My story of Kathmandu

The one about how I got cooties, how I forgot my contacts, how I found true bugs on my bedsheets in two different hotels, how I bought the most expensive crystals in a place where they should give it out for free and how, in the end of my journey, I met the most amazing people.



In all my travels across India I have never had a real problem with true bugs, or bed bugs. During my short visit to Nepal I went to Kathmandu for only two nights and here I had to share my room with the whole zoo of bed bugs.

Buying crystals in Kathmandu 

Kathmandu is a place of big differences. Of course, in many other cities you feel like this; Delhi got the greenery which could remind you of the parks of Champs d' Elysees (almost...), while the parts of Pahar Ganj feel like a rubbish dump.
You might say Kathmandu has got everything. Arriving on the New Bus Park, I see the poor and dirty part of the city. Continuing to Thamel, I experience the wholesale stores such as you find in Jaipur, walking my way up to the narrow streets similar to Benaras (without the revolting odor of course), up to the rich tourist Thamel Marg and all the way to the New Road shining with the posh western outlets. Finished by drinking the real coffee at Lavazza, next to Baskin and Robin ice cream and other popular brands, you get the real feeling of Europe.

I went to the capital of Nepal for only a short visit. Since the weather in Pokhara was too bad for selling, I quickly packed my things (forgetting everything important, beginning with my passport to my imperative 'equipment' for contacts, a  toothbrush, and a blanket for the night bus). On the bus I almost froze to death.
On the other hand, I must admit, I did enjoy the change. There is something meditative for me in sitting on one spot for several hours, shaking my butt off due the ill-conditioned road.
I reached after dark and in a heavy rain. Shortly before I got off the bus I started chatting to a young couple from Kathmandu. They were all cuddly so I thought they must be newly weds on their honeymoon.  You would have never guessed they were married for more than 2 years. How cute. They told me they live in Dubai, however are looking for a cheap hotel in the city. I was a bit confused about this since Dubai for Indians means good jobs and good money. But, I didn't give it a second thought. When they questioned me what kind of hotel am I look for I replied shamefully: “Uhm, like 200, perhaps 300 rupees for a night.. at most.”
I thought to myself there is no chance they could help me. I was very mistaken. At first, the girl offered me to share a room with them in order to divide the cost- what I politely refused since I still believed they are honeymooning-.  We finally got of the bus, and the usual greeting from all the guys offering us a room awaited us (by the way why a local woman never does this sort of PR?? ).  One of these guys complained why are my new friends looking for a cheap room for me: “Foreigner he. Paise no problem”, (well, this much I understood from the whole sentence... but you got the point) My new lady friend turned to him with a sharp look and scolded him for such a prejudice. I admired how strong was this tiny girl.
The couple found a guy who offered us two rooms, each for 300 rupees. Even though it was slightly over my budget I was still pleased. At least I got rid of the burden of looking for a place at night while heavily raining.
The room was simple. A bed, a TV, a coffee table. Quickly I lied down, knackered. I was slowly but surely leaving this world for the dreamland and... Ouch! What was that.. Ouuuch! Something bit me... but what is it? It felt like a tiny bites by a small animal which I could not see. Soon I realized what it probably is.. I, however, tried to avoid the disturbing idea of having bed bugs all over me :(
Unfortunately, the little fuckers did not leave me sleep all night. When I got up early in the morning I found little red itchy spots all over my limbs. So far so good, I thought, and left the hotel to do the shopping.
I have heard there are few things in Kathmandu available in better quality than what you can find in India. And cheaper. Mainly I was looking for raw crystals... Well, I am not going to bother you with the whole story about my shopping experience. It is save to say a lot of things had happened to me on my little journey; few unnecessary things found its way into my rucksack, and few interesting contacts were exchanged. In the evening I was in a rush to finish my shopping. At the last store a Russian tourist stuck to me and flirted. I paid absolutely no attention to him. After the dark all the shops were quickly closing down. I stopped from my rush and suddenly it hit me. I have no place to stay tonight. I was in Thamel, the expensive part of Kathmandu. So I asked the Russian where does he stay and for how much.
“Like 25-30. I don't remember...”
“What? Dollars??!?”
“Sure. Well it's not much...”
My jaw dropped. The Russian didn't realize what this information did to me. The guy from the shop looked at him and slowly said: 

“Can't you see it would be too much for her?”
I looked at my clothes. Shit, I'm wearing clean and neat clothes for once. Is it still really that obvious I'm such a cheap-stake?
“How did you know?”, I asked, even though expecting I know the answer anyway...
“I see you live here for a long time,” the shopkeeper said.
Uhm fair enough.
I saw there is no help for me in here. I left the shop and, without any thinking, went to another store I was in the morning. The Royal Saphire, a place where the owner stroke me as a honest guy with sincere eyes. So, I just came into his shop, not really knowing how he could help me.. I had no idea where I'm going to stay that night, and to 'help' the matter, I got an eye infection. Since I forgot to bring my glasses, or even case for contacts, I had to keep suffering.
“Listen, I was just wondering.. any chance you could help me with a cheap hotel for tonight?,” of course he could. The genuine hospitality of these people still surprises me even though it shouldn't really. Indians and Nepalese can be indeed very helpful.
The boy not only found a cheap place for me (who would have thought it got lice again?!??)  but also managed to drag a friend out who brought me a contact lens liquid. Great! (Yes, I could have bought the new one, but where I didn't know and the price would break my heart.)


It's the morning after. I'm sitting opposite my hotel in a typical Indian dhaba. No one even notices me. Half blind (because of the yesterday's eye infection I couldn't wear my contacts) I look forward to return to more familiar place (maybe 'to look forward' is not exactly precise in my condition of lack of the eyesight :) )- Pokhara, here I come!

In Kathmandu I have realized the truth about Nepal. The GDP might be very low in the country and the government is poor, nevertheless people are rich. They own smart phones, buy expensive bikes,  don't have to pay for their houses and moreover rent them out to get profit; they build little shops, expensive shops where they can cheat everyone. So places like Pokhara and Kathmandu are very rich where people profit on the outsiders (foreigners, rich Nepalese or Indians). Hence on the outside the country looks like it has got the worst economy yet its citizens are doing just fine.
I am inclined to believe the villagers without any outside help live poorly indeed; on the other hand, they mainly exchange goods and services among themselves therefore the monetary system does not really exist there. Nepal is definitely worth a study :)