sensible, ecological and practical to travel to Heathrow by train, forgetting that 5.30pm was probably not the best time to hit Victoria. Loaded up with my huge rucsac behind and large rucsac in front, I waddled with determination and valour into the underground. Crowds parted before me (luckily, or I might have fallen over) and I boarded an overcrowded train with the unstoppable qualities of a steamroller. People were very patient and tolerant, especially as there was no way to remove my huge rucsac from my back. Some lucky people must have spent an entire journey with their faces rammed into the bag. But they did not complain - they were probably too busy trying to breathe.
Heathrow was its usual unforgiving self with too many people in too much of a hurry. I tried to check-in online but was stymied by the machine, so asked a nearby Virgin for help. After all, I was travelling on her airline. Apparently I was using the machine which staff used to upgrade people (drat! - if only I'd worked that one out for myself...). Another Virgin checked my passport and said, very brightly, "Where's your visa for India then?"
"India? But I'm going to Nepal!"
"I think you need a transit visa if you're changing flights in India. If you haven't got one, you'll not be allowed to travel today."
What! Adventure over before even begun. Panic? Moi? She called over the security officer (not a Virgin this time) who looked serious for a moment, asked about which terminals I would be using in India then nodded and said "You're fine."
Anything after that would be an anti-climax. I spent some time choosing the perfect whisky (Scots, of course; Julie would be unforgiving of anything else), ate some food (fascinating - I know you wanted to read that) then boarded the plane.