Kathmandu closed to traffic?

I should be travelling to Kathmandu in 3 weeks but I heard it has been closed off to traffic for the past 5 days. Is that true? Does anyone know if it is still possible (and safe) to enter Kathmandu by car/bus? Thanks!

It's not good but it's not directed at tourists
whatch these 2 sites.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/3581668.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/3573402.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/3582118.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/3583926.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/3585642.stm

http://www1.timesofindia.indiatimes....how/823503.cms

http://www1.timesofindia.indiatimes....how/823429.cms

http://www1.timesofindia.indiatimes....how/823372.cms

if you are flying in, the airport is within the city area and not affected by the blockade which is focussed on two major supply roads. You can fly in and drive out of the city easily in the situation as it stands. it's a very large place that once you are in, you are quite safe.

there's a particular well-trodden local flavour to this. So long as face can be saved on both sides it may well evaporate before long.

I've a friend who lives in Kathmandu who's returning there in a couple of weeks and will post any first hand news she gets too.

-a red arm-band may come in handy for travelling out of town

courage

-L

Thanks lightening! It would be great if you get me an update from your friend when she returns to Kathmandu. Unfortunately I was planning to do the opposite - drive in to Kathmandu from Pokhara and then leave from Kathmandu be air to catch my flight home so if I dont manage to get into Kathmandu I guess I wont be able to fly home! Hopefully as you said the situation will resolve soon. Keep me posted!

Hi,
had a chat with my friend from KMD yesternday who was illuminating.

As a westerner you are definately not a target, at worst you will be inconvenienced. The leader of the Maoists has even sent a public letter to us western tourists reassuring us of that. They have a web site (none of the links off it work and I couldn't find the actual e-mail but it was published about a year ago)

http://www.cpnm.org/english_index.htm
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MAOIST_GUNS/

However they do levvy a "road tax" from tourists (but will give you a receipt! ). the going rate at a road block is NRs 1000. It's one of their main income sources -and reasons for not targetting you.

what is strange from our perspective is that only the Indian govt's rumoured interrest yesteday has stirred the Nepalese palace to mobilise their army visibly.

This is that wierd local flavour of "Ke garne" -what can you do? in action. Seems the royal response was simply to wait for them to all go home. India can seem full of control-freeks next to these guys!. There can be a surreal indifference in the national character at times, (-not even cynicism, but real blank indiffernence folks ) such as only seen at elections
in the west. ;-)

more links;-
http://www.kantipuronline.com/viewdi...=15&disid=4481

http://www.globalsecurity.org/milita...d/para/upf.htm

http://www.photrek.co.uk/himalaya.htm

http://www.nepalnews.com.np/ntimes/i...7/headline.htm

http://www.nepalnews.com.np/

http://www.indianexpress.com/full_st...ntent_id=53726

http://www.greenleft.org.au/back/2004/589/589p20.htm
http://www.raonline.ch/pages/news1/mnews/mnews01.html
http://rwor.org/a/v21/1040-049/1043/interv.htm
http://www.yomari.com/p-review/2000/...00/courts.html
http://www.ndtv.com/morenews/showmor...Nepal&id=59178

Thanks for all your help! Those sites were really interesting. Apparently the blockade has temporarily stopped as it was affecting mainly the poor people with rising costs of food and supplies. I also read somewhere last night (on bbc I think) that there were thousands of stranded tourists! I couldnt figure out where they were stranded. In or out of Kathmandu. The Maoists spoke of resuming the blockade in a month (which would be exactly when I was planning to go) if their conditions are not met.

Hi Shelly, I was in Nepal last October - based in Kathmandu which is amazing, and I never experienced or sensed any danger from the Maoists - I even went up to the foothills of the Himalayas (Maoist country) and never saw any problems. I found the locals to be some of the friendliest people on earth!

... and some of them are better code warriors than you would think from their website : they pulled off a major coup like a year ago when they managed to hijack the Nepalese gov`ment website for 48 hrs to to mirror their own site (and block the original site)

lightning is your friend still in Kathmandu? Is it still advisable to go there with all the violence after the hostages were killed? Thanks for your help. I am concerned as I ws meant to go in 2 weeks.

(sorry for delay, -been away, even from net..gulp)

She's going back this Wednsday 15th... no great change or news affecting tourists. All agro has been targeted at police or Official offices. mostly small bombs ;-)

She'll phone me when she's back and I'll post update.

risk to you is still low

your call