Shopping in Kathmandu: Dolls and Tee Shirts

1 and 5 AM:  Up for the restroom and water.

6:00 AM:  Wake up knock followed by Sherpa tea and hot wash water.  Duffels were collected and room keys were checked to make sure they were left on the table in each room.

7:00 AM:  Breakfast:  Cornflakes with apples, bananas and hot milk (actually, not bad), pancakes and egg salad.

8:10 AM:  Hung out with the group on the patio.

9:00 AM:  We gathered at the entrance, but were told by Ming that our plane was delayed because it made an extra stop, so we retreated back to the patio to shoot the breeze some more.

9:45 AM:  Boarding passes were issued and passed out and then each of us received a blessed scarf from the Sherpas.

We then left the lodge to the airport, next door.  After clearing security check, we proceeded to the VIP room, which was also Gates 1 and 2.  There wasn’t enough room on our plane for all, so Ming and Chelli were on the next flight.  Upon boarding our tiny plane, had we not used four of the seats for our backpacks, we could have had Ming and Chelli in our plane.

10:45 AM:  Lukla to Kathmandu via Tara Air.

Upon arrival at Kathmandu airport, we were greeted by Kirin.  We waited in the heat in a tarp covered baggage claim area outside of the airport building, next to the parking lot.  Some of our baggage arrived, but not mine.  Ming and Chelli arrived about a half hour later, along with the rest of our baggage, including mine.  We boarded our chartered bus to the Shangri-la Hotel.

12:15 PM:  Arrived at the Shangri-la Hotel.  While we waited for our baggage to be sorted and our rooms to be assigned, we lounged in the Lost Horizon Bar with tiny shots of cold lychee juice.

I was assigned Room 318.  Yea:  a long hot shower coupled with some laundry cleaning.

2:00 PM:  Went to the lobby to meet up with my fellow shoppers.  Lily and I shared a taxi with Bob and Chelli.  Lily negotiated the ride for 100 NPR to the Nirvana Garden Hotel in the shopping district of Thamel.

The Colorado guys’ taxi arrived before ours.

After a brief wait for Annie, Ted, Sharon and Tim’s taxi to arrive, we all proceeded to the silver shop, which was of particular interest to Sharon.  I spied two toy shops, so I announced to the group I would be looking for toys across the street.  Chelli went with me, having no interest in silver jewelry.

Bride and Groom Dolls: 

Traditionally, whenever I travel, I try to bring back a culturally/locally dressed doll for each of my girls.  The first toy shop carried only felt dolls on a keychain.

Two stores down looked the same, but in this store, the shopkeeper asked if I needed help.  I explained I was looking for dolls in traditional dress.  He pulled down from a dusty shelf a set of couples, one casually dressed and one in wedding attire.  I chose the wedding couple.

Judy:  How much for two?

Shopkeeper:  1500 each.  [He proceeded to transfer the couple out of the dusty cellophane bag into a new cellophane bag.]

Judy:  [I only had 822 NPR with me.]  I’ll give you 800 for two.

Shopkeeper:  1100 for two.

Judy:  [I gave a hesitated look with a step toward the door]

Shopkeeper:  950!

Judy:  [I looked at them and realized one bride was missing hands]  The bride in this one is missing her hands!

[The shopkeeper took a stunned look at the couple in the new bag.  The bride was missing her hands.  They must have fallen out of the bag during transfer.  He proceeded to walk behind his desk, crouch down to rummage through something then stood up producing a set of hands.  He also produced a jar of white paste glue and proceeded to repair the bride.]

Shopkeeper:    [Desperately gluing the hands onto the bride.] I fix.  950.

[About this time, Bob and Lily came into the shop.  Chelli filled them in.  Lily whispered, “Two for 800.  The hands are missing!”]

Judy:  I’ll keep looking around.  This was the first place I saw these dolls.  I’m sure there are other dolls on this street.  [I only wanted to pay 800 NPR for two.  Just as I was about to leave, the shopkeeper called out:  ]

Shopkeeper:  Okay!  800!

Chelli:  [Chelli tapped me on the shoulder, pointing at the shopkeeper with his other hand.]  He’s says “all right”.

Judy:  Deal!

The shopkeeper carefully wrapped the two couples in newspaper and into a plastic bag for me.

We stopped at Alchem Pizza for cold sodas.  I shared a small pizza with Bob.  Lily shared a pizza with anchovies with Chelli.

Tee Shirts all around: 

During lunch, I spied a “Hard Yak Café” tee shirt for Tony at a tee shirt shop across the street and pointed it out to the team, saying I’d like to stop to get that shirt for my son.  Lily eyed the tee shirt shop across the street, thinking she’d buy an Everest Beer tee for all the Trekker trekkers –just for fun.

After lunch, we walked over to the tee shirt shop.  Lily explained that she wanted to buy 18 tee shirts of various sizes and colors.  The shopkeeper didn’t have 18 of the Everest Beer tees initially, but offered to make a few more.  He also wanted 550 each.  Lily kept saying, “325 each for 18.”  The shopkeeper kept explaining the high quality and uniqueness of his wares.  In the end, we had mustered 18 tees of varying colors and sizes, and then started to walk away, because the price was still an issue.  Lily negotiated hard for 18 shirts bringing the price from 550 each to 325 each.  I was able to piggy back onto this deal by getting Tony’s shirt for 325 also.  I had to borrow 305 NPR from Bob to do so, though.

Maps and books: 

Down the street, I spied a bookstore that might have the poster Bob was eyeing at all the lodges.  It was a panoramic map of the Himalayan peaks with the names listed on the bottom.  The lodges wanted 400 – 450 NPR, but I saw them at Namche for 200, so Bob waited, but couldn’t find it in Namche.  As luck would have it, the bookstore priced it at 199!  I tried to negotiate it down to 150 if we bought two, but Lily and Chelli said it was so cheap, don’t bother.  We got two posters for 190 each.  I didn’t really want one.  I just wanted to negotiate.  Bob covered me for the poster.  I now owed Bob 495 NPR (approximately 6.88 USD).  I settled up with 7 USD.

We took another cab back for 150 NPR.  A begger boy kept following us and stood in the doorway of the taxi, not allowing Bob to close it, until the driver shooed the begger boy away.  The begger boy quickly appeared at the front passenger (Lily’s) open window.  Lily told him, “No!”  I repeatedly instructed Lily to roll up the window.  Too late, as the driver rolled the taxi away, the begger boy reached into the open window and slapped/hit Lily’s shoulder.

Back at the Shangri-la Hotel, we (Chelli, Bob and I) went to Lily’s room to choose our shirts and help her sort the sizes.  On my way out, Lily gave me her souvenir mask from our first dinner with the group.  Mine had been crushed to powder in the duffle.  She left hers at this hotel.  Lily also asked if I were dressing up for tonight’s farewell dinner.  I said I’d just put on some make-up.  Lily replied, “So… half hour?”  To which I replied, “Thanks a lot.” 

I met up with Lily in the lobby.  We sat with Bob, Chelli, Sharon and Tim for tea.  I ordered a bottle of 2006 pinot grigio (Italy) and shared it with Lily, Bob and Chelli.  Sharon and Tim didn’t want any, having already had three gin and tonics before Lily and I arrived.

Dinner:  From the vast buffet, I chose:  Mongolian barbecue and grilled chicken and pork.  For dessert:  chocolate mousse, trifle and assorted cakes… and another bottle of pinot grigio, but I think Bob stealthily put it on his room, because I only saw one bottle on my tab.

Annie and Ted made brief speeches and handed out more gifts:  We each received a Pashmina scarf.  Earlier, in Namche, Annie asked each of us for our favorite color.  When she came to me, she immediately said, “Red.”  I received a beautiful red Pashmina scarf that just happened to match my lipstick that night.

Ming passed out our boarding passes.

Lily announced she also had gifts, and, with the help of Bob, Chelli and me, passed out the tee shirts.  When I handed Ted his tee, he asked me if I were a part of this generosity.  I simply smiled and said it was all Lily’s idea.

I sat and talked with Dan till 11 PM.  Bob and Chelli had turned in for the night.  Lily and I accompanied Dan to check out the casino next door, where his sons and Songmee were hanging out.

We had to sign a book listing our name and nationality.  No cameras or photos were allowed.  There were children running around both levels of the casino.  The lower level contained slot machines.  The upper level contained gaming tables.  Only one table had any action:  the blackjack table with David, Frank, Craig and Songmee.  Songmee, with a drink in her hand, proclaimed the only thing good happening was free drinks.  Songmee was three sheets to the wind.  Craig commented that, “In other casinos, the dealer is good to you because they get tips if you win, but not here.  They [the dealers] take pleasure in winning.” 

We stayed about a half hour watching David play and lose all his chips before calling it a night.

We all walked back to our hotel – a walk across the parking lot.

From the reception desk, I requested an 8 AM wakeup call because we had to be ready for the tour bus by 8:45 AM.

Lily visited with me briefly.  We talked about the fun we had today and made plans to meet up again in a few months.

12:25 PM:  Quick Journal notes for later.