Rush Hour in Kathmandu

Namaste!

“Namaste” is a Nepalese greeting meaning: “The light within me bows to the light within you.”

I fell in love with Nepal almost immediately. It is a beautiful country, full of contrasts, fascinating traditions and unforgettable experiences.

It is sad to see the destruction caused by the April 2015 Nepal earthquake, not only in terms of human lives (around 8,800 people lost their lives and more than 23,000 were injured), but also to UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as Kathmandu Durbar Square.

Here is my introduction to Kathmandu in three parts, starting with my first impressions.

Rush Hour in Kathmandu

“Heaven is a myth, Nepal is real.”

Wow! Just the name Kathmandu (Wikipedia) brings adventure and mystery to mind. Shock and awe are probably the best ways to describe my first impressions.

First, there was the wild ride from the airport to the Fuji Guest House. Then came the Thamel area, with its small, old shops and narrow streets shared by cars, motorbikes, bicycles, vendors, pedestrians and dogs. And finally, the very friendly people, the temples with their beautiful architecture and long history, the fake “sadhus” and the monkeys.

The Traffic

Apparently, there are no rules in Kathmandu. No stop signs and, at least in many places, no traffic lights. And this is a city of more than a million people!

The traffic is crazy: go – stop – honk. Then repeat hundreds of times. Cars weave around people, potholes and motorbikes, while motorbikes squeeze between cars.

A honk means: “I’m coming, let me through!”

Strangely enough, there is no road rage. Everybody seems remarkably calm. Except me, jumping around every time a horn announces an incoming vehicle.

The horns sound as if they come straight from the 1930s! Some of them resemble a duck or a strangled Canadian goose.

“Meandering cows, tenacious bicyclers, belching taxis, rickshaws, fearless pedestrians and the occasional mobile ‘cigarette and sweets’ stand all fought our taxi for a room on the narrow two-lane road turned local byway.’” – Jennifer S. Alderson

Everybody seems to be heading for a collision, but amazingly, I didn’t witness a single accident.

Vehicles drive on the left. The buses have a “copilot” – a guy hanging from the open door, on the opposite side of the driver. His job is to signal when to go or stop and whistle at pedestrians.

Pedestrians have no rights here. Just push your way through the traffic and hope for the best!

Streets and People

In Kathmandu, almost everybody seems to have a business. In the narrow streets of Thamel, a shop can be nothing more than an opening in the front of a house, with just enough room for a vendor to sit and display his products.

The shopfronts open directly onto the street, at street level. There are often no sidewalks, so pedestrians, cars and motorbikes all share the same narrow space. The unwritten rule is simple: honk!

Street vendors sell all kinds of things, including raw meat, sometimes sitting right beside traffic, with exhaust fumes providing an unexpected seasoning.

Nepali people are warm, very friendly, welcoming and trusty. Kathmandu is safe and for sure I will come back to this city and its people.

I was lucky to meet Cheto, a Nepali Indian student who became my guide for two days. We remained friends to this day.

• Read more: Kathmandu Street Photography

The Temples

Some places worth visiting in Kathmandu:

• Kathmandu Durbar Square – Once the coronation site of the city’s kings, this historic square is filled with palaces, temples and courtyards. Several buildings were damaged or collapsed during the April 2015 earthquake.
• “Monkey Temple” (Swayambhunath) – Climb the 365 steps leading to this hilltop temple, accompanied by plenty of curious monkeys.
• Boudha Stupa (Boudhanath) – A beautiful Buddhist monument where you can walk clockwise around the great white dome, spin the prayer wheels and soak up the spiritual atmosphere.
• Pashupatinath Temple – A surreal experience, especially when walking near the cremation ghats along the banks of the sacred Bagmati River, where traditional Hindu cremation ceremonies take place.

Worth visiting is also the ancient city of Bhaktapur a short taxi ride from Kathmandu and another place affected by the earthquake.

Walking through Bhaktapur feels like stepping back in time. Its well-preserved temples, palace courtyards and traditional architecture make it a fascinating place to explore. You may even find yourself in the middle of a colourful local festival.

From Kathmandu, I travelled to Pokhara and started my trek in the Annapurna region. Before heading to India, I also visited Chitwan National Park and Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha.

• Read more: Temples and Stupas in Kathmandu

Things I tried

• Buffalo Meat
• Tongba (hot millet beer)
• Everest Beer

Thinks I didn’t try

• Dance Club with a shower!

What I bought

Tibetan Singing Bowl

Used for meditation and relaxation, singing bowls are beautifully crafted from metal, often decorated with intricate patterns and inscriptions. Mine came with a wooden mallet.

To play it, hold the bowl in your open palm and gently rub the rim with the mallet. The sound is incredible!

Vendors often say that the bowl chooses you through its sound. I believe them. Different bowls produce different tones, traditionally associated with different chakras.

I bought mine at the Monkey Temple.

Map

Related

• Kathmandu Street Photography
• Temples and Stupas in Kathmandu
• Pokhara – The Hippies Hideout
• Six Days Annapurna Trekking Tour
• Elephants and Diwali in Nepal
• Children of Nepal – A Photo Essay