Kathmandu - The Last Day

We arrived in Nepal 5 weeks ago, late at night, and finally it's almost time to leave, again late at night, in just a few hours.

The time remaining until our flight leaves will be the worst.  I don't especially like waiting and there is not much to do.  I've had one slow walk down some now-familiar streets, taking in the market scenes and smells, the crowds of people picking up their produce for the day, the merchants laying out their goods on blankets on the side of the lane.  Jackets, sandals, plastic flip-flops in a rainbow of colors, potatoes, root crops, pants, flashlights, blankets, flowers, belts, oil cookers with cooking dough balls, incense sticks, prayer flags....  There seems to be nothing you can't get here.

Women and some men making their offerings at various shrines.  Some in prayer, some arranging flowers, some laying out small amounts of rice, a piece of banana, some flower petals.  The ritual motions of the generations.  As you walk along the street you sometimes almost step on a small bowl with some rice and flowers on the stones just outside a doorway.  More gifts to the deities.

Some people look at you curiously, most ignore you.  On some of these streets I'm the only Caucasian in sight.  I try to be discrete as I take pictures.  I almost feel like I'm intruding but I want to remember these scenes.

The tourist streets seem quiet today.  I don't know if this is because of the upcoming election or not.  I've read reports that reservations are down because visitors are concerned about potential trouble in the days leading up to the vote.  And there has been some.  Not that we'd notice here.  I can imagine reservations ate down though.  We canceled one hike and are heading home early because of the strike calls.  Nothing like driving away business for your country just to make a political statement.

We made one last visit to Durbar Square.  The whole scene there is very interesting, between the various merchants, the taxi and rickshaw drivers and all the people.  For awhile I just sat on the steps of one of the temples but a particularly persistent wanna-be guide just would not shut up and go away.  Rather than be rude, I said I had to leave and I left.

I wandered through some more streets and eventually found a quiet courtyard behind the nearby bakery where I enjoyed a snack.  We kill more time with a beer in the sun at our hotel.  I write.  Time passes.  Soon we can go for supper and then it will be time to leave after getting some treats from the bakery to help pass the time during our layover in Guangzhou.

It's been interesting Nepal.  I hope your corrupt politicians and dysfunctional political system get sorted.  I hope your 122 political parties can find a way to work together for the good of the country.  It's been a place I wanted to experience and now I have.