The People of Thamel

Everyone is leaving me!

Michael is heading down to India, and Dr. Yeshe is heading back up to Humla, so I am on my own in Kathmandu again. Its great!

I have between 6 and 7 days left here in Kathmandu and I think I might actually be able to do something worthwhile with that time. I am running around from morning till night, and then at night I run around a little more.

Thamel kind of feels like a giant party. Actually it feels like a few thousand small parties all happening simultaneously, in the same place. Because of this atmosphere, it is really easy to meet people here. walking down the street, it is easy to strike up a conversation with someone you have nothing in common with, except for the fact that you are both in Kathmandu.

That is enough for a lot of people. Just being in Kathmandu must mean there is something about you. Instead of going to Aruba, or a resort, you came to Kathmandu. But what does it say about you? I dunno, but I will break down my observations for you.

There are a few different types of foreigners here in Kathmandu.

The Hippie Trekker:
The Hippie Trekker's have 2 kinds of hairstyles. One style is bald. The other is weird. They usually wear baggy attempts at traditional Asian Clothes, and are often found in the many many nightclubs in Thamel stoned out of their mind. They are a very nice bunch of people, and always smile. They have a tendency to glide through the streets of Thamel aimlessly walking into shops with pretty colors or shiny objects. These Hippie Trekkers tend to drift around Asia going through Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, India, and Nepal.

The Serious Trekker:
Covered head to toe in technical equipment, these trekkers wear the kind of shirts with mosquito repellent and sunscreen built into the weave of the fabric. They are wearing hiking boots, and possibly have a bandanna tied around their neck. Their look is usually somewhere between the Crocodile Hunter and business attire. They are usually found in large groups, and the leader does most of the talking whenever the group must interact with the outside world.

The Pure Tourist:
Possibly the most fun to observe is the pure tourist. They are easy prey for the predatory street vendors of Thamel. For the most part the pure tourist is easy to spot because there is either a camera around their neck, or a fanny pack around their waist. These tourists come from all over the world and represent many different cultures, which begs the question... how did all cultures develop something as awful as the fanny pack? The other thing to note about the pure tourist, the sometimes have their children along with them. This makes them visibly nervous, and very hesitant to wander away from the main roads of Thamel.

The NGO Worker/Volunteer:
Stage 1 NGO Worker is somewhat similar to the pure tourist, however after approximately 1 week in nepal the NGO worker transitions into Stage 2. If you see someone with a jaded vacant expression sitting in a coffee shop with a computer quietly muttering to him/herself, you have located a Stage 2 NGO worker. If you see someone walking down the streets with a purpose, ignoring all the street vendors and making jokes with the Rickshaw Drivers, you have located a Stage 2 NGO worker. Whenever Stage 2 NGO workers encounter another of their kind, there is a brief exchange of small slips of paper in an attempt to foster future communication. This almost never happens, and is merely a formality. However after the paper exchange there is a brief commiseration between the Stage 2 NGO worker and then finally they remember they really need to go and do whatever it was they were trying to do.

The Ex Pat:
These people have been living in Nepal, have possibly married Nepalis, and are indistinguishable from locals except for their appearance. They come in all shapes and sizes, and are excellent conversationalists in both Nepali and whatever their native tongue happens to be. They have a tendency to cluster around others of their kind and also tend to avoid the more touristy areas.

The Nepali:
There are alot of them...

So that pretty much sums up who I encounter here every day. In case you were wondering, I am a Stage 2 NGO Worker.