This guy is not a tourist baba, he's a legit holy man who has chosen a very simple way of living. He never asks for money, rather, he will stand humbly with his can at his side - if you're compelled to offer some rupee..

It’s seems Nepal’s journey forward as a developing nation is stalled. While this observation comes from an itinerant who only passes through the country every few years and doesn’t stay more than a few months at a time, on the face of it nothing’s changed in more than a decade or longer here. And if there ever does seem to be a small inching forward in any way, whatever ground had been gained is quickly eroded away again.

One small example is when all vehicles were prohibited from operating within the lanes of Thamel. The result of this ban on cars, trucks and motorbikes using the small roads that snake through and around the main tourist area was an immediate improvement for people coming to the area, locals and international tourists alike. A nice casual walk around the shopping precinct was pleasurable without the screaming horns of cars, the fumes, the dust, the traffic jams. You could sit casually at a cafe and enjoy a conversation, meal or beer in peace and quiet with only foot traffic and an occasional rickshaw bicycle bell announcing itself. Thamel felt somewhat European, even a little sophisticated, it showed the first inkling of refinement - it was great! But within a few months the police stopped enforcing the ban for no apparent reason and the lanes of Thamel are now a polluted nightmare of noise, dust, traffic jams, frustrated pedestrians..it’s a horrible mess. Why allow something that is so very obviously a vast improvement revert to its former ugly state?


I asked this lady if I could take a photo to which she waved me off, then as I'm walking away she calls me back and demands I take the pic, then waves me off again.

Four or five years ago there was a resolution finally to power supply issues, mainly due to one minister in government who put stop to the corruption of siphoning off energy from the public sector to industry - locals having to sacrifice power eight hours a day to feed those industry heavies greasing politician hands so they could operate their factories flat out non-stop. Electricity was finally running for the Nepalese people throughout the country without any load shedding at all - people were amazed, they never thought the time would never come. But now, with a change of minister, it’s reverting to its original state - the power problems have begun to appear again.

The roads are just as awful as they have ever been, health care is inadequate, the pollution worsening by the year, the corruption rife, and young people and qualified professionals in their droves are leaving the country to move abroad for education and better pay leaving behind a lower socioeconomic class that is disproportionately large to manage the best they can. But perhaps more telling is the apparent inability of the Nepalese government to govern or function in any cohesive way.Nepal seems to be going backward as best this occasional visitor can see.


The business going on in the streets is endless. There's always traders, product, and produce being carted, sold, and bought - I enjoy the hustle of a bazaars.

Almost every country I’ve visited over four decades has to some degree been able to advance economically, socially, in education, health - even politically, and while I may not embrace the changing face of that development, I have to acknowledge the improvement in areas like infrastructure, hospitals, and schools - Nepal, as far as I can see, displays not a single bit of progress in any of these areas. I suspect because Nepal is of little geographic importance, nor has much in the way of natural resources, the country is of little strategic benefit to more prosperous nations perhaps apart from India. And as a consequence Nepal is thrown a few geopolitical tokenistic scraps, but not much more.

I think Nepal’s future is somewhat grim which is depressing as its people are some of the kindest I’ve met.

May your departures be on time to places you long to go.

The last time I was at Katmandu Airport over 40 years ago there was a little misunderstanding and they fucking arrested me…

Loving your work KFH!!

willyhilly wrote: ↑Thu Oct 12, 2023 4:56 pm The last time I was at Katmandu Airport over 40 years ago there was a little misunderstanding and they fucking arrested me…

False bottom suitcase stitching is a fine art they tell me.

Very well written and waiting for more. You put Nepal back on my wishlist.

Kung-fu Hillbilly wrote: ↑Thu Oct 12, 2023 5:46 pm

willyhilly wrote: ↑Thu Oct 12, 2023 4:56 pm The last time I was at Katmandu Airport over 40 years ago there was a little misunderstanding and they fucking arrested me…

False bottom suitcase stitching is a fine art they tell me.

LOL
still have my leather suitcase from HK

On both of these he mentions Calcutta at @ 1:47





I have all of sean morey CDs
Only this one song out of all his CDs is on iTunes
Calcutta is mentioned just a few seconds before 1:47 there
I’m surprised he ain’t famous by now





พิซออนเดอรูฟ ®

While I'm not a good photographer I do enjoy it, but these past two days it's been slim pickings - I haven't found much to shoot. The multitude of small men carrying ridiculously large loads on their heads has lost my interest a bit, and probably yours. Here's a man with a ridiculously large load on his head.

I had breakfast at a western-style cafe today hankering for some ground coffee, eggs on toast and fruit. The small eatery was full with most of the customers arriving at the same time meaning the food took a little while to come out of the kitchen. One westerner became annoyed with the wait time making sure everyone heard his heavy sighs, tsk-ing and “come ons”, which made me consider how difficult it must be for those traveling with so many expectations to almost warrant extra luggage.

Travel is not only a window into the lives and experiences of others throughout the world, but can also be a means by which to glimpse ourselves and perhaps gain a better understanding of our own perspective on life - who knows, perhaps even adjust it a little. Unfortunately some aren't able to see past their western standards and use them as some kind of gauge or measure of others, like the guy at breakfast today. To burden people from a developing country with these demands is an awful western arrogance which I find embarrassing and witness too often. So you had to wait forty minutes for your breakfast which a person being paid three dollars a day is doing their damn best to prepare for you along with meals for five others - you’re an entitled arrogant wanker who should have stayed at home to watch the game, drink your Budweiser, and yell at your depressed wife.


This guy was a very proud hair stylist taking time in front of the mirror himself before letting me take a pic.

I stumbled upon a small alley which I noticed had a rather unpleasant odor to it this morning. It was soon apparent I'd walked into an area used for slaughtering buffalos. The facilities were nothing more than wide expanses of smooth concrete slab with poles and ropes for tethering the beast lined along a run-off channel. People hacked at huge limbs on the floor, blood everywhere, all over the workers. This was the first time I felt my presence wasn’t welcome. People weren’t smiling, their look was hard and fixed, people were suspicious. I asked twice to take a photo with not only a stern “no” being the response, but dodgy looking guys appearing from behind walls and doors. The women who were cleaning or washing around the dwellings in the lane would stop what they were doing and watch me pass with disapproving stares. The place had a bit of a dark vibe to it.


The weather is almost perfect here at the moment with 26 degrees during the day and a rather pleasant 18 at night.

I’ve become smitten with a Nepalese cafe owner who makes my afternoon coffee as she is a positive, calm, patient, kind, attentive woman with a beautiful smile and great boobs. Of course I can only admire her from afar as her husband would otherwise demand I join him on a guided tour of a rather deep ravine - my tour beginning a few hundred meters up the slopes and gaining speed as I arrive at terminal velocity.

I’m on Yeti Airlines 11 am Wednesday to Pokhara, it’s time to move on.

May the weather wherever you are be splendid enough for a bit of para-sky-glide-biking.

Kung-fu Hillbilly wrote: ↑Wed Sep 27, 2023 5:04 pm
Spotlessly clean, with views, in the middle of Kathmandu.

The room I originally booked didn't have windows and was noisy next to stairs and reception. Upgraded, I'm paying $US6 a night for this room, although it's advertised for $US8. The rooms are all recently renovated, spotlessly clean, and right in the heart of it all with literally a two minute walk to bars, live music etc in the heart of the tourist centre. There's a good working fan which is all you need this time of year with it being the end of monsoon and heading into winter.


The bathroom is a little small but perfectly serviceable.

While some people prefer a larger space when traveling, especially if they're not traveling alone, the value here is quite good, I think.



Lunch was across the road at a small hole-in-the-wall place that has two small tables and a view of the busy street below. It's run by a Nepalese woman I first met here four years ago. While it's very simple fare, the portions are good and the price, well..



I had a spicy plate of vegetable noodles, Fanta, and a nice chat which came to $US1.30. One street away in the tourist enclave the same would have cost you more than five times that. Heading out for a beer a little later and that's where Nepal does you no favors as alcohol is pretty expensive. I only have a drink once or twice a week which is just as well.

Nice, good value. Lower than Cambodia and Thailand for the same space. Over here in Japan ive got a mat room without a private bathroom, the bathroom is on the hallway and the shower is on the first floor. One place had a communal shower, shared with all guests, kind of strange. Cost is around $9 to $15 USD, but if you miss these, then a regular hotel room is $30 to $70.

Machapuchare comes into full view when you move away from the lake and is pretty awesome to see every morning when you walk out of your guesthouse.

With it being a few years since I was last in Pokhara I’d forgotten how beautifully majestic and imposing Machapuchare is as it dominates the skyline along with the larger Annapurna Massif when wandering away from the lake.

When I arrived yesterday there was a lot of cloud so no views of the Himalaya during the flight from Kathmandu or from the ground, so I’d forgotten about the mountain’s presence. I walked out of my guesthouse this morning, turned a corner, and WHAM! I stood with my mouth open and just stared at this incredibly beautiful thing. I wish I had more than a one hundred dollar phone camera to take a photo so apologies for the poor image.


Local women create a street-side market with the morning's catch from Phewa Lake, Pokhara.

I’ve had Giardia more times than I care to remember in many countries throughout Asia but never in Nepal - until now. I don’t dare move more than a few meters from the toilet and it was a pretty close call this morning timing the half walk/half run to get some metronidazole before the next rush ensued. Of the many times I've had this thing I don't remember the abdominal discomfort being as acute - it's a bit sharp!

Laid up in my guesthouse room for the day but happy to be back in Pokhara.