Ok, so a lot has happened in the last few days. Apart from getting fed up with our accommodations, Saturday we went to the Kathmandu Central Zoo. Its not a huge zoo so it doesn’t take long to see – this is a good thing since we were on display about as much as the animals were. Its amazing to see how cultures that are much less litigious than the US handle places like zoos. You can get much closer to the animals than you ever could in the US. You could literally stick your hands into the leopard cages if you so desired. That evening we had a wonderful dinner at a friend’s house which was a nice change of pace from the usual room service fare.
On Sunday we finally changed hotels. We are now in the Hyatt Regency Kathmandu. What an incredible difference! 
For you, my fellow readers, we now have internet connectivity right in the room. I’m writing and sending this blog entry from our room and this means I can leave the computer connected so you will see that the photos page is now updated with a lot more photos, so please enjoy them. Also, its a much faster connection so we can IM, video chat or Skype anyone that would like to speak with us. We did a video chat with Grandma Lorraine and Pop Pop yesterday and it worked really well. A 20 minute Skype call with Grandma Sally and Grandpa Allen cost a mere 42 cents.
For the kids the new hotel is much more exciting than the old hotel. The room is significantly larger and it’s even a duplex so there are two floors to explore. Outside there is much pani (water) that gets everyone excited, even at the restaurant. Unfortunately its just a bit too cold to go swimming here otherwise I think we would never leave the pool. We think that this new hotel will really help us to bond more as a family as we are clearly more comfortable here.
Finally, today was interview day for Shanti at the US Embassy. This went very well we hope to hear that her visa will be ready soon. This will complete everything necessary for her to travel home. We have nothing for the next two days so perhaps we’ll look to do some day trips. We hope everyone is well, Happy Chanukah to everyone that celebrates.