Yeah a normal sleep. Tried something different, I have earplugs and a sleeping mask from the the flight from Nairobi to Bangkok, so I put those on. It seemed to help. I actually was awaken, even with my earplugs inserted, by a noise outside about 6AM. It first sounded like bells ringing. As the noise became louder I started to hear chanting. It reminded me of the Hari Krishna's that I use to see a lot of back in the 70-80's in their orange robes and shaved heads. Later that morning, when I descended from my 3rd floor loft, I asked Camille what the noise was about 6AM. I have to take this moment and say how wonderful Camille and her "family" and associates have been during my visit. It has made up for the terrible places I stayed in Rio de Janeiro and Paris. I'll need to be sure to write a good review on the flight back to Bangkok. Anyway, she said she didn't hear anything and asked her partner who was sitting across the room on a computer. He said it was probably priests going to morning prayer. Apparently they were use to this occurring and slept right through the disturbance.
Today needs to be shopping day because tomorrow, late morning, I'm taking a helicopter flight that takes you up to Mt Everest. I've never been in a helicopter so this will be another new adventure for me.
I take a different path from the Cozy House toward the Pulchowk Area. Before I get to much farther on this blog, I suggest you google some of these places I'm mentioning. They have some really interesting history and would be worth your trouble. I'm only highlighting some of the information. The Pulchowk is where the United Nations has a large presence with a Water and Sanitation Project. They have been working in the Kathmandu Valley and specifically the Patan area, given it had some of the worse sanitation and clean water concerns for centuries. The UN came in a few years ago and built neighborhood clean water taps and worked to clean up the "slums" of the area. Camille, my host at Cozy House, is working on her own project in trying to revitalize her neighborhood, Swotha Square. I'll need to be sure to buy something from the shops in this "cozy" little square.
I find some good deals in Pulchowk and buys a few trinkets. I also find a couple of neat places. The first was a music store. The place has been in the same location for three generations. It has a front window display of some unique looking instruments, most I've never seen or know how they sound. I have to go in and check this place out. The one person, that I find later is the owner, is trying to haggle with some Brit on something looking like a small minature violin with a bow. So I start walking around and see all these unique musical instruments, especially the hand made drums of different sizes, colors and material. Not one looks the same. The gentleman walks over and I said, "just looking around". He smiles and said would I like to hear the story of the shop. You bet, I'm all ears. He explains that his grandfather started the shop back in the 1920's primarily making drums and he points to the large display on the far corner of the shop. His father joined him in the 1940's and started make their own unique instruments primarily drums and string instruments. The current owner then came in around the 1970's and started to invent his own blend of unique instruments, with the idea of building instruments of sound using beads, beans, rocks, animal skins and hair. I convinced him to show me a few while I shot some video. Check out FaceBook for that show. The shop also had a work area in the back where now just the father and son build and create, The back area is filled with different kinds of wood, animal skins, string, yarn and various machines and tools. The music store also serves as a repair shop, mostly to restore old instruments. The rest of the store, about 25% of it, has more traditional instruments but most are very old and probably antiques. Guitars, brass horns, violins, accordions to name a few. He pulls down the accordion and starts playing..he's pretty good. So I ask him how many instruments can he play? He gives me a look like "really!" He indicates he can play them all. He says to pick an instrument, so I see an old trumpet hanging from the ceiling and he gets it down. He plays Mary Had a Little Lamb and doesn't miss a beat. I just love this guy, but now I feel guilty not buying anything. So I buy two of the instruments that he played in the video. We part, but I'm glad I meet this guy and visited his shop. Maybe I can help his business by giving a good word on Travel Advisor.
The next place was a little hard to find. I had heard of speciality store that make a traditional Nepalese knife called a kukri. It has an inward curved blade and can be used as a utility or as a weapon. The knife is centuries old, primarily used by armies in the area, but it must have certain characteristics to be called a kukri. The Nepalese armies of centuries past made the knife and it has been a figure in Nepalese culture since. I had to ask around and nobody seem to know where a shop was located, They kept referring me to the bazaar, but those are cheap imitations. I read up on this venture before I started so I know they have shops exclusively for the kukri. Someone asked me to follow him, when I enquired, to an old man...had to be 100 years old. He slowly got up and we walked a few blocks, through a couple of long narrow alleys. I felt like I was in the old Casablanca movie (if you are under 40 google it). We come to a small shop with a cloth door. We enter and its a haven for kukri's, hundreds of them of all sizes, but of course all the same shape. The one man that had referred us to the old man, whispered to me that I might want to slip the old man some change for his help. I had no problem paying a referral fee. I didn't have any small change but gave him $100NR, about $1. The old man was so pleased he kept giving me the traditional prayer and bow salute, like they do in Thailand, as he walked out. Okay let's see what you have. This guy was really proud of his product and it showed. He must have pulled out 20-30 knives of different size and variety. He explained them all in detail. I may have bought some but I may not have bought some...it's a secret.
It is now getting late and again I want to get in before it gets dark. I get back just before it gets dark about 5PM. I remember Camille telling me about a cafe just across the way from the guest house, so I walk across the street, trying to avoid the annoying honking motor cycles. Cafe Swotha is part of a bed and breakfast type place, not like the guest house. I walk in and find a delightful place with about 10 tables, half of them filled. I have a seat and order my usual Everest Beer and a Nepalese meal called the Feast. Now don't forget I haven't eaten all day, you know trying the cultural Nepalese approach to meals. I have some of the same things I've had before: dal baht (lentil and rice soup), chicken masu (in gravy) and alu dum (fried potato in spicy gravy). This time add some newbies: alu acchaa (pickled veggies), khaki mo masuledo (mutton curry) and phagshapa (pigs feet or pork with chiles and spices). Yes I do eat pigs feet. It was like trying to get meat off a skinny chicken wing. I was stuffed about 3/4 through the meal, but I remember how guilty I felt on the picnic under the acacia tree on the Maarai Masa plains a few weeks ago in Kenya. I couldn't leave food on my plate. So I order another Everest and finished off the rest. Done...I thought. The waiter brings out a huge piece of chocolate brownie with skiami (yogurt with spices and cherries). Should I have him take it back? If I don't accept it it doesn't count as not finishing, does it? Of course I eat it...as long as someone finds a wheelbarrow to take me out. This wonderful meal was $1200NR, about $13US.
I walk out and decide I need to walk off this meal, but it is dark, so I need to maneuver the streets very gingerly. I walk around the Paton Durbur Square. I didn't know this before but they have a nice night meditation that goes on around the temples in the square. The sounds were of low volume chanting, chimes and bells ringing. I walked around the square for about 15 minutes, then headed to my abode.
I generally do not have my phone on during the day, due to the high cost of data and voice. The morning when I wake up and at night are usually my voice and data time. I queue up my phone and there is a message. Due to haze/fog and high winds on Everest my helicopter adventure is cancelled for tomorrow, "but call back and they can reschedule for Sunday". Damn, I'm gone on Saturday. I'm really disappointed. Maybe for the better since it was going to be very expensive.
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