Thamel is an absolute delight for the yatri and the trekker who would be keen to, at the last moment, pick up items and goods necessary for the journey ahead. It seems like it has evolved as a tourist district within the city of Kathmandu for this very purpose. There are small restaurants, tea cafes, diners to indulge and excellent shopping enclaves.
I learned that the Thamel area has slowly established itself as an excellent destination for shopping over the past few decades. That is, it certainly was not the place to shop during Dev Anand's 'Hare Rama Hare Krishna' movie days but grew later. The trekking groups for Everest Base Camp and Mount Everest are regular shoppers here as are the yatris for Muktinath and Mount Everest.
The main street in Thamel is what one would term to be a narrow street in Bhendi Bazaar, Mumbai but is distinctly pleasant because of the low density of traffic even if the main thoroughfare is quite nearby. The side streets are narrower and there is frequent movement of vehicles. There is also a parking bay for cycle rickshaws which is not to be found in most cities in India. At the T-junction of the main street, I found a police commando unit stationed in the evening hours, keeping a watch over the wandering tourists and vagrants.
That was understandable, though I was curious at the outset. Very soon, I kept getting these street smart vendors who would approach and whisper, "Good massage, good women, good rate for Indian rupees!" etc etc. No wonder the police unit was nearby. Some of the tourists were being hassled by persistent vendors who would tag them very closely. As long as you did not complain, I guess, it was ok, judging by the intrinsic reputation of the area.
I learned that the Thamel area has slowly established itself as an excellent destination for shopping over the past few decades. That is, it certainly was not the place to shop during Dev Anand's 'Hare Rama Hare Krishna' movie days but grew later. The trekking groups for Everest Base Camp and Mount Everest are regular shoppers here as are the yatris for Muktinath and Mount Everest.
The main street in Thamel is what one would term to be a narrow street in Bhendi Bazaar, Mumbai but is distinctly pleasant because of the low density of traffic even if the main thoroughfare is quite nearby. The side streets are narrower and there is frequent movement of vehicles. There is also a parking bay for cycle rickshaws which is not to be found in most cities in India. At the T-junction of the main street, I found a police commando unit stationed in the evening hours, keeping a watch over the wandering tourists and vagrants.
That was understandable, though I was curious at the outset. Very soon, I kept getting these street smart vendors who would approach and whisper, "Good massage, good women, good rate for Indian rupees!" etc etc. No wonder the police unit was nearby. Some of the tourists were being hassled by persistent vendors who would tag them very closely. As long as you did not complain, I guess, it was ok, judging by the intrinsic reputation of the area.
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