mo' momos (mo' problems?)
o yah. so by the way, i'm in nepal.
crossed over from india and promptly got stuck in a dusty border town filled with jerks and alcoholics. you couldn't even get a bloody chai after dinner, only booze. there was some ridiculous strike involving goods carrier trucks and so they decided to park their trucks across the roads, stopping all traffic wider than a cycle rickshaw and clogging the whole border. apparently this shit happens a lot now that the military isn't allowed to kill people so much. we rode cycle rickshaws up and down the blockage all day long in the blaring heat and rolling clouds of dust, trying to get anywhere but there. we even debated a 2.5 hour cycle rickshaw ride to lumbini.
the next day there was another strike, this time by the minibus drivers. we had some fun chatting with the share taxi mafia but in a last minute snap of frustration we changed our plans and ended up riding on the roof of a bus all the way to kathmandu. it was ok until it started to rain.... we got into kathmandu late at night and i blinked my eyes in wonder and horror. big signs everywhere advertising BEER AND STEAK!!!!! DANCING GIRLS! ORGANIC SALD BAR!!!! gulp. we're not in india anymore, toto.
ok. it's been a bit rough so far but kathmandu is vibrant city and has managed to help my feelings toward nepal. i originally dubbed it "bangkok north" due to its super touristy nature but i may have to retract that. the place is extremely westernised but, unlike bangkok, it's done in a very classy way. instead of people trying to sell me tie-dyed halter tops with plastic seashells hanging off of them they're trying to sell me gorgeous pashmina shawls and silver jewellery. there's a lot less of the backpacker bums and a lot more of the austrian duchess wearing high tech trekking gear.
of course the bad comes along with the pretty shiney things. i saw some tourist give a street kid 400 rupees for a drawing. i hate seeing shit like that. the tourist probably felt really happy with himself, like "o, i'm such a kind compassionate individual helping out this third world country". no dumbass, you have no idea where you are or what this part of the world is like. the kid's parents probably sit at home making those drawings while the kid wanders the street all day trying to peddle them to suckers so that daddy will have enough money to get drunk that night. i'm sorry if it sounds cynical but well, in india you can rent a baby for the day to beg with. different baby again today, hey didi?
but enough of that rant. kathmandu has got a lot of nice energy floating through its narrow streets. there's definately some sort of magic here, especially in the older parts of the city. of course we've had to sneak in to all the stupas to avoid paying 200 rupees, but still, nice. nice. stingey bastards forever!!!!
crossed over from india and promptly got stuck in a dusty border town filled with jerks and alcoholics. you couldn't even get a bloody chai after dinner, only booze. there was some ridiculous strike involving goods carrier trucks and so they decided to park their trucks across the roads, stopping all traffic wider than a cycle rickshaw and clogging the whole border. apparently this shit happens a lot now that the military isn't allowed to kill people so much. we rode cycle rickshaws up and down the blockage all day long in the blaring heat and rolling clouds of dust, trying to get anywhere but there. we even debated a 2.5 hour cycle rickshaw ride to lumbini.
the next day there was another strike, this time by the minibus drivers. we had some fun chatting with the share taxi mafia but in a last minute snap of frustration we changed our plans and ended up riding on the roof of a bus all the way to kathmandu. it was ok until it started to rain.... we got into kathmandu late at night and i blinked my eyes in wonder and horror. big signs everywhere advertising BEER AND STEAK!!!!! DANCING GIRLS! ORGANIC SALD BAR!!!! gulp. we're not in india anymore, toto.
ok. it's been a bit rough so far but kathmandu is vibrant city and has managed to help my feelings toward nepal. i originally dubbed it "bangkok north" due to its super touristy nature but i may have to retract that. the place is extremely westernised but, unlike bangkok, it's done in a very classy way. instead of people trying to sell me tie-dyed halter tops with plastic seashells hanging off of them they're trying to sell me gorgeous pashmina shawls and silver jewellery. there's a lot less of the backpacker bums and a lot more of the austrian duchess wearing high tech trekking gear.
of course the bad comes along with the pretty shiney things. i saw some tourist give a street kid 400 rupees for a drawing. i hate seeing shit like that. the tourist probably felt really happy with himself, like "o, i'm such a kind compassionate individual helping out this third world country". no dumbass, you have no idea where you are or what this part of the world is like. the kid's parents probably sit at home making those drawings while the kid wanders the street all day trying to peddle them to suckers so that daddy will have enough money to get drunk that night. i'm sorry if it sounds cynical but well, in india you can rent a baby for the day to beg with. different baby again today, hey didi?
but enough of that rant. kathmandu has got a lot of nice energy floating through its narrow streets. there's definately some sort of magic here, especially in the older parts of the city. of course we've had to sneak in to all the stupas to avoid paying 200 rupees, but still, nice. nice. stingey bastards forever!!!!
posted by natalie at 4:57 AM
1 Comments:
well, to be fair sometimes its hard to say where that money goes. i give money to homeless dudes here, even though im aware that many of them may spend it on beer or drugs. and if they do...well. addiction is addiction, and whether i give to them or not theyre gonna get it somehow. i think just the gesture is sometimes the issue - giving some respect, a hello, acknowledging their presence...
i too am human i could easily be you, as the be goods once said.
and maybe that dude who gave money recognised the probability of that money supporting kids being on the street, but hell, if not there theyd probably be making t-shirts or soccer balls for nike. and being a wealthy tourist in a poverty-stricken country makes one feel the need to contribute in some way, however misguided.
the child-beggars are a tricky thing though... sometimes its hard to resist their big black eyes and skinny little selves. and maybe 400 rupees meant the kid could eat well that week.
and maybe the 200 rupees you got out of paying at the stupa would have gone towards more long term solutions to the many social problems in kathmandu.
who can say who can say... theres certainly no black and white anymore, is there...
much love, missy. see ya soon.
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