Nepal

Nepal 19: Thamel House

Daniel 9 Comments

The streets of Thamel were even more menacing by night.

The shoppers, for the most part, had retreated to their guesthouses and hostels, but the touts and drug dealers remained.

With the reduced foot traffic, this made me a much more attractive target. A young male, traveling alone, I must have looked like a golden goose to these shady figures. With the coming of night, the offers had gotten a little more adventurous, too.

“Hashish?”

“Black tar, brother?”

“Cocaine, my friend?”

“Women? Young girls? Good price.”

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Nepal 18: Ceilings

Daniel 29 Comments

[This is a chapter from my travel book. There are lots more chapters posted on the blog, but if you’d prefer to read them all at once, sign up for my e-mail newsletter and I’ll be sure to let you know when they’re available in a condensed form!]

I put the not-down jacket back on the rack, and turned my attention to some other items I needed.

I got a 3/4 zip polyester shirt for $2, despite the fact the sleeves only went about 3/4 of the way up my arms.

The lady also sold me on some glove covers for $1, which I never even ended up using.

I bought a few pairs of trekking socks, and was negotiating for a pair of thermal long underwear, when something began to cry. I looked around the dim shop, alarmed. There was a child laying in the middle of the floor, on top of some cardboard. I was shocked, both by the condition this baby was in, and by the fact that I’d been in this store for about thirty minutes without once noticing there was a tiny human in there with us.

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Nepal 17: Shopping in Thamel

Daniel 8 Comments
Kilroy's of Kathmandu

The trek from Jiri to Everest Base Camp seemed too long to contemplate in my shell-shocked state. When I considered the prospect of trekking through rural Nepal for three weeks, alone, it sounded insane, bleak, and lonely. Not to mention, the trek would take at least 21 days, and I only had a 30-day visa. I’d eaten up a few of those days already, and I still needed to outfit myself almost from scratch. I’d been in the tropics for the past five months: I had only a single piece of the I equipment needed to venture into the high mountains — my hat.

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Nepal 16: Himalayan Java

Daniel 6 Comments
Western Coffee Shop Thamel Kathmandu

I carried Yanti with me as I walked the streets of Thamel.

I was still a little wary bringing a $1,000 computer onto the streets of Kathmandu, but I was slowly starting to feel comfortable in the chaos. As long as I carried the bag slung crosswise across my body so it couldn’t be snatched, I really faced no risk. Nothing could cut through the thick leather straps, if that was even a thing that happened here. Hell, I’d carried it on the much more dangerous streets of Kuala Lumpur, I could carry it on the streets of Kathmandu.

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Nepal Photo Supplement: Thamel

Daniel 19 Comments
buddha street art Kathmandu

It’s been a month of Nepal posts! I just want to take this opportunity to say thank you to everyone who’s taken the time to read my story (Read Chapter 1 here). It’s a really good feeling to have your work seen and appreciated. Extra thanks to those who have been sharing on social media and leaving comments. I read every single one, and honestly, they mean a lot.

I’ve been letting my words take center stage, but I thought you all might like to see a few more pictures from my time in Nepal. So enjoy this photo supplement, mostly taken in the Thamel neighborhood of Kathmandu. I will continue to post photo supplements as the story progresses. All pictures and videos were taken by me, shot on an iPhone 6S.

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