Nepal 11, Thamel

I am alone now, I hefted my rucksack and headed into Kathmadu proper, away from the insulation of the Royal Singi Hotel and into Thamel (a tourist area)
Blimey! Its completely bonkers here, its dirty, dustly and full of motorbikes. Crossing roads is its own experience, there are never any gaps, you just have to step out slowly and keep going, no one stops, they just go round you and each other. The first time I followed someone, it was hair raising! Everyone is tooting! Its not like I don’t know I’m in the middle of a busy road!!
I’m staying in Thamel which seems to be based on a medieval town (although most is modern), narrow streets, some so narrow they have become tunnel like with balconies being so far over they almost touch. The roads are full of people, cars, motor bikes, trishaws, and dogs. How any traffic moves is beyond me!

Then there are little shops selling clothes, cloth, trekking gear, trinkets, mandalas, religious effigies, tea, religious offerings, meat, definitely dead by the way the chickens legs stuck in the air complete with feet (No Waitrose here!) vegetables, food, and drink. There are temples everywhere, you can quite literally trip over them.

Thamel became the hub of tourism in the 1960’s, artists came here along with the hippies, seeking enlightenment but, mostly Hash which was at that time sold legally and freely. There is even a street called Freak Street just south of here as a result of the hippies outlandish and often outrageous (to the locals) behaviour.

My hotel is two star, basic and clean. For £8 a night its decent. Its set off the main road so its reasonably quiet, if you can call anything quiet here!

I’m off to explore……Pheri Betaūla (see you later).