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Reunited with the truck
Taking things very easy in Kathmandu,lazy days are a daily event at the moment.I can only describe Kathmandu as a laid back city where it's impossible to do anything other than feel laid back in life.Nepalis time exists here very much like Irish time which suits me and nothing happens in a hurry.It is easy to get caught up of course in the hustle and bustle of the streets and shops but i'm tending to avoid all that.A fair few travellers passing through here so it's quite nice to meet others from all over this small world and swap tales.
Of course when you tell folk you've done Everest base camp and Kala Patther you get a certain amount of repect.I close my eyes and she (Mt.Everest) is still there,Sunday morning on Kala Patther at dawn waiting for the sun to melt the clouds from around her until she poked her sleepy head out for us.Of course our guide and porter who were just the best,i never got to tell you what fun we had with them and of course one another.Arjon who climbed the whole way in his flip flops that got such a slagging,he did however put a pair of socks on for climbing up Kala Patther,it takes skill what that man can do in a pair of flip flops.Hence Arjon got nicknamed Flip flop.While Govinda had many because of his mannerisms but he's not here to defend himself so i won't slate him too much,i think we settled on Goldfinger.I got called Diddy which is Nepalis for woman,made me giggle every time i heard it cause it reminded me of being home home in Ireland and when younger referring to breasts as diddies while the same word in Scotland means eejit which made Martin giggle.
Reunited with the truck,well everyone off the truck,our truck is in a park on the outskirts of town because Kathmandu is a warren of streets,side streets and low hanging cables which if the beast was to drive here we would take them down as we trucked through the place.Once i found out the truck was in town i got nervous about meeting everyone so went back to the garden of sanctuary in the Tibetan peace house.Dave and Martin were hiding out here too,but folk came looking for us and lots of hugging and squeezy went on.I then realised i had missed these strangers that now felt like family,well i suppose they are while i'm travelling.So headed into town for food and then to meet up with every one else in Sam's bar which is a roof top so nice and cool while the weather is warm and sticky,we over ran the place as always when thirty or so of us roll into town.
I've had time on my hands to check out the sites which i haven't gone crazy trying to do.did visit Druber square which is full of old stuff,very interesting mad busy though.Up the road you've got New road which is full of cheap fake electrical equipment,nothing is real here(reminded me of that line from the Beatles song strawberry fields forever).I thought i might have got my camera repaired but no hope.Not far from there is Freak street with big old buildings in colonal style and was the place where most travellers and hippies used to hang out,now it's full of souviener shops,lots of beggars and street children.I strolled down it and and found a lovely little cafe and enjoyed lunch with Dave,who is always good company when in search of a decent food venue.It wasn't long before Rach and Martin caught up with us,Martin was hoping to get his camera repaired,he too has a same model of camera,although he's is not broke he is having some trouble with it.Treated myself to desert to console myself yet again about my camera situation,i have to say it was the best banana pancake i've tasted and i was hard set to finish it.
Must have been the following day we went to the biggest Stupor in nepal north of the city in an area called Bouddhanath.Visited it in the evening when loads of people and the buddhist monks were saying their prayers and walking around it.It is fairly wide in terms of expansion and takes the best part of ten minutes to stroll around it.The place was crowded with people it was mad being in the middle of it all.
Mad being here in Kathmandu,you should give this place a visit.Maybe if you got a bit of time do some volunteering,it was something i wanted to do here but need to have two to three weeks on my hands for it to be of any benefit to anyone.Meet a couple of Irish girls who are teachers and volunteering their time here.Maybe something to think of doing on the way home!! There is poverty here,it can be easily ignored but i find it difficult not to notice.We meet a local woman who runs a great little traditional Nepalis cafe who has a big heart and a lot of compassion,she has given shelter to a young teenager boy who was living on the streets and taking drugs.He had broken his leg in a traffic accident,she is trying to help him but it is difficult,she is doing something small to make a difference.I was moved by her compassion so went round the following day after meeting and listening to her story and gave her some clothes for the boy,unfortunately i didn't get to see her.She very fittingly has the name of Mama which she is known by all over town.
Until the next time more stories from the east. Ave x x x x
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