Our last day in Nepal... I'm going to miss this place. Like the last time we left, I feel like there's some unfinished business here. There really is a ton to do for such a small country. If time was no option, this is what I would do as a first timer coming to Nepal...
- 12 day Poon Hill and ABC trek
- 2-4 days in Pokhara
- 3 days in Chitwan or one of the other national parks
- 5 day rafting trip down the Kali Ghandaki, or a tamer version if with kids
- 2-4 days in Kathmandu
I'd like to come back and to the Everest Base Camp trek with the kids some day... but as Beth says, there are lots of places on our list. Nepal is a perfect training ground for preparation before going to India. Kathmandu is essentially a smaller, quieter, slightly saner version of Delhi or Mumbai, though it's doing its level best to catch up. I think Nepal needs to focus on its infrastructure if it's going to continue to be a top destination for tourists. The roads in Kathmandu are in really rough shape, and the pollution, though luckily we did not get the full brunt, is getting pretty bad.
On to the day.... We let the kids sleep in, waking up just in time for the end of breakfast. Strolling out the door, we hung a right on Durbar Marg and headed towards the Kathmandu Durbar Square. The walk there, about twenty minutes , runs right through the main local market area, which is fascinating. If only my mother was here, she would have gone to town on all the copper and brass items - both useful and decorative.
The market was really bustling. I absolutely love walking down those cobbled streets packed with people and shops.
I love the way the vendors have integrated ancient buildings with their wares... This guy selling scarves and blankets caught my eye.... And then, of course, it caught Beth and the girl's eyes and everyone kicking into shopping gear.
We eventually emerged onto Durbar Square. It had suffered as much as the squares in Patan and Bhaktapur, but it was good for people watching. I managed to find just one Sadhu. The last time I was here, we were travelling with a guy named Chris Paeir, a celebrity chef we'd met and were travelling with for a couple of weeks. At the time, he was in a much higher budget category than Beth and I, and he loved the Sadhus in Durbar Sqaure. One time he told us "I gave one of those guys ten bucks (a lot of money at the time) and I had him folding like a pretzel for an hour!".
Today, the activity was pretty subdued in Durbar Square. With the lack of tourists, the associated entourage that is usually present there was also missing. The open air market was just sad - about thirty vendors with tables and tables of items for sale were just dying of thirst for customers.
We walked around a bit, then headed North towards Thamel for lunch. I'm always forcing myself to look into all of the alleys and doorways when I walk around cities like these, because you never know what little jewels you're going to find. One glance down a tiny alley led to this cool little stupa in the middle of an Italian style piazza.
Sigh.... I miss my bike.....
We had lunch in Thamel at a place that is closing down next week until the fuel crisis is over. Most restaurants are either closed or have limited menus - even the high end ones.
While Beth was buying more jewelry and scarves (I wish I was exaggerating about the scarves....), I found a little embroidery guy to sew the kids ABC patches on their day bags.
Very nice girls!!!
We got back to the hotel around 2:00pm. The girls really wanted some "chill time" which usually translates to iPad time or nonsensical forays into Inappropriate Land. First, I forced them into the pool. We upgraded our hotel, and dammit, they were going to "take it for advantage" come hell or high water. Once in, there was the usual laughter and banter, so it was a good move.
When they were all done, Beth and I packed up our few (ahem) purchases and clothes we would not need in Europe and Turkey and walked over to Thamel to get the stuff boxed up and shipped home. Fourteen kilos of stuff.... Doh! Just looking at the list of stuff we have sent home makes my head spin.... I may have to build another addition or a second man cave....
....hey, that's not a bad idea.....
Wanting a decent Indian meal on our last night, we went over to the Annapurna Hotel that had a recommended restaurant. The food was great and they had a nice little band sitting down at the front playing relaxing traditional Indian and Nepali music (no, I do not know the difference....nor do I know if it was truly traditional, Indian or Nepali..... I just liked it ok???). Beth and Abby are not fans of the way they serve Indian food here - when a new dish arrives from the kitchen, they basically go around serving some of the dish onto your plate (with your consent). Robin and I like the service. It is a little disconcerting however when they invariably watch you eat for a few minutes after serving you. We had three people watching us try our food at one point tonight.... Oh well, just one more cultural difference on the long list.
We capped off the night with the last two episodes of the first half of Walking Dead season five. Beth attempted to call it quits after one episode, but how could she resist a 3 to 1 vote on continuing to watch episode 8....she is a throughly addicted pushover in that department. Despite the, spoiler alert, sad news about Beth (the Walking Dead character, not our Beth....), it was a nice way to end the day. We are up early tomorrow for our flight to Istanbul..... I cannot wait!
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