between the Nakvak and the Korok: an expedition to the Torngat mountains. Hiking through the Valley of the cirques, climbing Mont d'Iberville, fishing in the Nakvak Valley, Canada, Torngat Mountains, northern Québec, trek, Nakvak, Korok, icefield, caribou trail, summit, travelogue, trip, travel, hike

 
 
 





Hardware store


 

Saturday, November 22
A moment in
Pokhara

I had gotten vague directions to the business center of town, called Mindapul, where Nepalis shop. I walked along the road until a small bus came, a local bus that cost 8 rupees and was packed with people, not even standing room. But they squeezed me in, and several others along the way. Of course, when we stopped, people had to get off, and they were located at the back of the bus. It was an interesting experience. There were virtually no westerners in sight. There was a bazaar of sorts, mostly selling foodstuffs. There were shops lining the streets, and so I started going from one to the next. When I found something I liked, I would bargain for it. Often the shopkeepers spoke some English, and I got a chance to use some of my minimal Nepali vocabulary.

There were a lot of fabric shops selling material for saris and such. I found only a few pieces in each of several shops, and ended up with a variety of fabrics in my backpack. They were from India or Pakistan, not Nepal. I bought a broom, a one handed broom that is universally used in Nepal with a bent over posture. I found a lock like the ones that they use at guesthouses and a handmade cooking pot at a hardware store. I didn't find any yak bells, which I was hoping to give to Kay and Rob back in London as a wedding present. But it was an interesting experience trying to explain what I was looking for to people who spoke no English. I do a good yak imitation.

It was a great experience to get away from the comfort and complacency of the tourist zone and see how the Nepalis shopped and ate and socialized, and to soak in the sights and smells and sounds. I had been to all of the basic kinds of stores that interested me. I walked some streets looking for something different, being careful not to lose my bearings, but found nothing. After sitting with a Fanta lemon people watching for a while, I caught the bus back to lakeside.

More of this day
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this travelogue is part of the subside travelzine
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