First Day in Nepal

I arrived in Kathmandu today after a 5 hour flight delay in Istanbul.  Was glad to get to Nepal.  Upon my arrival I discovered it was a festival day and that half of the customs staff decided not to show up for work.  So lines where quite a bit longer than usual.  The good news was that traffic across Kathmandu was much lighter than normal.  So we made good time getting to our hotel in the Thamel district.  After a quick shower I ventured out to the streets for a few pictures.  These should give you a good feel for the immediate area around my hotel.

Kathmandu taxi stand.  The Thamel district is a shopping area that caters to tourist.  None of the shops are very big and all appear to be family run.

Right in the middle of a street intersection they placed this large art mural on the payment.  The artwork is formed by grains and flower petals.  It is a temporary exhibit to celebrate the new year.

Lots of tourist junk up and down the streets.  Cashmere is suppose to be a bargain here but you have to buy it from a reputable shop.

Typical street view. Since today was a festival day a few of the shops were closed. Motorcycles, cars, and pedestrians fight for the same street space.  Horns are constantly honking.  The streets are very narrow.  There is a customary directional traffic flow on the streets but the streets are not truly one way.  So lookout for the crazy guy going against the flow.     

Old meets new.  I like this shot because in this part of Kathmandu you can see historic culture and pop culture in the same space.  This is the fifth and last day of the festival called Tihar. On this day sisters put “Tika of five colours” Paanch Rangi Tika - Yellow, green, red, blue and white on forehead of her brothers, to ensure long life and pray to Yamraja for her brother’s long life and prosperity. The gentleman holding the smart phone has these marks on his forehead.

Our photo tour doesn't start until tomorrow evening.  Looking forward to moving beyond the tourist areas.