Something I forgot to mention previously. The day before I left for my trek there was a Hindu festival, I have no idea of its name. It seemed to involve children holding a silver tray on which was placed red rice and pictures of deities singing in shop doorways and demanding money, there were also children pulling ropes across roads and asking for a toll.
As I was leaving one shop a group of kids started singing at the door tray in hand. As I walked past a young girl of no more than ten turns to me and says in an abrubt voice "You! Give me money!" She did this with so much gusto I very nearly did.
There are not as many people directly begging on the streets as I thought there might be. I had only one previous encounter when a small boy with a bag of rubbish slung over his shoulder grabbed my elbow and kept asking for money for food. It is not good practice to give directly to beggars and I plan on donating some money to charities that help street kids before I leave. I ended loosing the boy in the crowd, I felt awful.
Thursday, 10 March 2011
Up Up and Away!
After meeting with my guide Genjin outside my hotel we catch a taxi to the bus station. It turns out that this is merely a road where buses stop and tickets are brought. After a short wait and seeing the sun come up over the horizon our bus arrives. It is small rickety and has several people on the roof and even more jammed inside, I just about fit into my seat. Our route takes us through the mountains. Winding narrow roads, steep drops and a Nepelese driver who looks about 17 do not fill me with confidence. It is not long after I have been assured by Geljin that the driver knows these roads like the back of his hand that we smash head first into a minibus. We have no choice but to wait for the police to arrive, this takes about an hour and a half and the road is completely blocked the entire time and there are lots of people milling about inspecting the damage. The scenery is beautiful, there are worse places to get stuck.
Once the police arrive it is a matter of seconds for them to make a decision and everyone jumps back into there vehicles and continues on with their slow and bumpy journey. All along the mountain sides giant steps have been dug out, these platforms are used for building on, growing crops and building pools for fish farms. By the looks of the houses the fish farms seem to be the more lucrative than crops. Nearly every house along the way is the same, large stone walling and a corrugated iron roof weighed down with large rocks.
W stop for lunch at Dhunche and I have the first of many Dhal Bhats. This is a Nepelese dish of rice, black dhal and vegetable curry, it is very good indeed. The same cannot be said of the rest of the journey, it takes hours and the bus seems to somehow just get more and more full at every stop, at one point the person I am sitting next to has a baby thrust at her, a crazy way to travel. We finally reach our hotel in Syabrubensi just after 18:00. I order some momo's and curry for dinner, after eating I let it settle before heading to bed, I have an early start and a lot of walking ahead of me tomorrow.
Once the police arrive it is a matter of seconds for them to make a decision and everyone jumps back into there vehicles and continues on with their slow and bumpy journey. All along the mountain sides giant steps have been dug out, these platforms are used for building on, growing crops and building pools for fish farms. By the looks of the houses the fish farms seem to be the more lucrative than crops. Nearly every house along the way is the same, large stone walling and a corrugated iron roof weighed down with large rocks.
W stop for lunch at Dhunche and I have the first of many Dhal Bhats. This is a Nepelese dish of rice, black dhal and vegetable curry, it is very good indeed. The same cannot be said of the rest of the journey, it takes hours and the bus seems to somehow just get more and more full at every stop, at one point the person I am sitting next to has a baby thrust at her, a crazy way to travel. We finally reach our hotel in Syabrubensi just after 18:00. I order some momo's and curry for dinner, after eating I let it settle before heading to bed, I have an early start and a lot of walking ahead of me tomorrow.
Sunny, Honey, Money.
During my briefing I was given a small shopping list of items I would need for my trek to the Himalaya's. Walking shoes, a water bottle, iodine tablets and iodine neutralizing tablets, sun hat, sun block and some snacks. I hit the streets in search of bargains. I needed to take a chunk of money out as there are no ATM's in the mountains and besides I needed cash to the aforementioned items. The first hole in the wall (More accurately over here small cupboard) I went to gave me no money and a message popped up on the screen 'Please contact your branch'. #*!!!. I headed to the nearest internet cafe to obtain the the correct phone number for my bank. Once obtained I hunted down a shop were I could make cheap international calls. After going the necessary automated phone responses I c\got to speak to a human who told me that no block had been put on my card and I should try using a different ATM. I did this and everything was fine, what a faff!
Once I had haggled my way to some bargains (I think they were bargains, certainly cheaper than the original price, but I'm still not sure how much I should be paying and how much I am being told things cost.) I headed back to my room to pack, sort out storage and settle the bill for my first few days. It turns out my room is cheaper than expected which is nice.
I met Lee-Ann for dinner at a fancy Italian place called Dolce Vita. Fancy layout, great food and disinterested staff, it was almost like being back home. My bus leaves tomorrow at 6:30. An eight hour trip to Syabrubensi awaits.
Tuesday, 1 March 2011
Motorcycle Madness
So this morning my guide met me at the hotel as we were going to get the permit I need to go trekking. It is a few km he says, so we go on bike. On I hop, mask on no helmet. At first it was quite surreal like a computer game almost but I settled into it and it was clear he knew what he was doing so I felt perfectly safe.
We drove past a massive military display and I am glad we did as it gave me less of a jolt when massive explosions started to echo around the streets. People were out in their thousands to watch; lining the pavements and fences to see their army at work. We stopped briefly and saw some choppers flying around and smoke grenades being chucked. The first port of call was closed so we had to go to another office more bike riding. I was enjoying it though.
I am off to my briefing now. I am not sure if I will post again before my trek so there wont be any new posts until March 10th. That said if I have time I will try to upload some photo's later today.
We drove past a massive military display and I am glad we did as it gave me less of a jolt when massive explosions started to echo around the streets. People were out in their thousands to watch; lining the pavements and fences to see their army at work. We stopped briefly and saw some choppers flying around and smoke grenades being chucked. The first port of call was closed so we had to go to another office more bike riding. I was enjoying it though.
I am off to my briefing now. I am not sure if I will post again before my trek so there wont be any new posts until March 10th. That said if I have time I will try to upload some photo's later today.
Things I Am Trying To Get Used To
1. Spitting - Everyone does it. Men, women, children even monkeys. It is not so much the act of gobbing more the noises people make beforehand. It's gross!
2. The Roads - There are no rules here and the traffic very rarely stops. This would be less of a problem if there were pavements but there are very few. I am getting fairly used to this now though and I am finding the Aikido principles of 'performing with confidence' and 'knowing your partners mind' are extremely handy when out and about on the roads.
3. Pollution - It is pretty bad also there is dust everywhere and I am developing a cough. Because of this I have started wearing a mask if I am going to be out for a whole day. I look pretty bad ass in it. A lot of folk wear them so I don't feel very self conscious when I have it on.
4. Dogs - Strays are everywhere. They all look fairly well fed and none of them have bothered me. You mostly see them lying on the street during the day and hear them barking in the evening. The first time I saw one I thought it was dead until its foot twitched and its eyes blinked. Everyone in Kathmandu lets sleeping dogs lie.
5. Meat - Raw on a table out on a hot and dusty street. It absolutely reeks and its organs as well as joints. I think I may well go veg for this trip.
2. The Roads - There are no rules here and the traffic very rarely stops. This would be less of a problem if there were pavements but there are very few. I am getting fairly used to this now though and I am finding the Aikido principles of 'performing with confidence' and 'knowing your partners mind' are extremely handy when out and about on the roads.
3. Pollution - It is pretty bad also there is dust everywhere and I am developing a cough. Because of this I have started wearing a mask if I am going to be out for a whole day. I look pretty bad ass in it. A lot of folk wear them so I don't feel very self conscious when I have it on.
4. Dogs - Strays are everywhere. They all look fairly well fed and none of them have bothered me. You mostly see them lying on the street during the day and hear them barking in the evening. The first time I saw one I thought it was dead until its foot twitched and its eyes blinked. Everyone in Kathmandu lets sleeping dogs lie.
5. Meat - Raw on a table out on a hot and dusty street. It absolutely reeks and its organs as well as joints. I think I may well go veg for this trip.
Some Proper Sight Seeing
01/03
This morning I had a meeting and it looks like I wont be able to start volunteering as soon as I expected due to the main member of teaching staff going on holiday. This means I have several days to kill in Nepal. Not too hard a decision, trekking it is!
Before I went to B to get this all booked I decided I would go and check out Swayambhu Nath Stupa. Otherwise known as 'The Monkey Temple'. On the way there I saw a boy passed out on the street covered in dust, these are the sort of sights you will see in this city even if you don't want to.
The temple is up a lot of steps, seriously A LOT OF STEPS. Rocky Balboa would have got about halfway before stopping for a breather and having a man coming up to him asking where he is from and giving him a brief history lesson before trying to sell him a singing bowl or intricately carved Mandala.
There are monkeys everywhere! This is of course brilliant. There are also lots and lots of prayer flags hanging from tree's and rooftops flapping in the breeze. The main reason for climbing all this way however is the panoramic views. They are amazing, the whole of Kathmandu sprawling across the valley all the way up to the mountains.
I was also very fortunate in that I got to see some Buddhist Monks chanting in a prayer room. To enter you had to take your shoes off. This room is covered top to bottom in colourfully decorated cloths and paintings with hangings from the ceiling as well as on the walls. Down the middle of the room a row of monks chant mantra's whilst banging drums above their heads on sticks with long curved drum sticks. Visitors sit or stand to the left being careful not to block the windows. To the right of the entrance two monks were sat with long horns and down the right hand side of the room there was another row of monks chanting. I stayed there quietly watching and listening to these monks pray for a good ten minutes at which point the chanting ended. It was quite the experience.
That all happened at the front of the temple but this place is huge and stretches a long way back. There are many small shrines, temples and stupas along the way as well as stalls selling everything from water to prayer flags. I spent a good few hours taking a look around before making my descent.
I have sorted out my trekking I will be spending 7 days trekking in Lang tang. An eight hour drive awaits me the day after tomorrow and I will be going with the same Sherpa who picked me up from the airport. Due to not thinking I would have time to trek I didn't pack any decent footwear so I had to go and buy some new shoes. After traipsing around the bazaars I realised that the chances of finding any shoes big enough was slim and decided to head to The North Face shop. I was worried that this was a very costly option but I managed to get a pair half price, and cheaper than the poorer quality shoes I saw in the bazaar. Tomorrow I will sort out all the paper work for the trip and get briefed. I'm pretty excited about seeing some of Nepal's beautiful countryside.
This morning I had a meeting and it looks like I wont be able to start volunteering as soon as I expected due to the main member of teaching staff going on holiday. This means I have several days to kill in Nepal. Not too hard a decision, trekking it is!
Before I went to B to get this all booked I decided I would go and check out Swayambhu Nath Stupa. Otherwise known as 'The Monkey Temple'. On the way there I saw a boy passed out on the street covered in dust, these are the sort of sights you will see in this city even if you don't want to.
The temple is up a lot of steps, seriously A LOT OF STEPS. Rocky Balboa would have got about halfway before stopping for a breather and having a man coming up to him asking where he is from and giving him a brief history lesson before trying to sell him a singing bowl or intricately carved Mandala.
There are monkeys everywhere! This is of course brilliant. There are also lots and lots of prayer flags hanging from tree's and rooftops flapping in the breeze. The main reason for climbing all this way however is the panoramic views. They are amazing, the whole of Kathmandu sprawling across the valley all the way up to the mountains.
I was also very fortunate in that I got to see some Buddhist Monks chanting in a prayer room. To enter you had to take your shoes off. This room is covered top to bottom in colourfully decorated cloths and paintings with hangings from the ceiling as well as on the walls. Down the middle of the room a row of monks chant mantra's whilst banging drums above their heads on sticks with long curved drum sticks. Visitors sit or stand to the left being careful not to block the windows. To the right of the entrance two monks were sat with long horns and down the right hand side of the room there was another row of monks chanting. I stayed there quietly watching and listening to these monks pray for a good ten minutes at which point the chanting ended. It was quite the experience.
That all happened at the front of the temple but this place is huge and stretches a long way back. There are many small shrines, temples and stupas along the way as well as stalls selling everything from water to prayer flags. I spent a good few hours taking a look around before making my descent.
I have sorted out my trekking I will be spending 7 days trekking in Lang tang. An eight hour drive awaits me the day after tomorrow and I will be going with the same Sherpa who picked me up from the airport. Due to not thinking I would have time to trek I didn't pack any decent footwear so I had to go and buy some new shoes. After traipsing around the bazaars I realised that the chances of finding any shoes big enough was slim and decided to head to The North Face shop. I was worried that this was a very costly option but I managed to get a pair half price, and cheaper than the poorer quality shoes I saw in the bazaar. Tomorrow I will sort out all the paper work for the trip and get briefed. I'm pretty excited about seeing some of Nepal's beautiful countryside.
Settling in with the madness
27/02
Had a nap this afternoon as I was far too tired to deal with all the street hawkers despite there politness. Today was total sensory overload and a good forty winks was the best way to deal with it.
I met up with my fellow volunteer for something to eat at Hotel Uts which does some lovely momo's. She is from South Africa and has been travelling around India for the past month or so. She showed me around Thamel after dinner and told me where I could get a sim card for a mobile. I will probably pick one up tomorrow. I am a little bit outside of Thamel the main tourist area and it was good to see where everything is. It made me feel a little more at home, that said this town will take some getting used to.
Earlier I had met with B who is looking after me while I am over here. He was very helpful and was extremely pleased to get a hello from Frances, Tom and Tim. I'm glad he is here to help me out.
28/02
I had breakfast in the cafe next to my hotel. I had balck tea and honey on toast. The toast was really thick, at first I thought they had given me four slices rather than just the two.
Today I went to get my mobile. B had given me a hand drawn mapo for directions which was good as I found my way to New Road with out too much difficulty. I managed to get a decent cheap phone and decided to head back towards my hotel so I could find my way to the place where I needed to get my sim. This is when I got horribly lost for most of the day. I say horribly but it was good to walk around the streets and get used to the bustle. I ended up in Durbar Square for a couple of hours. Thios is where all of Kathmandu's biggest temples can be found. A man called Rajan ushered me into one of the temples as shortly Kumari would be appearing at the temple window. Kumari is believed to be the incarnation of the Godess Taleju, she is six years old and it looked like she had just woken up.
Rajan is an independent guide and he showed me around the square for (after a bit of haggling) a small fee. Once the tour was done I climbed the steep steps of Maju Dega and had a rest whilst taking in the view, I then decided to try and get back to Thamel and grab something to eat. This time I really did get completely lost.
Whilst demonstrating my complete lack for any kind of sense of direction I found myself in a quiet square with a Stupa in the middle, whilst looking at some Buddhist art work known as Thangka one of the artist called Ajay came and talked to me about the work and bought me a cup of tea. He was very informative and the paintings were beautiful, he was very keen for me to buy or at least reserve one. I told him it was too early on in my trip to start buying such things and that I may well be back. That is if I can work out where it is again, it was so quiet and a good place to get away from it all.
The main problem with navigating ones way around Kathmandu is that the streets are very crowded, they are narrow with no pavements and they have bikes and cars weaving in and out of them. Most streets look very similar and the stores are all selling either groceries, hiking gear, clothes or general tourist souvenir's. You also get roads that fork off in similar directions so it is easy to make a wrong turn. If you stop for more than a second to get your bearings you will get hassled by rickshaw drivers or other locals trying to trade a little information in exchange for money or food. It is all done very politely but can become exhausting especially if you have been lost for a few hours. I finally made it back despite darkness falling (there is no street lighting in Kathmandu) I dropped off my bag at the hotel and got a little money for dinner. I ended up in a pizza place called Fire & Ice. It was very tasty but a bit pricey for Nepal. I will have to find somewhere more reasonable to eat regularly if I am going to make my money last.
Had a nap this afternoon as I was far too tired to deal with all the street hawkers despite there politness. Today was total sensory overload and a good forty winks was the best way to deal with it.
I met up with my fellow volunteer for something to eat at Hotel Uts which does some lovely momo's. She is from South Africa and has been travelling around India for the past month or so. She showed me around Thamel after dinner and told me where I could get a sim card for a mobile. I will probably pick one up tomorrow. I am a little bit outside of Thamel the main tourist area and it was good to see where everything is. It made me feel a little more at home, that said this town will take some getting used to.
Earlier I had met with B who is looking after me while I am over here. He was very helpful and was extremely pleased to get a hello from Frances, Tom and Tim. I'm glad he is here to help me out.
28/02
I had breakfast in the cafe next to my hotel. I had balck tea and honey on toast. The toast was really thick, at first I thought they had given me four slices rather than just the two.
Today I went to get my mobile. B had given me a hand drawn mapo for directions which was good as I found my way to New Road with out too much difficulty. I managed to get a decent cheap phone and decided to head back towards my hotel so I could find my way to the place where I needed to get my sim. This is when I got horribly lost for most of the day. I say horribly but it was good to walk around the streets and get used to the bustle. I ended up in Durbar Square for a couple of hours. Thios is where all of Kathmandu's biggest temples can be found. A man called Rajan ushered me into one of the temples as shortly Kumari would be appearing at the temple window. Kumari is believed to be the incarnation of the Godess Taleju, she is six years old and it looked like she had just woken up.
Rajan is an independent guide and he showed me around the square for (after a bit of haggling) a small fee. Once the tour was done I climbed the steep steps of Maju Dega and had a rest whilst taking in the view, I then decided to try and get back to Thamel and grab something to eat. This time I really did get completely lost.
Whilst demonstrating my complete lack for any kind of sense of direction I found myself in a quiet square with a Stupa in the middle, whilst looking at some Buddhist art work known as Thangka one of the artist called Ajay came and talked to me about the work and bought me a cup of tea. He was very informative and the paintings were beautiful, he was very keen for me to buy or at least reserve one. I told him it was too early on in my trip to start buying such things and that I may well be back. That is if I can work out where it is again, it was so quiet and a good place to get away from it all.
The main problem with navigating ones way around Kathmandu is that the streets are very crowded, they are narrow with no pavements and they have bikes and cars weaving in and out of them. Most streets look very similar and the stores are all selling either groceries, hiking gear, clothes or general tourist souvenir's. You also get roads that fork off in similar directions so it is easy to make a wrong turn. If you stop for more than a second to get your bearings you will get hassled by rickshaw drivers or other locals trying to trade a little information in exchange for money or food. It is all done very politely but can become exhausting especially if you have been lost for a few hours. I finally made it back despite darkness falling (there is no street lighting in Kathmandu) I dropped off my bag at the hotel and got a little money for dinner. I ended up in a pizza place called Fire & Ice. It was very tasty but a bit pricey for Nepal. I will have to find somewhere more reasonable to eat regularly if I am going to make my money last.
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