Ann: How much is your hotel per night?
Agent: List price is $100.
Ann: I'll give you $20.
Agent: $25
Ann: $20 and throw in breakfast.
Agent: OK
The trip to the hotel was eye opening. Very crowded narrow streets. People walking, rickshaws, motorcycles and cars intermingle. Many times we pass within inches of hitting someone/something. Horns are constantly honking.
Most of the Thamel district looks like this. (Click on picture to enlarge.) The streets are lined with shops selling cheap goods. In this picture there is a shop selling artwork on the left followed by one selling scarfs, a small restaurant and an internet cafe. On the right you can't see a paper shop that is next to the clothing store. Add jewelry stores and rugs and those are the same shops repeated over and over in an area spanning 20+ city blocks.This scene is pretty quiet at the time I took this picture, but imagine cars meeting each on this street.
Ann repeatedly asked for an interior room at the hotel but they gave us one on the street and assured us it would be quiet. Of course, it wasn't.
I am STUNNED at how clean the street itself is here.
ReplyDeleteThis particular street was swept every morning by a woman using a crude thatch broom. I wanted to go buy her a normal broom that would cut her sweeping time by 3/4.
ReplyDeleteThe streets in front of the shops were remarkably well kept. Because it never rains in November/December each day the shops not only sweep but also wash the street in front them.