Wandering the Thamel District

I visited India and Nepal for the first time on a Buddhist pilgrimage led by Shantum Seth in 2007. The following is from my 2008 trip to India, Nepal, and Tibet. I arrived that day in Kathmandu.

A building near Swayambounath Temple

I wandered the narrow, medieval, dirty, and potholed streets, full of white Western tourists and colorful shops. While I stood in front of a tiny shop and bought bottled water, the electricity went out. Despite the rain and lack of electricity, I wandered around sight-seeing for some time; I didn’t want my melancholy or virus to prevent me from getting a taste of the neighborhood.

I felt ashamed for feeling depressed when here I was on the other side of the world, where I should be excited. My dad generously gave me money for this trip, and it seemed ungrateful and unappreciative to not feel blissed out like I was on the pilgrimage last year. But emotions happen whether you like it or not.

Regardless of my mood, I mindfully observed my surroundings, and the shops were fascinating: brightly painted puppets hung from rafters, thangkas hung in windows and beyond doors, books and postcards were lined up inside and facing open doorways, many statues and masks stood or leaned or hung from walls. I felt completely uninterested in buying anything, however; I just wanted to observe and walk.