Kathmandu, Man ...
Location: Kathmandu, Nepal
Local Time: Friday, Jan 13, 2006 - 5:??pm
Hi all. Apologies to my regular readers for the lack of posting. I went from lots of free Internet to 100Rs ($2 CND) / hour in Pokhara. It was a little hard to take, so I didn't pay, knowing I could get it for 15Rs ($0.50 CND) / hour in Kathmandu.
My time in Pokhara was as Pokhara is, relaxing, nothing to do but eat, drink orange juice and read. I was spending more each day on books than on accomodation. Though not more than I spent on orange juice.
I also had lemon juice, unsweetened. Really good stuff, highly recommended.
I should have been here yesterday, but I was sick yesterday night. Probably too much orange juice.
Anyway, I made it to Kathmandu. The trip only took 9 hours to get the 250km. I tell you, it was quite exhilerhating to hit one of the downhill straight stretches and feel the bus struggle up to a mightly 70km / hour.
Of course, I am in the middle of the Himalayas, and straight stretches are not normal. There was at least 2, I think.
Back in Kathmandu I was quickly accosted by 3 or 4 taxi drivers, trying to get me to pay them to take me the 10 minute walk to Thamel. They are very tricky too. They often start off with, where are you from, to draw you into to idle conversation. From there is is all down hill.
This is a very quiet time for tourism, especially in Pokhara. The shopkeepers are a little more desperate for your business, they sit out on the streets calling to you as you go by. The lights of the stores are off, only turned on if someone goes in to browse.
I went back to the Buddhist center in Pokhara to visit Ven. Yeshi, the American Buddhist monk who teachs there. He is taking a break in January but will be resuming classes in Feburary, for any of you who might be wandering through the area.
He was telling me that 2000 was a really big year for tourism, and many of the people along Lakeside, the touristy area, borrowed money from the bank for expansions. When the tourism fell off after that, the bank didn't want to foreclose, so they continue to carry the loans, even if people can't quite make the payments.
Local Time: Friday, Jan 13, 2006 - 5:??pm
Hi all. Apologies to my regular readers for the lack of posting. I went from lots of free Internet to 100Rs ($2 CND) / hour in Pokhara. It was a little hard to take, so I didn't pay, knowing I could get it for 15Rs ($0.50 CND) / hour in Kathmandu.
My time in Pokhara was as Pokhara is, relaxing, nothing to do but eat, drink orange juice and read. I was spending more each day on books than on accomodation. Though not more than I spent on orange juice.
I also had lemon juice, unsweetened. Really good stuff, highly recommended.
I should have been here yesterday, but I was sick yesterday night. Probably too much orange juice.
Anyway, I made it to Kathmandu. The trip only took 9 hours to get the 250km. I tell you, it was quite exhilerhating to hit one of the downhill straight stretches and feel the bus struggle up to a mightly 70km / hour.
Of course, I am in the middle of the Himalayas, and straight stretches are not normal. There was at least 2, I think.
Back in Kathmandu I was quickly accosted by 3 or 4 taxi drivers, trying to get me to pay them to take me the 10 minute walk to Thamel. They are very tricky too. They often start off with, where are you from, to draw you into to idle conversation. From there is is all down hill.
This is a very quiet time for tourism, especially in Pokhara. The shopkeepers are a little more desperate for your business, they sit out on the streets calling to you as you go by. The lights of the stores are off, only turned on if someone goes in to browse.
I went back to the Buddhist center in Pokhara to visit Ven. Yeshi, the American Buddhist monk who teachs there. He is taking a break in January but will be resuming classes in Feburary, for any of you who might be wandering through the area.
He was telling me that 2000 was a really big year for tourism, and many of the people along Lakeside, the touristy area, borrowed money from the bank for expansions. When the tourism fell off after that, the bank didn't want to foreclose, so they continue to carry the loans, even if people can't quite make the payments.
posted by Jaye | 5:28 PM
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