thamel sleeps a little lighter today
Gradually businesses are opening in Thamel on day 2 of the strike. I’d say almost 20 percent of the storefronts were open by this afternoon. It was a pretty slow day here for me though as I woke up with a sore throat, expectorating a color of mucus that should not be discussed in polite company. Then again, all mucus attributes are probably off limits. I slept in majorly and almost took the day off but my conscience got the better of me and this afternoon I decided to explore the maze of streets south of Thamel (there’s absolutely nothing picture worthy *in* Thamel). Just a few blocks out of the tourist ghetto, Kathmandu feels very exotic and largely grey with the intense exceptions of mostly red & gold: women’s sari’s, the pigments offered each morning at the shrines, the fabric that curtains the roof of temples, and the fruits & vegetables for sale .
After reading the latest Reuters report on the bandh I realized that anything I wrote about taxis with covered plates and Thamel’s deserted streets would be redundant. If you’re interested in the vibe in the Kathmandu right you can read about it here.
All the highlights of my last 24 hours involve food: a few bakeries have opened (phew! though the pumpernickle is still shuttered), the chocolate/coffee/banana shake place is open and the shakes taste as great as I remember them from 2001, I actually found someplace that appears to have a baked goods made with actual chocolate, no small feat here where most chocolate items taste like saw-dust. As a rule, it’s better to stick with croissant and donuts - the non-chocolate varieties, that is. I know i’ve got you all just drooling for my next post so I’ll see if I can manage to DO something tomorrow.
Sue Borchardt in Kathmandu on February 6, 2006 at 6:35 p.m. where the weather is exactly like it was yesterday
