Another Travel Blog

There has been hardly ever a place where I stayed so many days during my travels – Kathmandu, in the Thamel area which is the central point of stay for the most people in Nepal. The Nepali are little quieter than the Indians and entering Nepal from India feels like a relief for everyone who is tired of any Riksha drivers or intimidating Indians. The weather is truly pleasant, after having experienced India’s hot summer weather, currently at around 20-29 degrees as Kathmandus elevation is at 1100 meters. Although in Thamel, you will still be prompted from Riksha drivers and company, the athmosphere is a traveller’s paradise. Thamel offers everything – ranging from laundry places to the best bakeries and used bookstores. It’s hard to draw yourself off of Thamel’s comforts to see ‘real’ Nepal. Not very far from Thamel, you will find the Durbar square which is the home of Kumari Devi, a living goddess. The Kumari Devi is a small girl before puberty who is elected according to strict physical requirements. Walking through the streets feels like in a museum where I was able to spot monuments which are most likely more than 500 years old. Anywhere else, such monuments would be treated with extreme cautiousness but in Kathmandu, they are used for laundry being hanged upon or simply from the homeless lingering on them.

The political athmosphere these days is tense, but better than it has been back in 2006 where I met a traveller who had described being in Nepal was like being in a war zone. Although the political stability is still developing, with the first president of Nepal elected at my arrival day – the 21^st of July, a medical doctor who has made his way into politics I could not see any seriours riots or Maoist rebels, which would be more likely to encounter in the countryside anyway. Nevertheless, I witnessed a (political?) demonstration in Thamel’s streets during my stay. Road strikes are not uncommon and there have been strikes throughout my stay in the Kathmandu valley from students who requested the government to lessen the transportation prices 45% off for students, as it was agreed so with the previous government. Thankfully, I have always been able to get around transportation strikes, even so in Bolivia where some strikes went on for a few weeks.

The country is unstable altough hard not to love, being the home of the mother goddess of all mountains – Everest. The Himalayan area is for obvious reasons not easy to reach and a visit to the highest mountain of the wold is definitely a reason to come back as my time right now is too limited for the Himalayan trek. Meanwhile, I finally could draw myself off from Thamel’s comforts and used the day for strolling around Kathmandu valley which offers many attractions from sacred sites, day trekking to mountain (especially Everest) viewing. Nagrakot is the place to stay fo mountain viewing and the best at sunrise (5am) Extremely crowded buses leaving from Bhaktapur, a city close to Kathmandu are leaving for Nagrakot. Being unfortunately here in off season (it has many financial pluses though, getting heavy discount for most services) but it also means that the views are cloudy and there is a very small chance of seeing Everest from Nagrakot. The hotel offered gorgeous views though towards the Himalayas straight from the bed, including a nice balcony to relax on.