Nepal 2025, Day Seven (II. Thamel)

For the first time during our Nepal trip, our Nandaka Vihara group was left to our own devices after lunch. Bhante Dhammasubho had decided to return to the Gokarna Forest Resort on his own, which meant we were free to explore Kathmandu however we liked. And really, where else to go on our final full day but back to Thamel for some last-minute shopping?

Yes, we would be flying back to Penang tomorrow, so this was our last proper opportunity to walk the streets, soak up the buzz and see if there was anything else worth cramming into our suitcases. 

For the rest of the afternoon and into the evening, we wandered the streets of Thamel, quite possibly retracing the same routes over and over, going round in circles, but not really minding it. We weren’t looking for singing bowls this time. That had already been sorted two days ago. Somehow, there was always something else to catch the eye. Like, bumping into an unexpected Nepalese wedding. The bride and groom, dressed in their finest on their most momentous day, had alighted the car and escaped down a side road to attend to their function.

I lost count of how many times we passed the Little Buddha Restaurant. It became something of a running joke. By and large, we stuck to the well-trodden tourist paths, but at one point we did stray down a road less frequented by outsiders. And perhaps it was there that we saw a little more of the “real” Nepal: narrower streets, grittier and gloomier, more dust and dirt, goods that looked a little less polished, but all the more authentic. It was, oddly enough, quite refreshing.

Later in the evening, we met up with our guide again, who took us to a Chinese restaurant for dinner. This was our second Chinese meal in Kathmandu. We'd all agreed that we’d had enough of Nepalese food for now. Last night’s dinner had been pretty good, but tonight’s was nothing worth mentioning. Still, it scratched the itch for something familiar, even if the taste didn’t quite hit the mark.

As we left the restaurant, for the first time during our trip, the rain came down. It started as a drizzle, light enough to be ignored, but picked up just enough to get us wet. Saw See always have her umbrella ready, so she and to a lesser extent, me, was spared the full water works. By the time we reached the hotel, though, the rain had already stopped. 

And so this marks my final jotting from Nepal. The next morning, we checked out of the hotel at eight, headed to Tribhuvan International Airport, and caught our flight home. Everything went smoothly, and by just before midnight, we were back at our doorstep. Feeling very pooped and tired, but grateful for the experience.