Shopping in Kathmandu, Pizza and Swoyambhunath

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March 26, 2015

There are only 2 days left before I fly back to Bangkok and I want to make the most of the rest of my stay. I went downstairs to breakfast, in the hotel, and saw the tables were all full. I spotted a table with 2 guys and 2 empty chairs so I asked if I could sit there. One guy was from Russia and one was from Japan. I could not help myself, and asked the guy from Russia how he felt about Putin. At first he looked a little confused like he thought it might be a trick question.

Then he said, "I like him some days and I don't like him on other days."

SAFE ANSWER! I proclaimed my distaste for the American Government and our entire voting system and praised Putin for his efforts in making the voting transparent, answering unprepared questions for 3 hours on TV, and putting cameras in all the voting places that were live streaming, on the internet, so anyone could watch the counting of the votes! I told him that since our media tells us to hate and fear Putin, that my common sense tells me that he is probably a great guy! Our media is all propaganda and lies, written by the CIA and spoon fed to us, to brainwash us into going along with sinister plans that are developed by those in power.

He told me that the government in Ukraine is extremely corrupt and the people there want to be Russian again. Our media shows just the opposite because it is in the best interest of the "Powers that be" if we believe Russia is bad and evil. Russia and Ukraine have been at war and unsettled because... our news says.... Putin is forcing Ukraine to become Russia again. The truth is the Ukrainians like Putin and the whole mess is a coo. I was pretty sure this was the case anyway, but felt some reward, having been validated. It is astonishing to me how every country I have been to, when I investigate, they complain of corruption. More so here in Asia, Thailand with the police and Nepal with the government.

After breakfast I decided to go shopping for hippy clothes. I had purchased a large suitcase in order to fill it up with Nepals colorful and handmade clothes! They sell for a lot of money in the US but here they are cheap! Dresses $6, jackets $12, pants $7, purses $5. I walked down the different streets looking in each shop trying to find the shop that has something different than all the others. A twist in style, a new look on an old idea, etc... I finally found it and went in to pick out clothes.

The man that was running the store told me he was the owner and was very pleasant to me. I got a lot of things and when I picked out a pair of pants that I thought was a skirt I told him how that particular style would be a great skirt. He asked me to wait for a minute and went upstairs. I continued to shop until he finally came down with the skirt I had just described to him! Upstairs is the factory where they make the clothes and he took it to a seamstress and had her alter it! I took pictures of his shop and told him I would write about it on my travel blog. He packed up the items in a cloth bag with the name of the shop printed on the cloth. It is called Um/Co Garment Industry and the website is www.umicoindustry.com. I took my bags back to the hotel and tried on the items. Only one thing didn't fit so I headed back to exchange it. When I arrived another man rushed down the stairs to meet me and said he was the owner! I had to laugh! When I spent $120 on clothes the sales guy must have told this guy and he was all over getting another sale! He offered me Hot tea and sent a small boy to run and buy it. I asked if I could exchange the pants and he said, "Of course! But before you pick something else have you shopped all of our floors? There are 7 of them, did you know this"?

I knew the other guy ran upstairs but had no idea there were that many stories! He gave me a private tour and it was very interesting! The stairs were steep and had no railing and at the top of each set were stacks of clothes folded and/or packaged in see through materials, or attacks of cut fabric. Each floor matched what the pile on the stairs contained. The floors consisted of, the cutting floor where they cut all the patterns, 2 sewing floors with 8 seamstresses working, then storage for back stock and shipments. It was wonderful and the best part is if you want a certain look you can describe what you want and they will make it and not charge you for making it, just charge what the item would cost! I paid $6 for the skirt they made me!

I asked him about wholesale orders and his prices were even cheaper but you had to buy 20 of an items style and when you add shipping to that amount of clothes it can get expensive. If I had a store I would definitely do it! It would make a $5 only $6 with the shipping fee but I would have a store full of clothes to deal with. I loved talking to him and even took a video of him talking about the shop and factory on the top floor of his building. I liked the first salesman because he left me alone to shop. This guy wanted to pick things out for me and I hate that!

So I thanked him for the tour and told him, " I can only shop without distractions. If we talk, I can't think!"

I actually had a discussion with the first salesman about that! After I paid him, I thanked him for not hanging over my shoulder and allowing me to shop with just brief check-ins.

He said he always treats customers that way because," they will buy or they won't buy and bugging them won't change the results."

I think it does though because when they are on you as soon as you walk in, I leave.

I ended up picking out another $130 worth of clothes and then I made another trip back to the hotel to get rid of the bags. Funny, the items the first time around were cheaper than the second guy was. They all see Americans as being rich and if you aren't careful they will triple prices on you. Bottom line is, I liked the shop and both the guys and loved the clothes. I paid probably more than a Nepalese person would have to pay because I am American, but because I am American I think the prices are cheap! I think Sos would have gotten out the door for half of what I paid but it was alright.

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I am in a taxi right now with a driver that does not speak English. He is singing, loudly, along with the radio and there is a downpour of rain outside . We are returning from a trip to to Swoyambhunath, which is a Buddhist Temple. When I arrived there, I realized this is where all the famous Nepal Prayer Flag pictures come from. I walked around the outside of the Temple which is a plaza type area with no cars. It was very strange because I was getting looks from the other people walking around, that made me feel like I did not belong there. I have been in other Temples and even to the woman's celebration in one of the temples and never got noticed like I am here. It feels like everyone passing me is staring at me and the looks are one of confusion! Like why are you here. I looked around for other tourists but didn't see anyone that looked like they were tourists. I passed a huge burning pot and people hanging around it doing some kind of ritual, then walked into an area with 100's maybe 1000's of burning candles. It was awesome. Then I went into the Temple which really was only stairs to the top of it. Up the stairs was another big area like the plaza, that you could walk all the way around the circumference. There was a section with an opening where I could see below on the lower level of the inside of the Temple. I am not sure how to go in there but from above I saw people praying and doing other rituals in what seemed like privacy, until they looked up and saw me! Ladies were going down to the ground and doing a motion, almost like a push up, then they would stand and put their hands together in prayer then go down again and do another pushup, etc...It was almost like exercising and stopping to pray between each movement. They had cardboard pieces for their hands, that laid on opposite sides of a mat, to keep slivers from going in their hands. There is a video below.

Next on the agenda was a Hindu Temple. When we arrived I saw a sign at the door that said Hindus Only. There were a lot of goats wondering around in there and some tied up. I walked by an open door and inside heard chanting. I saw men dressed in hooded robes with their faces painted in white paint and hideous features, exaggerating their eyes, mouth etc...It looked Satanic to me. I tried to video but got shut down by one of the guys in there. It was starting to rain and also getting late, so I ran back to the cab.

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I jumped out of the taxi when I saw a big sign that said Fire and Ice Pizza It is a rather large place with lots of windows and inside there is a full house of people. I decided that many customers must mean it is good, so I went in and got a table. I looked around at the pizza on the tables next to mine and they looked good I read the menu and had to laugh! The special is Mozorrella, tomato sauce, fried potatoes, and oregano. WHAT?

I ordered the Americano which is pepperoni and cheese! I am tired of eating mystery food and just want something I can recognize! I can't believe what the people in these countries will eat! Meat that sits out side unpackages with flies all around and no refrigeration! Maybe we have been brainwashed into thinking it has to be treated a certain way to be edible but I am so turned off by what I saw at the street markets that I don't think I want to ever eat meat again!

I had my pizza and it was very good. I was careful to make sure to order according to what I had in my purse because I was low on money. I had it figured to the penny and when I went to pay, I had a box with 1/2 of the pizza in it to go. They handed me the bill and for the firs t time since I have been in Asia there was tax added to it! Not just a little but $5. I told them that was a bunch of crap and nobody charges tax. They kept insisting they weren't trying to cheat me. I finally told them, this is all I have so it is all you get, and then said here is the rest of the pizza, take that out of the tax and walked out! Was not sure how they were going to handle it but they didn't come after me.

I started walking towards Thamel and passed a jewelry store with really pretty jewelry in the window. The guy stepped out and tried to get me to go in. I asked the price on one of the necklaces and he said $500. I am so sick of everybody trying to take my money! I walked out and the price was at $50 when I went around the corner and disappeared.

I kept walking thinking I would catch a cab soon but before long I was off the main road and in these streets that seemed to get smaller and darker by the minute. It was also getting dark and I started getting nervous. I had a hoodie on so I put the hood over my blonde hair to try and hide it. It was really not going to work though because I was wearing a colorful jacket that screams tourist from Thamel shops! It made me feel a little safer though. This is the first time in the 3 weeks I have been traveling that I felt unsafe at all. I needed money to pay a cab and gave all my money to the pizza place. I kept walking and soon there were no cars on the road at all only people walking and there seemed to be a lot of them now going somewhere. I followed the crowd to see what was going on and walked into a square plaza that had a framed building that was burning ...on fire. There were people all dancing around it and police everywhere! All kinds of police and military, various uniforms. Seems every time I see authority here it is always 4 or 5 different uniforms! There was a man by a huge prayer wheel and people with candles. Not sure what was happening I walked quickly through the plaza to the other side and disappeared down another street.

I saw a small building that said ATM on it so I went in. I got money out but then I was afraid to walk outside. The place is like a phone booth with windows and since it is lit inside people can see in but I can't see out! Not sure if anyone is out there watching or not. I put my hotel key in-between my fingers and my hand in my pocket and went out. I saw nobody and started to walk and then heard footsteps be hid me. Then I heard a bicycle pull up behind me and he was riding so slow he didn't pass me walking. I went around a corner and saw a taxi sitting there! I ran over and jumped inside. I never remember being that scared traveling and I still don't know for sure if I was in danger or just freaking out with my imagination but at least I was safe now. That is a total illusion isn't it? I feel safe now that I am sitting in a strangers car with a man I don't know that barely speaks my language! What is safe about that! ? Crazy. I gave him the business card for the hotel and he drove me there.

When I arrived Sos was there and wanted to go to dinner. We picked a restaurant and went in. Half of the place was outside sitting and the rain had flooded it really bad! We chose tables that were up out of the water and loped at a menu. I am ever so mystified by the nonsensicalness of the Nepal people and here is a perfect example why. I saw it said pizza and said that sounds good but I just had pizza and so I was going to pick something else. Sos said she would take me to a great pizza place tomorrow one that only sells pizza and specializes in it so it has to be good! I said ok and 5 minutes later when the waiter came I ordered salad and she ordered pizza! I reminded her of what she said and she replied oh yeah, I will just have moo-moos then! What? That is the specialty at her restaurant! Why would she go somewhere else and order that!? Makes no sense.

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