Overhere it is very simple : there is only one rule!
THERE ARE NO RULES
Easy and dangerous. As a pedestrian, you mean nothing, you are just an 80 kilo obstacle, moving and navigating, and jumping trough the traffic, when you have to cross over. In many cases, you have to step over front-wheels of motorbikes to get across the other side. They don't mind really...
So, the bigger the vehicle, the more advantage to have way...it is simple, you don't give way here...everyody for him self.
And they drive on the left side, that makes it more difficult, when you are not used to it.
Everybody honks here : bikes, rikshas, tuktuks, cars, busses, police, motorbikes, anything on wheels. Multiply this by a few hundred in one street, you get the picture...
Like I see it, you go to a shop, by a horn you like, attach a vehicle to it, and go on the road. For getting your drivinglicense, they ask one question : on wich side do you drive, mostly? As a practice exam, they just ask : where is the horn and does it work? Easy uh?
So, to move around, I take a taxi. It's cheap 1euro/1,3$ to go anywhere. Mostly, you get a 15 year old Suzuki, strapped togehter with glew and cords, hanging apart. You don't see much, because your head is against the roof of the car..then close your eyes, and hope you get where you wanna be..;-)
And there is always bumpering, thousands of cars going slowly trough the city. Still they honk, I don't know why, you cannot pass anyway. I think they like the sound of it.
One thing you have to do, is buy a mask, if you stay a longer time in KTM, because of the gasses. The roads are dusty, filled with the smell of gass. You need it to protect your lungs.
If you wanna be sure to see if there is any smog, you go to the Kopan Monastey, north-east of KTM. Up there, you have a wonderfull view over Kathmandu-Valley, and you see an orange 'blub' hanging over the city. Then you know ;-) why the mask. These things you can buy anywhere...
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| Crossing at Rani Pokhari |
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| Crossing at Rani Pokhari |
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| Shoppingstreet direction Indra Chowk |
