| 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! |  |
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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 | 
