Awesome Photo there Graham!
I was also in nepal around the same time as you, and can show a side to kathmandu you will definitely see when you arrive, but you rarely see on photos.
Firstly, did you notice dirt roads everywhere? I cant believe even many of the main arterial roads were just rubble and potholes everywhere!
When you leave the touristy areas like thamel, I found a large number of homeless poeple. I gave each one a chocolate bar. Thinking back, it was probabally a bad idea due to their lack of dental care.
This is the mountain hardwear store. Prices are at US RRP, so you can get stuff cheaper if you buy from the US with their sales on. But its great for last minute gear you forgot to bring with you. On this same street just outside of this store, is actually a ladyboy area after 10pm. Walking along here, at least 10 ladyboys approached me to solicit their services. They get quite aggressive if you dont take up their offers.
You simply can not be in kathmandu and NOT notice the power black outs. Seems to happen on a daily basis and being in the middle of winter showers in the evening were out of the question. Even staying in a comfortable 4 star hotel there was no hot water after 6pm every day. Not the hotels fault, but something people should be prepared for.
As soon as you leave Kathmandu, nepal shows you what its famous for - The mountains are just beautiful. This is Langtang Lirung (7227m), photo taken from Kyanjin Gompa. We failed at our winter ascent so there are no summit photos to post here. But i did really try to have a good crack at it.