Day 58 - Kathmandu, Nepal

Day 58 – Hers.

An odd, waiting day today – Rob should be back in Lukla by now to fly back to Kathmandu tomorrow morning.  Al Jazeera news reported that one little plane headed to Lukla from Kathmandu crashed – killing 7 British and 5 Chinese tourists as well as the Nepali crew.  They are saying a bird hit the plane – and that it is the 6^th fatal plane crash in the area in the past 2 years.  Not the part of his trip I had been worried about.....

I decided to spend the day leisurely preparing for our volunteer placements – I read through the information pack, tried to learn some more useful sentences in Nepalese (not very successfully – and with less motivation since I have discovered we get some language lessons as part of our volunteers’ programme), did my nails – these things are important! - and visited a shop that Kathmandu regular, Joyce, recommended for teaching materials.

I had heard of the Pilgrims Book House before – it is recommended by most of the guidebooks as THE place to get books on Nepal, Tibet and India, and – oddly enough – vegetarian food and amazing teas in the garden cafe at the back.  It is, in fact, a most magical place – with handmade paper, incense, teas, local handicrafts and 30 rooms of books on everything you can imagine.  It is particularly good on Hinduism and Buddhism topics, mountaineering and natural history. 

The business began in Varanasi, India when a man named Rama Nand Tiwari, then aged 18, began working for the owner of a large book shop.  When the owner died unexpectedly of a heart attack, Rama started on his own by selling books on a blanket outside the Government Tourist Bungalow until he had saved enough money to rent a very small bookstall next door. Rama's brother, Krishna Nand, managed the small shop while Rama went about the city buying single copies of books to return to the shop to sell to tourists. Later the business was moved to Nepal – first to Pokhara and later to Kathmandu – and the business grew and grew, to include printing, publishing and even a small hotel.  One guidebook lists it as the best bookshop in Asia – it certainly is a wonderful place!

I spent nearly an hour wandering through the various rooms (I do love bookshops....) and found a really good selection of books and materials for my teaching.  I didn’t buy anything just yet (except a jasmine tea in the garden cafe) but I now know exactly where to go once I know where (and what and to whom!) I’ll be teaching.

There didn’t seem to be many festival activities today – everyone is waiting for the big Kumari procession tomorrow evening.  Remember the Kumari? If not, check back to Day 42!