The ups and downs of Kathmandu
On the second day I came up with a plan. All the previous day we were accosted by holy men wanting to put marigold petals in our hair and put the red dot on our forehead. I thought if we just paid one and got it over with we would then be left alone. So first thing, first holy man, we got our dots. Of course a second instantly showed up and we had to pay each of them.
Off we went to interview the first guide and trekking company. We were greeted with leis of marigolds, which were heavy and hot and we wondered how long we had to wear them. After much discussion and negotiation we said we had to go check out the second company and would give our decision in the morning.
Into Thamel, the touristy district, to find the other trekking company. A small boy in gold robes showed up with a basket wanting to know if I wanted a photo. Next thing he is opening the basket and Miles says, "It's a snake!"
I was not happy. The snake was a cobra and did the snake charmer thing about two feet from me. I thought I would run screaming back to Canada, but we were brave and said no.
The boy and the snake then kept following us. I stopped to browse at a shop to lose them. We did, but only briefly. We went down a non-tourist street and they then dumped us. I was so frazzled I had to go sit down and eat.
We found the Rumdoodle, a famous climbers barn, and ordered. I then called the second company for them to come and get us. With no street names or numbers the waiter finally conveyed to the sherpa how to find us. We were escorted to the company and then entered into the time-share presentation of hiring a guide.
After about an hour of trying to sell us a package another hour was spent trying to negotiate the independent services. We said we would call the following morning and say which company would get the job. At this point the price fell again and the operator sent the prospective guide with us to see the monkey temple and Durbar Square. We tried to tip the guide but he would not accept it.
In Durbar Square we were accosted by Nepalese wanting to be our guide. We were exhausted from all the Buddhist info at the monkey temple and just wanted to walk. Finally after one guide said, "If you hire me, no one will bother you," we succumbed and hired one of the boys who had been more polite in his attempts. He asked for 300 rupees and we paid him 150 rupees for an hour tour (47 rupees per dollar).
I then wanted to take a picture of a temple and there was a holy man in front. Whenever I raised the camera he would hold a newspaper up. The guide said I would have to pay for the picture as the holy man had dedicated his life to the tourists. We agreed on 15 rupees and instantly a second holy man appeared who also had to get his 15 rupees.
We were accosted like crazy by people selling tiger balm, flutes, chess sets and all kinds of other things. I think having the tikka on our foreheads made us more of a target as clearly the holy men had been successful.
We had an excellent dinner at the Third Eye; 650 rupees and it was one of the best Indian meals I have had. That is with two large mineral waters (bottled) and a large beer. After that we decided to try the bicycle rickshaw. We were found by one (you are constantly accosted so you don't have to go looking) and asked the price.
We have to tell people we are by the Radisson when giving directions. Being a very high end hotel you are instantly targeted as having money. He said 100 rupees and I said okay at the same time as Miles said 80. We settled at 90 and he knew he would get 100.
The bike is absolutely a piece of crap and he had to take us several kilometres. He had no headlamp and traffic was crazy. I was eyeing how I would jump out if I had to. Then we made the turn down to our hotel. I had never noticed that it was a slight hill. The road was a mass of people walking, the rickshaw was picking up speed and the rickshaw driver was madly ringing his bell. I couldn't stop laughing or screaming. I was sure he wouldn't make the corner and we were going too fast to jump.
Later, reading our guide book, we found out the base rate is 3 rupee per kilometre, slightly higher from Thamel. He must have been very happy.
The hotel is very quiet except for the two large helicopters at 7:30 every morning that land at the Royal Palace, which is just a couple hundred yards away.
Today we spent more time sightseeing and booked our guide and company. Of course we had to fend off another hard sell and practically renegotiate the whole thing again. The other company will get the consolation prize. Miles booking flights to Pokhara and back and Dehli as well as our round-Everest sightseeing flight. A banker from ADB I met on the plane in filled me in on the only airline to use for that. The morning of the 21st we are off in a new red Land Rover with our guide and porter to Sybru bensi to start 12 days of trekking. Hopefully we will not have acclimatization problems. A German in our hotel was helicoptered out below Everest base camp, not being able to make it up past 15,000 feet.
Our favourite cab driver is being hired tomorrow for most of the day to go see some sights a few miles outside of Kathmandu. It will probably cost about $5 each for the six hours.
Namaste!
