|
Saturday
21 February 2004
I flew
to the capital city yesterday afternoon and this morning I began
my journey through the tiny, twisting streets of Kathmandu in a
tourist area called Thamel.
Anyone
who visits the capital always ends up here. However, the experience
is not an easy one.
 |
|
One
boy asked me to say any country and he would name the
capital city!
|
 |
|
Everyone
wants your attention. From trekking guides to fruit sellers, kids
with encyclopaedic memories to taxi drivers and rickshaw drivers.
The
noise of the cars and motorbikes blowing their horns every second,
along with barking dogs and noisy shop stereos made for an oppressive
introduction to life on the streets.
It
was easy to like the place though. Even carrying a bag and a camera
I felt safe.
And
because I could speak some Nepali, most people stopped bothering
me once I turned down their advances.
One
boy though will stay in my memory for ever.
He
approached me and asked where I was from (not an original opening
line for Kathmandu). I said England, to which he instantly replied:
"Capital of England, London".
 |
| A
sadhus, or Hindu holy man, in Durbar Square. |
I was
onto something here. He asked me to say any country and he would
name the capital city!
He
was very good too, although after 20-odd countries I got bored.
However he then turned the tables on me.
I failed
miserably of course (could you name the capital of Papua New Guinea?!).
Nothing comes for free here though, he wanted me to buy him milk
to drink.
The
walk to the historic heart of the old city brought more surprises
and more colourful characters. I took quite a while to make my way
around the area, photographing and talking to people as I went.
It was a delight.
 |
| I
entered a tiny courtyard and found myself watching a religious
ceremony with these two kids. |
After
the chaos of the narrow streets, Durbar Square was refreshingly
quiet and relatively exhaust-fume free. Throughout the city the
air quality was very poor with many people opting to wear masks
over their mouths.
Durbar
means palace and the square is full of different shaped temples,
palaces and shrines. It is a designated World Heritage Site as a
result.
Kathmandu
sits on an earthquake fault line and in 1934 was struck. The result
is a hotchpotch of architectural repairs, but the magic conjured
up by the imposing buildings is still strong.
In
Durbar Square, amongst the temples, the people, the motorbikes,
the shrines, the street traders and the security forces, I felt
very long way from my world.
Previous
entry | Next
entry
|
