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Published: April 7th 2010
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A Sadhu (holy man) in Durbar Square
Although I doubted the devotion of these guys - they seemed to just be making a killing posing for photos with tourists. J: Over breakfast in Pokahara one morning, Mel & I were discussing our plans for the final part of our trip, and we decided that it was time to move on. We packed our bags, and the next morning we hopped on a bus to Kathmandu, Nepal's bustling capital.
M: By this point we'd already experienced 5 long-distance bus rides in Nepal... which was more than enough to know that this time it was well worth the splurge of $15(US) each (3/4 of our daily budget) to take a 'high-end' tourist bus. Under the best of conditions with the roads being is such horrible shape it takes a long time to get to places as you spend a bunch of time dodging potholes, missing chunks of road and trying to pass cars on narrow roadways. If you add to that frequent stops, it suddenly takes, say, 2 hours to go 45km (as was the case heading out trekking) --even if most of that trip is 'freeway' driving. Finally add seats that aren't so padded any more, over-crowding (to the point someone's nearly sitting in your lap) and a good chance that your luggage will go missing from the roof of
the bus, and suddenly the choice for an all-day long bus ride is clear. And it was heavenly. Lunch included :-)
J: According to our trusty Lonely Planet guidebook, the 'backpacker ghetto' of Thamel was the place to be, so we got our bearings where the bus dropped us off, and walked in that general direction. After being in the serene mountains and then a quiet smaller town, the noisy polluted streets of Kathmandu was a bit of an assault on our senses. I quickly fell back into my habit of wearing earplugs as we walked the streets, as drivers of all kinds of vehicles use their horns compulsively. As in many larger Indian cities, I found myself fantasizing about how sweet and satisfying it would be to have one of those hand-held airhorns, so I could blast it in the faces of those irritating guys on motorbikes fitted with special car-style horns, *right* behind me.
Nerve-jarring horns and extreme vehicle pollution aside, we made our way into Thamel - an area of narrow streets lined with restaurants, bars, and trekking outfitters, hotels, and tourist shops. With the help of a very friendly and insistent fellow (aka a
Tongba
Mel enjoys a traditional Nepali brew made with fermented millet and hot water. tout), we found our way to 'Deutsch Home' - a hotel which turned out to be excellent. It was right in the heart of the action, and our host there gave us a great deal (350 rupees {CDN$5}/night) on a spacious room with such luxuries as a sofa and coffee table, and a TV.
We got settled and then began to get oriented in the city. We soon found our way to 'Tashi Delek', a Tibetan restaurant with cheap, delicious food, and 'Tongba' - described as a 'traditional Nepali beer', this beverage consists of an aluminum cup of fermented millet, over which hot water is poured. The steeped liquid is then drunk through a metal straw (traditionally they were bamboo) which has been crimped at the end so you don't suck up the millet.
During our first visit to this restaurant, Mel was more adventurous than I was when it came to this drink (beer should be consumed cold - not hot, and certainly not with a straw!). Despite Mel's urgings, I declined to taste it that evening. The next time we went I was feeling more open-minded (and brave), and we shared a tongba - as Mel
had described, it tasted a lot like Japanese sake to me (which is not really my thing). Mel really enjoyed it - however, I decided to stick with 'Nepal Ice' my beer ('real' beer) of choice while we were in Nepal.
After a couple of days and evenings of wandering through the chaotic streets of the city, we were ready to explore the surrounding area. We caught a city bus to an area of Kathmandu called Bodhnath. It is the holiest buddhist site in Kathmandu, and home to a massive stupa (large, round monument of worship) and many Tibetans. We spent a couple of days there, taking in the sights and absorbing the culture before heading back to Thamel.
M: Our plan to rent a motorbike and head up into the hills was thwarted when we realized how busy the streets still were this far out of Katmandu. Over the past 10 years the population of Kathmandu has doubled and with it, urban sprawl has enveloped this previously separate community. And so, much to my chagrin, Jeff and I headed by into the craziness of the capital not long after we'd escaped it. I knew the only way
to survive it's craziness (up until this point we'd avoided urban cities like the plague... but we had a flight to catch in a few days so couldn't leave) was to keep myself busy... and off the roads as much as possible. So bless Jeff and his phenomenal ability to plan! He was a saint... coming up with all kinds of things we could do... including many serene escapes to places like parks and cafes with quiet court yards (am I lucky or what?). We spent the better part of a day walking to Swayambunath (the streets got so much quieter as soon as we left Thamel) and back.
J: Perhaps the most impressive attraction in Kathmandu is Durbar Square. It is a network of temples and a castle in the center of an ancient part of the city. Walking into this beautiful area, it was easy to imagine what life would have been like in the city 500 years ago. It was a very interesting place to stroll around and snap pictures. The steps of many of the beautiful buildings provided excellent people watching vantage points, as modern-day Nepali life bustled around us in this ancient setting.
Another aspect of Kathmandu that I really enjoyed was the music scene. Very talented cover bands belted out LOUD and faithful renditions of classic hits - right across from each other on balconies on either sides of the narrow street outside our hotel. These bands were much more annoying than they were enjoyable, but I did manage to find a decent trance club, and then one night, much to my surprise, an excellent jazz/funk band. I was so impressed with the show they played in the little upstairs bar down the street from our hotel that I dragged Mel out to catch them again at another jazz bar a couple of nights later.
Aside from these hightlights, we spent a lot of time just wandering through the streets of Thamel, picking up souvenirs and sampling the fare at some of the many restaurants and cafes in the area. I also visited a barber here, and had my 3-month travel beard shaved off. It was quite an experience, as it was the first straight razor shave I've ever had!
Kathmandu is a large, chaotic city and it was a little overwhelming for Mel. I agreed with her that it
would have been nice to spend the last week of our journey on a sunny beach in southern India, but I was glad to have had the time in the city too. It is crazy and loud, but it is certainly not without its charm and redeeming qualities.
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