Kathmandu: Contrasts and the Cafe Scene!

I am intending to upload photos later!

I've now survived another 2 days in Kathmandu, and am learning to embrace the contrasts -

On the one hand, the temples are amazing, but crowded with tourists, souvenir sellers and guides touting for business (in some areas these men are more persistent than others, and can be highly annoying!)  Being in this environment is exhausting (it's noisy, and becomes mentally challenging to keep smiling with the constant hassling). 

After a few hours, I feel the need to 'escape' and take time out - which is where the other side of the Kathmandu backpacking experience comes in... sitting in garden / rooftop cafes & restaurants, drinking coffee / tea / beer and eating food (there are restaurants representing nearly every cuisine from around the world).  I've spent many hours sitting in these places - escaping the chaos outside: I could totally get used to it!!  And it's so cheap: a coffee is around AU$1, and a plate of dumplings usually around $1.50.  Some of the gardens settings are really beautiful and quite tranquil.

Yesterday, I started the day at one of the aforementioned cafes - Himalayan Java roast their own beans fresh each day, and its clearly a popular hang-out location for tourists. 

I decided to follow the Lonely Plant recommended walking tour from Thamel (neighbourhood my hotel was in) to Durbar Square.  I found myself standing on a street corner with another girl doing the same thing!  Cindy and I agreed to hook-up, and it was great to have the company for the day.  There are temples / shrines every couple of metres along the streets in Kathmandu, and they are all in use, and there usually seem to be a few people paying their respects - religion is obviously integrated into daily life. 

Durbar Square is where the kings were once crowned and lived.  There are a series of amazing buildings (palace and Hindu shrines).  It was really crowded with people, and we encountered the most annoying and persistent tour guides: saying no, ignoring them and even walking away all had a limited degree of effectiveness.  Even saying I'd already had a guide didn't work - I was told that there are some "not so good quality guides" - just as there are some "not so good quality" taxi drivers!!  One of the guides apparently accepted that I wasn't interested in his services in that way - and suggested that a Nepalese man could show me a more fun time than an Australian man - I couldn't help but laugh: I've never been propositioned quite so blatantly!

To escape the chaos, we headed to one of the rooftop bars above the square - providing us with excellent views, some tranquility, and while the food was overpriced a drink and a plate of momos (dumplings) was a very cheap way to enjoy the location.

Venturing out again, just wandering the streets in Kathmandu is overwhelming and fascinating.  We stopped outside a 'herbal store' which the proprietor explained sells herbs and spices for all uses (cooking, making incense, health use).  Each street seemed to 'specialise' in a particular product - saris, bangles, dental clinics...

I finished my afternoon back at Himalayan Java again (I did say I was embracing the cafe scene!). 

Today (Monday 21 Jan) - I got up early to head up the hill to Swayambhunath.  However, despite my purposeful walking, I managed to go in completely the wrong direction... but I did get to see a lot of the early-morning local activities, which was quite fascinating.  Around all the squares, people had laid out fresh produce for sale, and tea sellers set up their burners, and customers would buy a cup of tea and stand around drinking it.  Everywhere there were shops deep frying and selling what looked like donuts - and many of these places seemed to be doing a roaring trade.  After multiple wrong-turns, I did manage to arrive at the base of the steps to the temple.  By this time, I was actually hungry, and spotted a shop making the donut-like things (I really wanted to try them, as they seemed to be everywhere, but I wasn't sure what to ask for and felt a bit shy).  I approached the shop and hovered behind another customer, and after a few moments a man standing nearby asked me if I wanted to try.  I was ushered inside the tiny shop to a small bench table, and presented a plate of 'golmari' and a cup of masala tea.  Ramkumar showed me the different types of deep-fried snacks; golmari are dumpling shaped, and not sweet, malpa are disc-shaped and much sweeter.  It was a really fantastic experience, and while I was obviously a novelty, everyone was really friendly.  And the cost? Rs20 (less than 30 cents).

Eventually, I did make it up the hill to the temple.  It was amazing - the main stupa has 13 golden tiers, and in the morning sunlight it was gleaming.  Again, the main stupa was surrounded by other temples and shrines, and the hillside around was festooned with prayer flags.
This afternoon, I had to check out of my hotel, and move to the Radisson!  It's a large hotel, and feels like any hotel - anywhere.  I don't really understand why people would come to Nepal and stay here, it feels a little closeted away from the real world outside, and the location is not as good (it's a bit further away from all the shops and restaurants of the Thamel area).

I met my trekking buddies this afternoon.  A range of ages, with 4 of us 'young' ones - all of us travelling alone (I am sharing a room with Angela: a doctor from Sydney).  So far everyone seems nice, and a few of them when out for dinner tonight - unfortunately I had an upset stomach, and didn't think I should venture out (although I feel fine now, so hopefully it has passed).