India August 1981 - Kathmandu

Wednesday 26th August continued: Road to Kathmandu

The road was blocked. Lorry drivers and bus passengers wandered around aimlessly in the damp drizzle. An hour later it still seemed as though we would be stuck for hours. We were strangely resigned to it. The lorry drivers were busy working by the lorry. Lots of shouting and calling and then amazingly one of the ditched lorries drove off. Somehow the crowd of drivers had managed to jack it up and move it away. A group of men the started to rebuild the road, filling in the ditch with rocks and rubble. In almost no more time at all, and to everyones great relief, the traffic jam slowly cleared and we moved off, recommencing our decent into the Kathmandu valley. We were now nearly 2½ hours late.

The road became worse and worse. We were bumped around so much our teeth banged together and we thought our bones were rattling! We were frequently thrown into the air only to crash down again heavily on the seats or our neighbours. It seemed that the bus too was leaving the road and crashing down with a thud. Downhill travel was very uncomfortable, but after descending about 1000 feet we began to climb again. We seemed to be going nowhere, then at about 4pm when were were all travel weary we saw a sign: "Kathmandu 26km". Nearly there, not long now! But the road deteriorated still further and was now barely more than a sand track. We were all feeling sick. Was it travel sickness or hunger? We hadn't eaten since 6:30 that morning.

At 5:00pm we arrived in Kathmandu. A journey of less than 200 km had taken over 10 hours - but what an experience. In total three days to travel from Delhi to Kathmandu. We decided that having done it once we didn't need to do it again and, next week when our stay was over, for the sake of time and comfort, we would leave by plane.

Before we could properly leave the bus we were surrounded by boys and young men touting for hotel business. We eventually chose one (maybe at random, maybe because he has annoyed us less than the others) and we were given a free taxi ride to the Ruby Guest House, across the river from the central district of the city.

The Ruby Guest house appeared drab and uninspiring. We really wanted to look at others before making our choice, and eventually we did so, but the hotel tout was very upset. At one point we even considered camping - there was a sign to a campsite just further out than the Ruby - but the idea of insecurity put us off. Would we dare to leave the tent? We settled on the Ruby Guest House (or did it aspire to Hotel?). Our room (between three) cost 20 Nepalese rupees plus Rs2/- tax. Rs22/- was about £1. That couldn't be bad, and the proprietor and his tout were friendly enough.

After making ourselves at home we went to look for a decent restaurant. We wandered through some of the main streets of Kathmandu and admired the style and the architecture, which had once been grand but was now, away from Durbar Square which was being smartened up by a new coat of paint (see ladders in picture below), decayed and somewhat shabby. Nevertheless we saw road cleaners and rubbish bins, something I hadn't seen in Agra (but then was it fair to compare? This after all was the capital city and home of the King).

Durbar Square, Kathmandu

We ate buffalo steak and chips followed by rice pudding in a blackout the Mona Lisa restaurant. After no food all day I ate far too much. The blackouts were something we would become accustomed to. (I later realised that the Indian reliance on old fashioned ice boxes with ice supplied from factories with their own generators was a more effective way of keeping things cold that the Nepalese reliance on refrigerators which seldom worked for lack of power.)

The power was intermittent all evening and I wrote much of my dairy squinting in the dark. Sadly the mosquitoes are not intermittent but a constant irritation. We are covered in bites.

Thursday 27th August: Kathmandu

Woke early at about 5:30. The mosquitoes hadn't attacked - thank goodness! Went for walk before breakfast. First morning in Nepal. Returned to hotel and ordered toast for breakfast. It took ages. I think they went out to buy the bread. At about 9:00 we set out to explore the town. Jane bought some chocolate - Cadbury's - but it hadn't survived the heat and goodness knows how old it was. It was not very nice.

A young lad tried to sell coins to Ben. Ben made the mistake of being interested but none of us had money with which to purchase any. We just about had enough for a map from the local tourist office. Undeterred the coin seller followed us to the bank where we changed $70, far more than usual. Next to the Nepalese airline office to buy tickets from Kathmandu to Patna for our return to India. They checked our passports and visas and said we could leave on Tuesday 1st September although we thought our visas expired on 31st. The tickets were $27 each and I paid for all three. Outside the airline office the coin seller was waiting - Ben relented and bought some. Next stop the pharmacist for something to treat our bites. Jane was still in a bad way. The assistant was interested in Ben's recently acquired coins.

Still frustrated with my slow film I went in search of faster film. Jane and I still needed photos for our visas, but due to a power failure none of the photographers could do it. We bought eggs, bread, butter a pineapple and some petrol (for the stove) and returned to hotel for lunch and session of post card writing. Jane needed her sandals mending. She took them to a cobbler we had seen squatting under his umbrella at the edge of the road.

The cobbler worked with just a few hand tools and a small last but seemed to be doing a brisk trade. We left the sandals with him and continued into town. Traffic and pedestrians vied for the road space. At one point a group of young boys was filling in pot holes with tarmac. They were working out in the road, exposed to the quite fast traffic with no protection. Life here looked hard and cheap. We found the post office. Rs1/75 to send international postcard.

Soaking up the sites, sounds and smells. Taking photographs. I was interested in the people and their ordinary daily activities , but most did not like to be snapped. To me the place was the people set against the backdrop of the grand but crumbling buildings. There seemed to be so much history and so many stories behind each wall. I wondered at the strength of the men, the human donkeys, carrying their loads around the town, strap around forehead, back bent, spindle legs of solid muscle flexing beneath the weight, bare feet apparently unfeeling of the shards and debris in the road.

The bare footed kids in the vegetable market, the flee ridden dogs, the cows wandering the streets, the tradesmen, the road menders, the mothers picking nits from their children's hair. All life appeared to be on display .

The photographer's shop was open and the power was on. Finally we got our visa photos. The photographer was learning English and eager to practice. He showed us his text book. It was very advanced.