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.