I booked a night in a guesthouse online before I left Yangon so I could skip the hassle and have someone waiting for me at the airport:
The queue to get through immigration was sooooo long. Took about an hour. My brain may have been a bit distorted by the time in transit and lack of sleep, however.
That night I decided that after 29h in transit, I could eat whatever the hell I wanted to make myself feel better, so I went to a place called Northfield cafe because the guidebook said they had Mexican food.
It was outdoor with a corrugated iron roof, trees in the middle, a bunch of prayer flags and a couple of fire pits (it's really cold). My burrito was delicious and I was particularly excited to have cheese and a side salad for the first time in ages. While I was eating I met the owner of the cafe, Barga, and Candy who is a 63 year-old American woman (looks about 50) who retired to Nepal to help run the cafe and jewellery business that Barga also runs, and she lives in the hotel next door (that also belongs to Barga).
Barga is Nepalese but lives in California where he buys gems to bring over to Nepal to had manufactured into jewellery which he then exports back to the states and buyers all over the world. And he owns several restaurants and hotels. He's very well connected.
They invited me to come for breakfast the next morning and I did. Oh god how I'd been yearning for some muesli. And of course they wouldn't let me pay. I spent that day walking around the streets of Thamel and window shopping. So many cool things. I needed to buy a pashmina and a beanie so I didn't freeze so Barga took me to his friend's shop and said he'd get me the Nepali price. They told me 3275r which is about $36... Barga was there so I just assumed that was the correct (discounted) price.. So I started pulling out my money and he says "Actually. Since you are a friend. You can have the pashmina for 2000r and the beanie is a gift." Connections.
I went to a Tibetan restaurant for dinner and had chicken momos (just like dumplings). The ones I had in Northern India made with curry mashed potato were way better. Afterwards I went back to Northfield for some Nepalese tea and met Barga's brother who is actually a paraglider. When I was walking home there were still a couple bars open and one of them had a cover band playing Rage Against the Machine - Killing in the Name of, which I found hilarious.
Back for breakfast the next morning and Barga's paragliding brother was there again, and brought his buddy Narayan who set up the first paragliding company in Nepal, Blue Sky, which I'd read about in the guidebook and was planning on going with that company to do paragliding in Pokhara! He gave me his card so I can get a discount (connections). Also, he taught Sano Babu, one of the guys who climbed Everest, paraglided off and then kayaked to the Indian Ocean! I'd seen the documentary about it a couple of years ago and I was so amazed to meet the guy who trained him!
Spent an hour or so teaching the staff how to make espresso coffee at Barga's request. The cappuccinos they were producing looked like a frothy bubble bath. Barga's brother was there translating everything I was saying to the boys and they were all so eager to learn bless them. They actually picked it up really quickly and apparently the coffees have greatly improved now!
I went up to the Monkey Temple (has a Nepali name too but monkey temple is easier to remember). Lots of stairs. Great view overlooking the Kathmandu valley though and it had ALL the prayer flags.
The eyes on the temple are the Nepali idea of what Buddha's eyes look like. If that's the case Buddha seems to be giving the "I'm onto you..." look.
People on the street keep asking me if I want my shoes repaired. Not sure what they're trying to say. 7yrs and going strong! Not really. They're on their last legs, I just need them to last one more trek. Will buy some duct tape. In an effort to try and extend their life, Candy took me to the street where you buy shoes and I bought a sweet pair of Chucks to wear at all times when not hiking. For $20. I think they're actually real too, otherwise they're an immaculate copy!
We also walked to Durbar square and managed to stealth mode past the guards and avoid the 1000r ($10) entrance fee. Some fabulous Newari architecture. Kumari, the living Goddess also lives in a little mansion in the square. I find this Kumari thing so strange. So they somehow select a child and dress her up, and she's their living Goddess. Her feet aren't allowed to touch the ground so she's carried everywhere. Occasionally at a designated time she comes to her window for people to see her, but you're not allowed to take photos of her. Sometimes they carry her around the streets on her chariot and she throws marigolds. This is all well and good until she reaches puberty, then she's a normal human again and they find the next Kumari.
We went to dinner at Barga's other restaurant, Nepali Chulo, which is in an old Rana palace. We ate traditional daal bhat and there were amusing dance performances. At one point they dressed up a person in a peacock costume and the peacock would go around pecking people until you fed it money. Quite hilarious.
Had an early night as the bus Pokhara left early the next morning. I was rushing around to leave thinking I was late (I wasn't) and managed to kill my back. What you don't want to do is lift your 14kg bag quickly and in a jerking, twisting fashion.
In Pokhara now. Merry Christmas! Will do a Pokhara post soon! X
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