Kathmandu , General info:
7/10

kathmandu is a beautiful city, nestled in the hills of nepal...

it has its mess, its chaos but it is amazing nevertheless. the main highlights are the temples and the durbar(palace) squares alongside the famous nepali products, be it clothes or handicrafts or food. most of all, it is home...for everyone!

Kathmandu , Cheap stuff:
8/10

if you're a nepali then nothing is cheap, absolutely nothing but if you're a foreigner, then EVERYTHING is cheap!!! everything ranges from 2 to 10 euros..now ain't that cool!?

Kathmandu , Different stuff:
8/10

collectors' haven....culture, clothes, food, everything!

Kathmandu , Don't miss:
8/10

the mountains, the hills, the plains...

everest region, annapurna circuit, pokhara, lumbini, chitwan and obviously, kathmandu!

Kathmandu , Food:
7/10

daal, bhat, tarkari and other ethnically unique dishes

Kathmandu , Hotels:
8/10

generally about 10 to 15 euros for top class hotels and guest houses

Kathmandu , Safety:
6/10

it is fairly safe..as long as you do not get caught up in one of those strike days.

Stafford, Staffordshire , Cheap stuff:
1/10

The local market survives - just, given the competition it faces (see above). In the markey one may buy artfully camouflaged poor-quality fruit and veg (that's produce), dodgy electrical goods, replacement hoses for old washing machines and, an exciting addition to the local retail experience, Polish foodstuffs.

Stafford, Staffordshire , Different stuff:
5/10

Stafford has in recent years become home to a large number of mostly young people from eastern Europe. They are quiet, polite, hardworking, healthy and attractive, and perform sterling service in local shops and farms. This failure to blend in with the locals has caused some comment. Mostly appreciative.

Stafford, Staffordshire , Don't miss:
6/10

Um. The open-air Shakespeare at the castle at the end of June is fun. Unless it rains. The park alongside the river has been replanted and developed and is rather pretty in the summer. Unless it's flooded.

Stafford, Staffordshire , Food:
2/10

Don't ask. There are no decent restaurants in Stafford. Although the cafe in Marks is OK.

Stafford, Staffordshire , Hotels:
3/10

The Swan, an old coaching inn, on the main street. There are others, but none that I'd consider. There's a more upmarket one in the village of Acton Trussel, a few miles out of town.

Stafford, Staffordshire , Safety:
7/10

If you're in any way vulnerable (ie. aged, young, drunk or drugged, lost), best to avoid walking around the small areas of suburban low-income housing on the outskirts of town. Gangs of amateurishly unpleasant children and youths might well give you a hard time, in between smashing the glass in bus shelters and gobbing on the few remaining public telephones. Also, the town centre after 8pm on a weekend evening is the rightful domain of the drunken British young adult. There are drunken assaults, there is vomit, there are loud and ugly voices. It's not pleasant. Other then that, no probs.