Temples of Kathmandu
Thamel district of Kathmandu Nepal
As I said in a previous article about my wanderings in Kathmandu, the religious life of Nepal is very much evident in all the temples one can see in the capital city. Some of these temples are very elaborately decorated in various ways making them not only sacred sites for the local people but also interesting photographic subjects for the visitor.
One interesting observation I made during my stay in Kathmandu was the intense trade that occurs around and near each of the temples. The buildings act as magnets for those who visit for religious purposes as well as places of trade for all kinds of vendors, from fruit though to various religious icons. Because these venues attract so many visitors, those trading there seem to do a good trade.
Bustling Life in Kathmandu
Thamel district of Kathmandu Nepal
Wherever one goes in Kathmandu one is confronted by the bustling, surging, flowing presence of other humans. And dogs. It is a busy – somewhat frenetic – city confined to a relatively small area making movement rather frustrating at times. Although it is not a great distance to anywhere in the city, traffic can be chaotic. From the moment you leave the airport the busy hustle of the city is apparent everywhere.
This is also true when you try to walk anywhere. I spend nearly a week wandering the streets and laneways of the city exploring this fascinating place. Pedestrian traffic can be heavy and even demanding in some places, especially areas like the Thamel district. Despite its overcrowding and obvious poverty in many parts, seeing life in the raw, in your face and up close and personal is an amazing way of learning first hand about a people and their culture.
Temples of Kathmandu
Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal
A visitor to Kathmandu cannot possibly miss the many temples located throughout the city. This underlines the importance of religion in the daily lives of most Nepali. The people are largely either Hindu or Buddhist and these co-exist happily, with temples for each often residing side by side.
Officially Nepal is a Hindu country but in practice there is a blend of both Hindu and Buddhist beliefs in the everyday life of the Nepali. There are also smaller groups of Muslims, Christians and Shamanists in the country.
Butcher shops in Kathmandu
Thamel district of Kathmandu Nepal
Unusual sights are what make exotic cities like Kathmandu so interesting. The above photo shows one of the more disturbing sights I witnessed in one of the small back lanes near Thamel in central Kathmandu. Butcher shops are not all that common in the city – well, I didn’t notice many. Of course, Hindu Nepali are vegetarian which could explain their absence. One can still order things like steak in the hotels and restaurants of course, because they are catering for the tourists.
When I ordered meat of any kind, I tried not to think of where it could possibly have originated. I hoped that my steak did not come from an open air butcher shop like the one shown. It is probably not as drastic as it seems; I was not aware of many – if any – flies while wandering around the city. What it would be like in summer I’m not sure.
When I think back to my time there, I remember ordering fish quite a few times. Not sure if this sight had any influence on my choice.
Couriers in Kathmandu
Thamel district of Kathmandu Nepal
I took this photo to show my good friend Keith who has a courier delivery business here in the city where I live. From time to time I do some relief work for him. It means driving a delivery van around the city all day.
Overloaded bicycle
When I saw this bicycle laden with all those boxes I was at first amazed. How could this delivery fellow handle such a huge load? Then I thought of Keith. I’m not sure I should show him this photo; he might want to save his costs on fuel and buy a bicycle for me to deliver boxes around the town. I’m not sure that would be a good move.