Kathmandu

Well it certainly makes me feel like not many people live in Sydney! Today I did several forays into Thamal, which is the tourist heart of Nepal and where my hotel is. It got gradually busier and busier until you literally could hardly move on the narrow streets. 

Its two tiny cars wide and jam packed with cars, motor bikes, bicycle powered rickshaws, locals and us tourists ( mainly European).  And it’s just so bloody noisy! Cars honking, motor bikes tooting, people shouting, argh!!!!

I sat on a step in early morning just as the shops were opening. Once the beggar boys came and went (no I wasn’t going to pay for a photo of them!) a shop keeper came and chatted for ages, checking his Australian history...Captain Cook, Botany Bay, then ship loads of criminals? Ha he was spot on and very proud of himself!) 

Education is obviously very important here, my Boy Named Sue from the hotel was doing a Bachelor of Business while working 6 am to 10 pm as the hotel receptionist.) Seems like some things are universal as all the talk is of shonky providers.

The main street nearby is called Tridevi Marg ( Tri for three devi for goddess and Marg for street). That because the temple for these three goddesses is there. Quite a coincidence, when I’m trekking with the three sisters company, and am one of three sisters myself. Gai and Val we will have to decide which Goddesses we each are!

Everywhere are shops selling trekking gear, all fakes of the big brands, bags, souvenirs etc. The minute you stop or slow down you are approached by tiger balm or trek sellers. I did manage to just stop and sit in several cafes and just watch the melee go by. However by afternoon jet lag and too much input was overwhelming. I wanted to go further afield but was afraid I would get lost as there are no street signs and it all looks similar!

So I retired to the Garden of Dreams, just a block from my hotel, and it was like stepping into another world! It had been let run into disrepair and now had been redone by a man that also has repaired a magnificent old building into a hotel with heaps of Nepalese art in it. 

Thank god for people like that.  It my mind I also thought of the quote from the movie the Castle, “your dreamin!” because that must have been how it was when he started.

Food is really good, lots of nice places, and so cheap. Coffee 104 Rupees, that’s under a dollar, lunch was 400R and dinner 800R. So glad I have my kindle (thanks Tom and Kate) and that American Gods has got me hooked in already.

It’s a 5 hour ( behind Aus) time difference so I’ll try for an early night and big sleep, then fly on Buddha Air to Pokhora , about 45 min north west of Kathmandu, at the base of the Himalaya’s. Getting excited to start walking (oh and of course getting really nervous too!!)