Last Days In Kathmandu

June 2

Up at 5:00 for a 5:30 run. Why? Got to get those last experiences in Kathmandu.

Gerry was up and joined Richard from Yorkshire and me on a slow run down to the parade grounds. I wanted to get a video of all the people exercising at the crack of dawn.

We approached the stand of trees where I was bombed by the bird last night. I went out into the street but Gerry proceeded underneath. Bam! He was hit on the thigh. What is it with these birds? Do they know who the tourists are?

Kathmandu was as busy as ever this morning, people going to work, people lining up at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for a passport, vendors setting up their wares. It was hot and the air was acrid with the burning trash, car exhaust and God knows what else.

We reached the parade ground and it was as busy as before with kids playing soccer and cricket, people running and walking around the dirt paths and hundreds sitting on blankets for their morning meditation. We did a few laps, took a few photos and videos, and began the return trip. For some reason, it seemed busier than usual. Also, more trash fires were burning in the streets adding to the third world feel to the experience.





As we approached the infamous bird-poop trees on the way back, we were again wary. Richard, not really savvy to the mercenary birds ploughed straight ahead. Bam! He gets hit on the front of his shirt. What is it with these birds? They’re three-for-three when we’re underneath.



I spent the rest of the morning trying to get myself organized with all of the accumulated junk from three weeks on the trail. Just before noon, we set out to get some lunch, do a little sightseeing and wrangle with the shopkeepers in Thamel for some souvenirs.

We stopped for lunch at a place called the Garden of Dreams. It was at the intersection of two busy streets where you took your life in your hands trying to cross. It was a typical Kathmandu street scene: honking horns, beeping motorcycles and scooters, dogs lying on the sidewalk, beggars here and there. However, when you walk through a gate in a brick wall, you are taken into some wonderfully restored classical gardens. The gardens are on part of a large colonial estate built in the 1920s. A few years ago, the Austrian government donated funds to have the gardens restored.. They were completed in 2007.



The gardens are very well done and maintained, with restored original elements and plantings and a few modern additions. The outside restaurant is quite pleasant and we had a leisurely lunch there. You could barely hear the hustle, bustle and commotion just a few feet away.

After lunch, we checked out a couple of shops in Thamel, the main tourist area, for some Nepali products to take home. The street vendors selling various junk and trinkets -- beaded necklaces, “singing” bowls, little string instruments, ghurka knives, tiger balm -- are moderately aggressive. You just learn to ignore them. The shopkeepers try to entice you into their tiny storefronts. Sometimes they will follow you half way down the block, “I weell give you best deal”. It’s a chaotic, crazy scene but you just take it all in.



If you see something that you would like to buy, you ask the shop keeper for his best price. It there is a price tag, they’ll knock something off. If it’s jewelry, they’ll get out their calculator, do some furious calculations, then show you the results.

That’s when the fun begins. You have to haggle on price. It’s almost required. You say, no, it’s too high and counter with an offer a third to a half below the vendor’s “best price”. You go back and forth until you get a price you like. Sometimes you just have to walk out of the store and down the street to the next shop. Prices for the same thing can vary quite significantly, so it’s a good idea to shop around.

Some of the more famous Nepali tourist items are clothing, particularly woolens, pashmina shawls, jewelry, ghurka knives and swords (some really fierce looking ones), and bronze and copper items. It helps to know what constitutes quality when shopping and be willing to compare from store to store. You can get some good buys on quality products, but there is a lot of junk as well.

There are also hundreds of trekking stores on Thamel where you can buy all sorts of hiking and climbing gear and clothing. You can get name brands (The North Face, Mountain Hardware) and knock-offs of the name brands at highly reduced prices. The selection is enormous. It you need something for your trip, you can find it in Thamel.

We worked our way down the busy narrow streets and alleys, dodging trucks, cars, motorcycles, rickshaws and pesky vendors. We moved away from the more touristy area and into the regular commercial and residential sections of Kathmandu. There were not tourist junk vendors and more shopkeepers providing the goods and services needed by the residents of the neighborhood. It was much grittier than where we had been and much more interesting. We also were the only two Westerners on the street.



We made our way to an historical section of Kathmandu called Durbar Square which had hundreds of old temples and religious buildings. Most of them where hundreds of years old. Although the area and buildings were not very well kept, the ornate details and carvings were very elaborate. Interestingly, automobiles and motorcycles were banned from some of the streets which more the area a little calmer and less hectic.





We spent some time wandering around the old buildings and then made our way back to the hotel, getting lost several times in the process.

The marathon organization held a cocktail party and dinner for race participants and organization officials and guests this evening. The cocktail party was in the garden of the hotel, which is quite nice. However, a huge rainstorm blew up, driving everyone inside to where the dinner was held.



There were several hundred people in attendance and we couldn’t figure out who they all were (free food and drink!). However, the alcohol and food flowed freely and well into the wee hours. It was a very nice event and everyone had a really good time. The hotel staff stayed up and served everyone until the last person packed in in at 2:30 am. There will be some headaches in the morning.





June 3

Last day in Kathmandu. Members of our group are starting to depart for the airport in twos and threes. A couple of us are on the same flight to Doha, which leaves at 8:00 pm this evening.

I got up, had breakfast and said goodbye to several who were leaving for the airport. Gerry was under the weather again (he had a fever and gastrointestinal issues -- again) and was moaning and groaning in bed. It took a couple of hours to pack my bag. I’m surprised I was able to fit everything in.

Gerry made a partial recovery, got himself and his bag together, and we checked out about noon. Everyone had some final shopping to do, so we went off in our own directions. Gerry went down past the “bird trees” and, wouldn’t you know it, got hit again on top of the head. Unbelievable! They birds are four-for-four against the tourists.

We spent the last afternoon wandering the streets, buying a few odds and ends, and just soaking in the craziness of Kathmandu one last time. We met up for lunch and then back out on the streets for some final bargains.






Back at the hotel, we had one final beer (650 ml Everests) by the pool, then got our bags and the organization staff drove the three of us -- Gerry, Marie Louise and me -- to the airport. It’s hard to believe that it’s been three weeks since we arrived to start our trip on May 14.

As we drove to the airport, we experienced the same raw scenes that we did 21 days ago. However, we now had an understanding and appreciation for it and the ability to process and deal with it.

Off to Doha, a long layover, then a really long flight to Dulles. I’ll be home Friday afternoon at 4:00. However, it will be 1:45 am Saturday in Nepal.