First thing reassess room market price in Paknajol, first night large room cool touches with painted buddhas etc and even a circular fire place (though not required). Price at 1000rup however above extended stay budget. Within one hundred meters of the Yellow there are seven alternatives and this area versus downtown Thamel is identified as the less hard core touristy.
Post wandering around the alternatives a room comes up at the Yellow, with city view, balcony and tv but shared bathroom. Excellent. View from Balcony would/could be at some point in time of the snow capped mountains sitting behind the Kathmandu valley hills in the foreground, but clouds and pollution haze obscure all bar the odd glimpse. From this height and with the haze Kathmandu could be any one of a number of South East Asian cities. The bamboo scaffolding is a bit of a giveaway. Anyway it is great to not have to do a major relocation as relay required takes time.
Post breakfast at the hotel, which is great with good stovetop local coffee, we make our way out onto the streets around central Thamel. Body working as expected the mind's compass working much more fluidly. Streets in the light are still calmer and more ordered than Delhi but plenty going on and the businesses a little more hungry. The odd "Hello friend, hash?" or "Hello friend, trek" or "Hello friend, where you from? Thanka, good price? coming from different quarters. The Tiger Balm guys are almost like a breath of fresh air for something new.
Rickshaws with squeaky duck horns and brightly painted covered convertible rear seating feels a throw back to our time in India. Wandering musicians but take an interest and you back peddle as you are a potential purveyor of musical instruments generally Sarangi a four stringed small wooden violin.
Find Dusk to Dawn a MTB shop in central Thamel near Kilroy's bar and restaurant. Good option for repair possibilities. Will bring the BMC tomorrow. Heaps of spares ranging from new to second hand and cool hanging pot holders made out of old cycling helmets outside.
Work our way across through the constant flow of traffic to Tridevi Marg then along Kanti path to Asan Tole. Recognizable for it's three way pedestrian overpass which I had coincidentally read in the morning newspaper, the Kathmandu times, about police fines for jaywalking and not using. It it interesting as at the main chowks traffic police actively control traffic flow, versus sitting on the side of the road or in a chiyaa shop. This is great as street crossings are made easier at the road junctions as a result, though it still retains some of the pack mentality of when one goes, all go. The side streets however being so tight that one car heading in one direction with pedestrians on both sides fills the space.
Pass some street beggars but surprisingly few. Two though making up for the lack with one possibly leprosy and another third degree burns. Not pretty and ache your heart. I imagine closer to the main temples numbers will increase and conditions decrease.
Past what we believe to be the American consulate(marked on our map as only the "American Club") located behind massive painted concrete walls just across the road from the most recently used old Royal Palace. (Narayan Hiti) Now a museum though closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays and ticket booth only open to 3pm. The consulate with armed local soldiers outside, huge metal full height retractable sliding vehicle entry gates, wall mounted surveillance cameras and wall top mounted metal bars appears more substantial then any army post we have yet been pass. Inside there appears to even be a baseball field, as seen via a momentary glance through the rapidly closing metal gate. It seems a sad reality for both host nation and consulate that such protectionism is deemed necessary.
Into the Garden of dreams 80rup, due as much to our proximity as for any real need to escape. Located behind walls of a size comparable to the diagonally opposite american retreat, but primarily to block passing traffic noise. The Garden was established in the 1920s by the son of the then prime minister. Field marshal Kaiser Shamser using funds won from his father in a Cowrie shell game (yet to witness an example of a game, but apparently his winnings were 100,000rup) established the gardens based upon Edwardian examples he had seen whilst in England. The gardens and some of the attached palace fell into disrepair for quite some time prior to an Austrian assisted rehab project. Cool place just to hang around in as open till ten at night with a smart restaurant and bar attached. Comfortable younger twenty something locals obviously relishing either the romantic surrounds of the gardens or its high walls, to engage in some serious snogging, very little if any of which we have seen in the whole of Nepal.
Night wandering down towards the Durbar Square and downtown Yengal prior to turning and wandering in the dark back to Paknajol. Different crowd at night with different overtones and things to watch out for. Due to load shedding many business pull the roller doors down leaving only the tourist selling diehards with generators and restaurants / bars open.
Post wandering around the alternatives a room comes up at the Yellow, with city view, balcony and tv but shared bathroom. Excellent. View from Balcony would/could be at some point in time of the snow capped mountains sitting behind the Kathmandu valley hills in the foreground, but clouds and pollution haze obscure all bar the odd glimpse. From this height and with the haze Kathmandu could be any one of a number of South East Asian cities. The bamboo scaffolding is a bit of a giveaway. Anyway it is great to not have to do a major relocation as relay required takes time.
Post breakfast at the hotel, which is great with good stovetop local coffee, we make our way out onto the streets around central Thamel. Body working as expected the mind's compass working much more fluidly. Streets in the light are still calmer and more ordered than Delhi but plenty going on and the businesses a little more hungry. The odd "Hello friend, hash?" or "Hello friend, trek" or "Hello friend, where you from? Thanka, good price? coming from different quarters. The Tiger Balm guys are almost like a breath of fresh air for something new.
Rickshaws with squeaky duck horns and brightly painted covered convertible rear seating feels a throw back to our time in India. Wandering musicians but take an interest and you back peddle as you are a potential purveyor of musical instruments generally Sarangi a four stringed small wooden violin.
Find Dusk to Dawn a MTB shop in central Thamel near Kilroy's bar and restaurant. Good option for repair possibilities. Will bring the BMC tomorrow. Heaps of spares ranging from new to second hand and cool hanging pot holders made out of old cycling helmets outside.
Work our way across through the constant flow of traffic to Tridevi Marg then along Kanti path to Asan Tole. Recognizable for it's three way pedestrian overpass which I had coincidentally read in the morning newspaper, the Kathmandu times, about police fines for jaywalking and not using. It it interesting as at the main chowks traffic police actively control traffic flow, versus sitting on the side of the road or in a chiyaa shop. This is great as street crossings are made easier at the road junctions as a result, though it still retains some of the pack mentality of when one goes, all go. The side streets however being so tight that one car heading in one direction with pedestrians on both sides fills the space.
Pass some street beggars but surprisingly few. Two though making up for the lack with one possibly leprosy and another third degree burns. Not pretty and ache your heart. I imagine closer to the main temples numbers will increase and conditions decrease.
Past what we believe to be the American consulate(marked on our map as only the "American Club") located behind massive painted concrete walls just across the road from the most recently used old Royal Palace. (Narayan Hiti) Now a museum though closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays and ticket booth only open to 3pm. The consulate with armed local soldiers outside, huge metal full height retractable sliding vehicle entry gates, wall mounted surveillance cameras and wall top mounted metal bars appears more substantial then any army post we have yet been pass. Inside there appears to even be a baseball field, as seen via a momentary glance through the rapidly closing metal gate. It seems a sad reality for both host nation and consulate that such protectionism is deemed necessary.
Into the Garden of dreams 80rup, due as much to our proximity as for any real need to escape. Located behind walls of a size comparable to the diagonally opposite american retreat, but primarily to block passing traffic noise. The Garden was established in the 1920s by the son of the then prime minister. Field marshal Kaiser Shamser using funds won from his father in a Cowrie shell game (yet to witness an example of a game, but apparently his winnings were 100,000rup) established the gardens based upon Edwardian examples he had seen whilst in England. The gardens and some of the attached palace fell into disrepair for quite some time prior to an Austrian assisted rehab project. Cool place just to hang around in as open till ten at night with a smart restaurant and bar attached. Comfortable younger twenty something locals obviously relishing either the romantic surrounds of the gardens or its high walls, to engage in some serious snogging, very little if any of which we have seen in the whole of Nepal.
Night wandering down towards the Durbar Square and downtown Yengal prior to turning and wandering in the dark back to Paknajol. Different crowd at night with different overtones and things to watch out for. Due to load shedding many business pull the roller doors down leaving only the tourist selling diehards with generators and restaurants / bars open.
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