Discovering Kathmandu, Nepal

After arriving back in Kathmandu from my visit to Chitwan National Park I had the rest of the week in the capital city of Nepal. Discovering what Kathmandu has to offer the curious traveller is a fascinating experience. I spent much of that week exploring the various areas of the city, mostly on foot. I found that this was the easiest way to get around, for the traffic was often frenetic and somewhat crazy. I also was able to get up close and personal to the people of the city while walking through the meandering streets. This had a slight disadvantage; there are many beggars on the streets despite the practice being frowned upon by the authorities.

Street scene in Kathmandu Nepal

Whenever I wandered too far from the hotel to return on foot, however, there were always five or six taxis ready to take me back to the hotel. For every taxi there were three or four tuk tuks and numerous pedal driven rickshaws. I always took a taxi because they were very cheap, even for a twenty minute drive across the city. The photo above shows the street outside the hotel where I was based. It looks calm and not very crowded in this photo. The truth is – I waited for a lull in the traffic. Usually is is bumper to bumper with horns tooting incessantly. Crossing the street can be quite hazardous, except at intersections. There the pedestrians seem to have right of way. After a few days of walking in Kathmandu, I realised I had almost become as complacent as a local, walking out on to the road and expecting the traffic to let me cross. It still paid to look first.