Despite the devastating earthquake in April and the current fuel embargo by India, Kathmandu is open for business! We arrived late Monday night and settled into the Kathmandu Guest House in Thamel. The KGH suffered some damage due to the earthquake - particularly the old heritage wing (where we stayed in 1984) but is a buzzing construction site now as they rebuild. We were surprised at how tidy Kathmandu was - no cows, no cow patties and orderly piles of rubble. We walked down through the narrow streets of Thamel into Durbar Square - a Unesco World Heritage Site - where the kings of Nepal were once crowned and currently the home of Nepal's living child goddess. The square suffered significant damage and loss of life as a result of the earthquake. One of the most iconic structures - the Maju Dega was completely destroyed. We engaged a guide - Vishnu - who gave us a great tour around the square. Because of the fuel embargo - there is a tenth of the normal vehicle traffic. Great for us tourists as there are no traffic jams - but tough on the economy. This was the last thing Nepal needed! Restaurants and hotels are empty and although this should be the peak trekking season, many guides and porters are not being engaged.
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| Thamel side street |
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