This is the temple at Sechen Monastery, the back of which you saw in the previous photo from the window of my room. I slept a lot the first couple days, and just didn’t feel normal until today. Also, last night was the first time I slept normal hours. I just couldn’t keep myself awake past 5-6pm, and then would wake at about 1am and couldn’t sleep again until just before dawn. I was taking long naps everyday as well. My head was feeling like it was packed with cotton, I think because I stopped drinking tea. People go to bed here very early. By 10pm, the streets are quiet. Then in the morning, the birds and roosters wake you before dawn, and you can hear the world starting up just before six with the ringing of bells and gongs, and you can smell incense in the air and people starting their puja. In the middle of the night, I get woken up often from the barking of dogs. There are dogs everywhere. I think they don’t have owners, and they all look about the same, of medium size, brown/black, and thin. And then there are all the other animals on the street, the chickens, goats, cows, and even ox. In fact, the first animal I saw on the way from the airport was a huge ox standing there on the city sidewalk before we got to Bodhnath. Unless you’ve been to a “third world” country, there’s no way to understand what it’s like on the street. There are homeless everywhere, in much worse circumstances than in the U.S. Many people come up to me asking for food, or to shine my hiking boots (a thoroughly ridiculous request), or to buy something I usually don't need. Most of the people who approach me are young boys or young men. I’ve been told about 4-5 times now that my shoes are broken, and that they will fix them for me. I try to be as kind as possible with everyone, and only once in a while with the young men who want to fix my shoes I have to give a more firm “No thanks.” Most of the poor are people who’ve come from villages to find work, and Kathmandu is inundated with them, as there just aren’t enough jobs for everyone. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of middle-class and wealthy people here as well. People are well-dressed, and there are mansions here behind large gates built by the nouveau-riche. This morning I saw lots and lots of children on their way to school, very cute in little Catholic school-like uniforms. The finest hotel in Nepal is within walking distance, which is the Hyatt Regency. "The Rough Guide to Nepal" says about it: "Nepal's biggest and swankiest five-star hotel dominates the skyline 1km west of the (Bodhnath) stupa. Offers everything you'd expect for the money including plentiful "heritage" detailing and a fashionable restaurant-bar." A friend tells me they have a great pool as well.