Victor Harbor, South Australia
Yesterday I wrote about our recent caravan trip to Victor Harbor. This trip is becoming an annual pilgrimage to this lovely seaside town. My wife usually attends a special convention one weekend in March every year.
From the earliest days of settlement in South Australia Victor Harbor has been the summer holiday destination of choice of so many South Australians – and a significant number of interstate and overseas visitors too. In more recent times it has become a favoured retirement destination. One local radio announcer calls the town “God’s waiting room.”
Granite Island, Victor Harbor
Victor Harbor has a milder climate than many other parts of the state, especially the capital city Adelaide. It can frequently be 4-8 degrees Celsius cooler than the city in summer, and less harsh in winter; frosts are almost unknown. On the downside, it can be much wetter than other places.
Causeway from Victor Harbor to Granite Island
With such good weather, a long pleasant beachfront and many sealed walking trails that double up as bicycle tracks, many people are very active when they visit Victor Harbor. The most popular walking trail leads out over a causeway to Granite Island just off the coast. On the Saturday of our recent visit I went for a walk out to the island with friends Trevor and Keith. I’ll write about that tomorrow.
Walking in Kathmandu
When I visited Kathmandu in January 2006 I spent many days just wandering the streets of this amazingly complex yet beautiful city. Taking the time to just literally ‘follow your nose’ leads one to some very interesting discoveries. And always with the camera at the ready.
Central Kathmandu is quite compact and one can see many intersting things in a short space of time and distance. A major feature of the older part of the city near Thamel is the huge range and variety of temples. They come in all shapes and sizes with differing decorations and embellishments.
The one shown in the photo below was a small one on a street corner. In contrast with some others, not many people seemed to be visiting this one.
Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal
Cycle rickshaws in Kathmandu
Cycle rickshaws in Kathmandu
During my stay in Kathmandu I usually walked to and from my destinations for the day. When the distance was too far I used taxis which are very cheap when compared to Australian prices. There are many other choices for getting around the city. One of these ways, especially in the narrower streets of the older parts of the city, is by using a cycle rickshaw like those shown in the photos above and below.
Although I never used one of these forms of transport, rickshaws are an excellent and cheap way of getting around the twisting narrow streets. They can go places where the taxi drivers cannot go and seemed ideal for short trips. They also have a side benefit; they do not add to the pollution in the Kathmandu Valley and that has to be a big plus in their favour.
Cycle rickshaws in Kathmandu
Hazards of Walking in Kathmandu
Thamel district of Kathmandu Nepal
The narrow streets and laneways of the Thamel district of Kathmandu can be quite hazardous to negotiate on foot. Not only do you have a great deal of pedestrian traffic to deal with but you also have many other hazards. The lanes and footpaths are narrow. The walking surface is often poorly maintained so you have to watch out for holes, uneven paths and a range of other hazards, including animal excrement. I managed to step in what I think were some dog droppings one evening; it took me ages to get my shoe clean and not smelling again.
Then you have the obstacles such as people with their tiny street stalls to avoid on the footpaths. These vendors often have a small table or such to display their wares; others just spread a few baskets of fruit or vegetables on the path and sit there. All the time you have to watch out for bicycles, taxis, motor bikes and rickshaws trying to make their way through the narrow streets.
In one narrow laneway I needed to give way to what I assumed was the local council road repair gang; a truck load of workers and their tools trundling down a lane with less than a half metre to spare on either side. I actually had to retreat partially inside someone’s front doorway in order to allow the truck to pass.
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.