A city of 2000 years and 950,00 people, Kathmandu is a heady mix of old and new, west and east, and Buddhism and Hinduism. Stepping onto the street feels like entering a strange time machine. Old wooden buildings house internet cafes and outdoor shops with climbing equipment to tackle an Everest assent. Merchants patrol the streets selling flutes and Tiger Balm and Sadhus look to tourists for a handful of rupees in exchange for a blessing and a Tikka. Taxis from the 70's troll the streets honking at dizzyingly loud levels and compete with scooters and pedestrians for space on the dirt roads.
Even dogs receive Bindis
A Sadhu in Thamel Chowk looking for travelers to bless
Monkey on the streets
Kathmandu is a wonderful city of great food, great people and amazing history. Unfortunately, it is rife with pollution. There seems to be no infrastructure to deal with the most minimal of household garbage. A Nepalese man who I met on the bus had a conundrum: Is Nepal poorly developed or poorly managed?
These Tibetan women, like many locals are wearing face masks to deal with the pollution
This is one of the main rivers in Kathmandu and the water runs black. The stench of rot fills the air yet amazingly, plants manage to grow on the banks and feed cattle and pigs.
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