Anna, the Cardonas: Sonia, Madeline and Fernando and Kevin
The work week here at Scheer Memorial is Sunday through Friday. Thankfully they allow people to select a "town day" where they can take care of shopping or laundry during the week. Most people assume you are headed into Kathmandu if you tell them you are taking a town day. Last week we spent it walking the streets of Banepa buying toothbrushes. This Thursday we went with Dr. Cardona's family, Dr. Bellosillo, and Anna to brave the pollution and traffic in Kathmandu.
Jessica, Madeline and Anna
The first stop was a great bakery called Hermann Helmers. It reminded me of Schat's Bakery on the way to Mammoth Mountain (though the bread isn't as good). The array of freshly baked goods was almost overwhelming. There isn't a bakery in Banepa and the only bread we had gotten locally were buns at the Canteen. In the end we settled for multi-grain bread, croissants, honey, jam and some cookies.
Maoists marching without an apparent cause
Next stop was the tourist area called Thamel. The first thing we saw was a fair sized banda or strike marching on the main street. It was completely peaceful and nobody seemed to know what they were complaining about. There are bandas/strikes all the time so I think they don't get that much notice. You can tell from the pictures that they are Maoist supporters based on the communist symbols on their flags. The recent political history of Nepal is a nightmare. It is historically a monarchy but transitioned to a federal democratic republic in May 2008 after a decade long Maoist insurgency.
Very crowded shops with classic pushy salesmen
After watching the protestors Fernando and I got to follow the girls around while they looked at clothes and scarves. Thankfully the stores usually had stools so we could sit and watch the bargaining. Props to Anna for being the best haggler. We finally made our way to lunch which was my favorite part of the day.
Wonderful food and crazy fun menus
If you are ever in Kathmandu make sure you include OR2K Restaurant on your itinerary. They serve delicious vegetarian Middle Eastern food at fairly good prices (less than $10 for Jessica and I). From our experience you can't go wrong. We thoroughly enjoyed their Fresh Mint Lemonade, Steaming Vegie Patty and the OR2K Combo Platter. The atmosphere was great, the menu was colorful, fun, and full of choices from pizza to falafel. Their black lights hinted that the party just gets better when the sun goes down.
Jessica's Mint Lemonade and Steaming Vegie Pattie
Satisfied customers
The final stop was Bhat Bhateni Super Market which is the closest thing to a one stop shop that you'll find in Nepal. It was amazing to go into a big store with row after row of merchandise after shopping in closet sized shops or open air fruit stands for a couple weeks. We finally have a fully stocked kitchen to experiment with the local cooking.
Power line madness extends to the capital city
We had a deadline for leaving because there was another scheduled banda/strike that was going to block our route to Banepa. Thankfully there weren't any hassles. One thing you learn is to not watch where you are going when you are in a car. Most streets don't have lines painted on them and if they do they are simply a suggestion. A two lane road can support four lanes of traffic with buses stopping for passengers at any time. The motorcycles slicing through traffic don't help at all. The local joke is that the local driving test only requires that you show you know how to honk your horn. Bonus points if you can flash your headlights. You hear horns honking all the time. It makes sense when a motorcycle is coming up behind a group of pedestrians but I'm always amused when both cars are honking at each other as they are headed for a near head on collision. Driving is not for the faint at heart. The dangers don't stop when you leave the traffic behind. The road to the hospital was blocked by a tree that had been cut down. Adventure around every bend.
My guess is the power lines on the ground were still "hot"
Thoroughly enjoyed the update! Sorry to hear you two are feeling under the weather. Hope you both heal up right quick!
-Allison :)