A Trip to the Cinema, Nepali Style, May 2014

One bus, a bag of pop corn and a movie, and still change from £5....

A breakdown of the expense account for 2:

1. Bus to Downtown Pokhara 31p. 

The blue and white public buses are frequently leaving lakeside bus stand at Hallanchowk, about 1 every 5 minutes and always well used. Being at the start of the route a seat is pretty much guaranteed for the 10 or sometimes 15 minutes to the downtown terminus called Mahindrapool. And at 31p for the two of us, Myself and Amrit, I'm not complaining.

2. Movie Ticket £1.27 for two.

Litteraly it's a hole in the wall. No plush counters with movies listed above. No carpeted walkways either, just a narrow gap in the concertina gate and into a rather dingy hall containing 3 snack counters.  Perhaps reminiscent of British cinemas in the 1960's. 

3. Popcorn 25p.

Amrit is pestering for some popcorn, some 30 minutes before the movie! Ok, pester power wins this time - quite a reasonable amount for 25p, tastes pretty fresh. 

4. Bottle of water and coffee 31p.

Water for the 2 hour movie and coffee to either num the senses or help in sending me to sleep for half an hour! The prospect of sitting through a Nepali language movie most of the afternoon doesn't excite me a great deal. Oh and the coffee tastes foul. The Interior is dated. A few seats in a state of disrepair but there is the odd one that's good and reclines at a reasonable angle - quite comfortable actually when the fans get going. 

5. 2 coffees and a fairy cake 47p

Half time and Amrit pesters once again, this time he wants coffee and so do I as it happens. This time I monitor what they put into the small plastic cups. Nescafé, steamed milk, sugar - stop the sugar, no chocolate dust either. A much tastier coffee I have to say. 

6. Electronic fly zapper, made in China £1.78

In impulse buy, flies watch out. Yes, spotted in one of the many housewares shops on the way back to Mahindrapool bus stand for the ride to lakeside. This zapper packs quite a nasty punch to any winged insect or even finger I would think, that makes contact with the mesh! 

7. Bus back to Lakeside Hallanchowk 31p for 2.

20 minutes this time as the bus waits around near New Road for 5 minutes.

Total expense account from 2 - 6pm: £4.70 or ordinarily £2.92 without the fly zapper purchase. 

Oh and the movie....

Well, I didn't catch the name but it packed plenty of action and violence seemed to be mainstay. Put it this way, I didn't fall asleep. Also  word about the loo's around here - in short 'foul'. The stench is overpowering, another case of Nepali toilet heygiene neglect. So that was a visit to Pokhara's cinema, not exactly the multi-screen set-up Brits are used to but it serves a population with few expectations and playing catch-up with Western ideals.

Amrit, tickets from a hole in the wall

Amrit found a good seat!