Hello, this is Chanda Baggarly calling in for Team Around the World 1999. Today is November 4th and this is our last day in Kathmandu. We decided to take another rest day here to get caught up on some very important stuff like laundry and car repairs. And, unfortunately, it seems like at least one of us is 'under the weather' at any given moment and this time it would be Earle and Jeff's turn - so another days rest will go a long way for all of us.

Today felt like a long day. I'm guessing it was because we actually had some free time to do absolutely nothing - which is nice every now and then. I finished up the laundry chores early and spent some time reading up on the history Kathmandu. I learned that Kathmandu was established in 723 and was ruled for centuries by the Newar people (who, I believe are from Russia?). The city was captured in 1768 by the Shah dynasty and became their capital. From 1846 to 1951 the very powerful Rana family ruled Nepal from here as hereditary prime ministers.

Religion in Nepal is a unique mixture. While Nepal's rulers have long been Hindu, Buddhist sites such as Swayambhunath flourish. The people of the Kathmandu Valley practice a combination of Hinduism and Buddhism, while in the Himalayas, Tibetan Buddhism is prevalent, as are shamanism and local religions.

The result is a mixture of religions that occasionally overlap and ensures that a temple such as Swayambhunath meets everyone's needs. So, Hindus may not see anything unusual about worshipping at a Buddhist site, for example, because the Buddha is sometimes considered an incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu. Some Nepali Buddhists, meanwhile, see the Hindu trinity of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva as incarnations of the Buddha. Got it? In general, the strict definitions that often separate various sects and denominations in Western religion are not present in Nepal.

Another belief that overlaps many religions in the area is in the existence of the Yeti. In fact, as I read more about this Yeti creature, I found myself quite curious. The Yeti, which is also known as the Abominable Snowman, is the legendary 'wild man' of the Himalayas. Reports of sightings have come from Nepal and from parts of China, Siberia, and other areas in Asia. Sightings have also been reported in North America, where the Abominable Snowman is called Bigfoot in the United States and Sasquatch in Canada. These creatures are said to be very hairy, heavily built, apelike, and foul smelling, elusive, with facial features resembling those of a human being; and communicate by grunts, cries, or whistles. I can think of a few people who fit this description back home....

I finally put my history book down and decided to do a 'search for the Yeti at the last minute' expedition. In Kathmandu, you can't go too far down a street without seeing the word 'Yeti'. There is the grand Yak and Yeti Hotel, Yeti shops everywhere, Yeti restaurants, Yeti travel services, Yeti burgers, Yeti, Yeti, Yeti... I stopped at the first shop that was selling Yeti expedition packages - The trips were at least 3 days long in weather too darn cold for me and they offered no guarantees of ever seeing the creature. They did have some cool pictures of the Yeti, although fuzzy and a little difficult to make out. As my next plan of action, I spoke to some locals. Everyone that I asked said they had never seen the Yeti, one man had heard the creepy howls of the Yeti a few years ago on a hiking trip, most had seen foot prints. You really don't have to go far to see Yeti footprints around here though as some shops will sell you a ceramic cast of them cheap.

I guess I am a skeptic where the Yeti is concerned although, I have only spent a few days in Yeti country and the Nepali people have walked the Himalayas for thousands of years - if there were big hairy Neanderthal-like creatures living among them, they would know.

This is Chanda signing off for Team Around the World 1999. Safe travels to you.