Mehendi in Nepal

So for my last 24 hours in Nepal (Asia, really) I decided to get mehendi/ henna at a spa near my hotel. 

Then this morning, whilst souvenir shopping, the store clerk looked at my hand/ arm and told me, 'this isn't mehendi season.' 

And I laughed and told him that it was last day in Nepal so I wanted to do something fun. But he was so adamant that 'this isn't mehendi season!' that he called his sisters over to confirm that it is not, apparently, mehendi season anymore.

Sigh.

Everest (yay!)

Once I have access to a computer in Seattle I will post a more in-depth summary of our 12-day Everest trek, but for now I'll just say: Mission Accomplished!

Everest Base Camp, 9/14/2014

Also we tried to do planks at Everest Base Camp but really high altitude= low oxygen= 20 sec planks.

Helicopter ride to Lukla

After day 2 of waiting in the Kathmandu airport for 5 hours only to have our flight to Lukla cancelled due to bad weather, we arranged a helicopter to take us for $300 each. 

Our captain was Capt KC Madan, the same pilot who rescued the injured people on the Everest expedition team in 1996 that was the focus of the book 'Into Thin Air'. Since I'm currently reading that book right now it was extra awesome :)

Also I got to sit in front! With the other headset!

Incredible views the whole way

Nick fell asleep for the second half

We landed an hour south of Lukla at another helipad- it was surreal

The Royal Penguin Boutique Hotel 2

Located in Kathmandu, and way more $$$ that I was intending to spend on our hotel, but when I saw pics / reviews on Agoda I couldn't NOT stay there

Bed (cross between Fast and the Furious and Toy Story)

Bed at night (there's a Nick lying in it)

Weird but wonderful menu

Choose the level of sociability you want with the staff

Menu included 'smashing plates', 'Christmas' (they bring a fresh Christmas tree and everything, any time of year), a 'bowling night' (price includes a bowling partner) and a shopping partner...

View from the room

Artic themed restaurant (which had a breakfast that was out of this world!)

Kathmandu !

Where there is a 12 hr 45 min difference between Seattle and Nepal!

And our hotel, the Royal Penguin 2, has the weirdest room service menu ever

8 best restaurant foods in Vientiane

I did a blog post a while ago about my favorite restaurants in Vientiane -http://katiesasianadventures.blogspot.com/2013/09/top-five-restaurants-in-vientiane.html?m=1 - but when I arrived back in Vientiane last week I made a new list of the specific foods I absolutely HAD to have.

1. Pimenton: steak, manchego custard and the milk chocolate bread pudding. I love 90% of the things on the Pimenton menu (and sometimes when they change the menu they get rid of my favorites). But the manchego custard appetizer and the bread pudding are two of my favorite foods in the world: 

Manchego custard

Milk chocolate bread pudding with whiskey sauce

2. Xang Khoo: crepes.  My favorites are the Savoyarde and the Presale (which is almost more of a salad than anything). The thing I love about this restaurant is that they are great with big groups- I came here for my birthday last year :)

Crepe Savoyarde (ham, potatoes, melted cheese)

3. Ban Gai: UFO at best Tex Mex in Asia. I unfortunately didn't have enough time to go there this week but I did have my 'leaving Laos' dinner here back in June. The UFO (unidentified fried object), which is like a deep fried burrito stuffed with bacon, beans, cheese and topped with guacamole and queso, is SO good but also SO unhealthy so I usually ask to split it with someone.

4. Masa Spoon: dinner dishes, especially the duck breast. Man, I love duck breast. The restaurant itself is really sweet, too. Unfortunately there was a fire here last Thursday so the restaurant was closed all week.

5. Chok Dee: mussels (on the weekend), Flemish stew, goat salad. We were here on a Monday so no mussels but I love that it is around 100,000 kip ($13) for a kilo of mussels!

Goat cheese salad

Flemish stew (served with fries and gingerbread)

6. Le Banneton: brunch or the lunch sandwiches/tartines. Incredible French menu. (Ran out of time)

7. Soul Kitchen: my favorite pizza in Vientiane. Particularly the quirky pizzas, like the Big Apple (apple slices and Gorgonzola cheese) or the Hannibal Lecter (meat lover pizza to the extreme)

I got this on my first night back in Vientiane but didn't take any pictures...

8. Lao Kitchen: laap, and Lao food in general. It's a bit more touristy (esp due to location) so it's pricier but the people speak English and the food is clean. And I love getting their duck laap with morning glory and sticky rice. The mango with sticky rice for dessert is delicious too :)

Duck laap and morning glory

There are other runner ups, both restaurants in general (I visited the Joma coffee shop at least 3 times) and food from street stalls (the chocolate paratha from the Nazim food vendor/ across from Salana Boutique hotel is sooooo good) but I feel like I did good by Vientiane by visiting my favorites.  I even tried a new burger joint called Sputnik which has a $23 burger with foie gras and bacon peanut butter ! (And killer chocolate shakes)

Between all the food and no gym, I probably gained a couple pounds in the process, too, but Nick and I are both about to do a LOT of walking...

Vientiane house bum

In Vientiane hanging out for a week before Nick and I go to Nepal. Nick goes to work every day. I don't- 

Face masks and Orange is the New Black. Alllllll dayyyyyy

God so bored

Patuxai (again)

Lit at dusk