Sunday 29 June 2014

That Camel, Pokhara, Nepal, June 2014


Free Range in Downtown...

 Nothing surprises me about the sights and sounds to be experienced in Nepal anymore. Cows, goats,. Buffalos, dogs and kids all running around the streets in complete harmony and of course free range and this all go's to produce in part the rhythm of life in Kathmandu, Pokhara and I suppose any other Nepali town. So, to see a camel wandering up New Road, Pokhara seems somewhat put of place but actually I'm not all that surprised! Possibly a circus reject, maybe someone's pet or quite simply a stray from India which isn't really too far away. Whatever the reason for it being on the New Road in Pokhara on a Monday afternoon, it's certainly creating quite a stir - holding up traffic as the creature munches on a nearby tree. A gathering of locals are bemused at the sight of this giant, a little saggy quite definitely frayed around the edges, an O.A.P I would guess. There's a certain awe surrounding this camel, folk though are giving it a wide berth since a kick in the goolies might be more than a little discomforting!

And so with the camel seemingly satisfied with the quality of foliage freely provided courtesy of the city council it turns and gracefully trots back from whence it came disappearing into the Rhythm of the city, but to where exactly, well, who knows. But what's remarkable about this is general acceptance by society - drivers and riders carefully avoiding the creature whilst most of those on the street go about their business without any great alarm. I just have to wonder what the British Health and safety police might make of such an event in Norwich!






 

Raw Tradition, Pokhara, Nepal, June 2014

A Tuneless Din leads the way....

Nepalese tradition in its rawest form - men and boys dressed in gowns, waistcoats and Nepali hats are leading the way. Behind them is a wedding party and together they all shuffle slowly along the street, causing traffic chaos! Its a tuneless din as they blow on their horns to random drum beating - certainly no talent show contestants here, that's for sure. A traditional scene of colour amidst the malaise of guests and curious bystanders.








































 

Thursday 26 June 2014

Drugs Bust, Pokhara, Nepal, June 2014

Lunchtime June 26th 2014....

Plenty of marijuana on the strip, or their used to be. A drugs bust as police and a few willing locals gather up a forest of the illegal weeds at lunchtime today. Cultivation of drugs in Nepal is strictly illegal and this haul will dent the supply chain for a few days at least!

























 

Saturday 21 June 2014

Whats in a Name, Pokhara, Nepal, June 2014

Coincidence or not...

Visitors here, particularly from the west, will undoubtedly notice quite a few familiar names. So, not only do the Nepalese practise discriminatory pricing but seek to capitalise on some well known brand names - PC World, McDonalds and Starbucks, just a few of the names being banded around the place. It may of course just be coincidental, but wandering around here and looking at the grubby signs, one cant but help suspect some down right plagiarism going on. Personally, I'm not effected but I think Bill Gates might not be amused to learn of his latest software on sale in a posh department store for less than £1!



































 

Friday 20 June 2014

Creatures of the Night, Pokhara, Nepal, June 2014

Creatures Great and Small...at Night.

I would normally include 'Western Alcoholics' in such an article as this but as there is a distinct lack of them around here, Lakeside, Pokhara. Its off season and the few Americans that are rolling into town seem well behaved, not of the boozy variety which is a relief to guesthouse residents and the locals around here!

So here is an alternative selection of after-dark activity to be seen in and around lakeside.

3 inches long and with pincers!

Toad

Moth











This is Julie, definitely a creature of the night, a noisy one too.

A Firefly

Firefly, Just amazing to see hundreds of these twinkling, not this one of course. 
 

Thursday 19 June 2014

Nepal airline Woes Again, Kathmandu, June 2014

Expand the Image to read the small print. This may be of interest to folk in the region and further afield. Clipped from the Kathmandu Post, Wednesday.

 

Tuesday 17 June 2014

Inginuity, Pokhara, Nepal, June 2014

No hydraulic lifts, no high-rise cranes either, just a simple ladder constructed of bamboo poles. That's how they solve the construction problem around here. I ascended the first quarter and it all felt pretty sturdy but I didn't quite have the audacity to make it to the top uninvited!




























































 

Food Stuff - Food File, Pokhara, Nepal, June 2014

Nepal, a nation where a significant number of its population are impoverished. In an attempt to eek out some kind of subsistence living many turn to cooking and selling food. Unsurprisingly, hygiene is non existent at the ramshackle shelters that I have come across during my stay in Pokhara. Although it all looks tempting, visitors might well find that Delhi Belly strikes with a vengeance! Aim for fresh, eat fresh and keep smiling!  

No fridge, No water, No Hygiene - Avoid! 


Stacked in open air - Avoid!

Aim for fresh














As fresh as it gets

















Even fresh dough


A stack of Aloo Paratha, Dahl and tea - 50p
 

Monday 16 June 2014

Food Stuff part 3, Delhi Belly, Pokhara, Nepal, June 2014


Based on several weeks of living in Nepal... And traveling across the Indian Subcontinent.

Sadly cleanliness and hygiene are not priority issues across the Indian subcontinent when it comes to food production, especially at the local level. Power cuts, lack of refrigeration Nepal is no exception and gorging on the local delicacies can easily land visitors with a spell of 'Delhi Belly' a visit to hospital and at worst an early flight home. Plenty of health advice is available from the UK authorities - taking those Jabs is paramount and heeding the advice on which foods to avoid will reduce the risk of being poisoned. Do some research, develop a strategy and hopefully a trouble free trip will ensue. 

So, with a strategy in hand, this may be a good time for Western visitors to shed a few pounds - forget those beef burgers, chips and all the other gunk the tourist strip can throw and eat local. Save some cash whilst enjoying the local food scene unabated - following a few simple rules can leave visitors feeling culturally rewarded and pretty satisfied and most importantly with their health intact. After living in Nepal for nearly 4 months heres how I have managed to maintain my health and enjoy the local food scene. 

1. Seek out an acceptable local cafe - as clean as will be achieved in Nepal, with the least amount of flies buzzing around and most importantly friendly faces in the kitchen and behind the till. No easy feat and may mean some street pounding but worth it in the long run. 

2. Get to know the menu inside out. Avoid meat, eat vegetarian. Here at Mr. Ps they eat very little meat - occasionally chicken but predominantly vegetable based dishes. Often these places double as family homes and nearly always there will be a kid hanging round. So, eat what they eat and especially eat what they feed the kids. It may not look the most appetising dish, but guaranteed safe and tasty enough. 

3. Eat at the same place as often as possible and let the kid play with the IPad. Eventually this will lead to some extra tasty food, a few freebies thrown in and access to a TV, all this with health intact. 

4. I won't eat buffalo, or goat for that matter, under any circumstances. Dairy products arrive chilled, often frozen and thus far haven't been any cause for concern here at Mr Ps. 
I don't particularly like Momo's - just not my thing. The desire for Western gunk has passed, a long time ago. Oh, and no fish either, unless of course it's in a tin. Uncooked items I won't eat period! That included tomatoes, plums, grapes etc....

5. Having established a rapport I have managed to introduce some subtle changes to the menu namely breakfast. I'll buy the cereal, they supply the milk and a banana. It all works just fine - a days food (excluding lunch) including numerous cups of milk tea, coffee averages to about £1.25.

6. And what about lunch? It's downtown at Prithivi Chowk and with the same principle applied as above. A small unit, not that clean to be honest but I can see the food being prepared and it's well cooked - above all it's fresh, especially the aloo paratha - just bootiful! Oh, and the milk/water for tea is well boiled, I can see that as it often nears the overflow point. 

So there it is. After four seasons of travelling across Asia and the Indian Subcontinent I have remained free of Delhi belly, although I will admit to the odd dose of the trots, but even that's on a rare occasion. 

Bugging Me, Pokhara, Nepal, June 2014

These interesting and colourful bugs were snapped whilst on a bug spot around town today, sadly cut short by an approaching thunderstorm! Feel free to offer some names in the comments section below because quite frankly I don't have a clue - well, apart from the chameleon and dragonfly of course.


Bug eater!

















Face to face
















Nice Camo

It bites!














Bug trap


Nepali Ladybird maybe...