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After the last few weeks of trekking and acclimatizing to the populated world again I welcomed the chance at some down time for my last few days in Kathmandu. By this stage I was fairly well seasoned in the tourist drag of the city and being as recognizable as I was with the beard, the store vendors started to let up on the hard sell in the final days, deciding there wasn't much more to be squeezed out of me. They were right I had bought my souvenirs on my first stint in the city and had done my dash. Actually it's amazing the variation in prices on things in the area for new tourists to those around town for a few days. I had bought one of the traditional Gurkah blades used by the Nepali military and distinguished by a unique hook in the steel just above the handle which I learned was so that blood would drip away from your hand and not make the weapon slippery to hold. Anyway I had got one for around six dollars that was about half the average price in the travel guides so I was happy, it had some rust and water damage but I thought that was great and added to the authenticity so I had done alright but even that deal was smashed when on leaving one of the temples I had another kid salesman chasing me wanting to sell me his for a mere 1 dollar U.S which in hindsight I should have grabbed but as I say all squeezed out.
Though the sellers had let up the beggars and dealers didn't and I was still constantly being offered weed and hash and handing off my half-finished drinks and food to kids pulling at my clothes. To be honest It all seemed like generic and routine fleecing with nothing in the way of thanks and had all taken its toll on me really, so though I loved the trekking and rural parts of the experience I was ready to leave Kathmandu behind me, then on my final day I had an encounter that turned my perception of the experience and was the perfect high to leave the country on.
My bags were packed and I shuffled into my last Nepali taxi of the trip to drive the city one last time on my way to the airport and the flight back to Australia. It was not far into the drive when while stopped at traffic lights I noticed a young girl going about her begging routine with the idle cars at the intersection watching knock back after knockback as she made her way toward my taxi I remembered I had half a packet of the Bujah mix that is so popular over there tucked into my bag. Knowing I wouldn't eat it before the plane ride anyway I quickly pulled it out as the girl approached the car but after all of the begging so far I had not expected the sincere reaction that followed. Seeing the snack, the girl was genuinely surprised stretching out her hand with a smile and happy 'oh' she turned and ran away to her mum who while still sitting on the sidewalk, quickly ate a handful of the snack. It was nice to feel something authentic and as the lights changed and I started to drive off it's the image of the girl spinning around and running to the roads edge with a wave and loud smiling 'thank you' in English that took with me from Kathmandu and remember forever.
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