Well, I got out of Kathmandu but just barely. My private car was arranged for 5:30 am. At 3:30 am, I received a call from the hotel telling me that the Ministry denied all hotels and some embassies their the curfew passes. They informed without the curfew pass there was little chance I would get out.

So, with that on my mind, it was impossible to go back to sleep. I laid in the darkness for the next two hours. at 4:45, I rang the front desk and they told me that a tourist coach was going to come for us at 5:30. (My flight was at 8:15)

I changed, took my bags downstairs and took a seat on a coach. The coach arrived at 5:45 am and a small group of us piled on. On all four sides of the coach hung signs that were written in Nepali and English 'Tourists Only'

As we headed out of the hotel gates, it was clear how serious the curfew ban was. On the 15-minute trip to the airport, there were about half a dozen people out on the street compared to the hundred odd soldiers and police officers that were out.

We arrived at the airport and got through security, paid our exit tariff, and finally entered the check-in queue at 7:15. We delayed by over 2 and a half hours because only two ground staff we were able to make it to work but in the end we made it. I was so relieved to make it to Doha but it was't until the flight back to London where I finally felt proper relief and cried.