The haaT Bazaar

Now, before we go any fyrther, you must realise that you cannot buy any hats in the HaaT Bazaar. No, it is the colloquial name for the weekly market that appears in local villages on a circuit, once a week. There is a local village called Fridays Field simply because the HaaT Bazaar meets there every Friday.
Well, as it happens I went for a wee spin up the track this morning on my mountain bike and at 8:30 in the morning, the Haat Bazaar was setting up. Traders had arrived carrying their wares on their backs in large baskets. It is amazing the amount of stuff they can carry when you see it all laid out in the little shacks made for purpose.
The local village of Gunmune has grown from maybe one house to about 20 local houses, then our compound housing 200 - so a ready market for the traders, then their is the attraction for the surrounding villages too. The local village committee encouraged the traders to come by making about 30 bamboo huts for the traders. So they come prepared with their plastic, in case it rains, and their wares, in case customers turn up, which they invariably do.
So, what can you buy in this once a week extravaganza? Shirts, saris, shorts, pants, cloth, cosmetic, sewing stuff, then their is the food, local snacks - samosa, pakoda, purey, chaat, amongst others and of course there are the raw ingredients...vegies such as potatoes, onions, cucumber, beans, chillies, egg plant and a few local root plants. Finally, a buffalo and a pig also made their way to the market, driven by the local butchers who slaughtered them there and then in the middle of the HaaT Bazaar. You can buy a choice piece, but usually one buys a kilo of everything, and that what  you get, freshly sliced and diced there in front of you by large kukri knife. Unfortunately, the buff is as tough as leather. Nepalis would dry it over a smoked fire to chew on later...or stick it in a curry to have with the traditionaldaily meal of dhal bhat, rice and lentils.
On up the road, the beautiful morning continued and after the rain, the air had cleared so that every tree was focussed down to the leaves. God's creation really is amzing.
Well, off to church now, having been usually asked to share, lets see hat the Spirit says today. He's very friendly, you should get to know him.

The Half Way Monsoon

Have just come up to Kathmandu again for my monthly meeting with my Client. Ali was here as she saw Danny, our son, off after his 2 week visit here. That was great to see him and hear of his time in Melby over the last 6 months. Ali saw him off, as I said, then 2 days later slipped on exiting a shop, fell and got herself a hairline fracture in her left elbow. Ouch. Anyway, it is good to be together again, we will return to Ilam on Tuesday.

It was certainly hot down in Ilam, usually 32-38 C, not much less here in Kathmandu mind you, but it is a different sort of heat due to the humidity. It is a dryer heat down in Ilam at 350m above sea level, up here in Kathmandu at 1300m, it is much more of a wet humidity. The clothes do not dry so readily with the air already quite saturated, ad the mildew collects on your clothes in storage, even gets into the lens of your camera.

Went to see the last  Harry Potter in 3D on wed night when I came in. It was rather good, and they got their happy ending. Quite a few modern shopping malls have opened recently in Kathmandu - all the usuals, shopping, restaurants, cinema...and yet out in the street, you can buy almost the same stuff at a quarter the price. The difference being that on the street they do not bother telling you the merchandise is fake branded - that is expected, while in the shops, they will tell you with 100% certainty that the merchandise is pukka branded - shouldn't have to ask! aye, right, pull the other one says he...well, at least the movie was genuine.

So we are at the Half Way Monsoon, no, not a nice pub round abouts here, just half way through this wet season - but a bit like when you get to the half way house it is a good rest, many think it would be nice to get to the end of the monsoon more quickly....There are lots of lurgies floating about, just recovered my self from 3 days at the altitude of 102 Celsius. Up there, there is not much one can do with no energy - just one of those nasty viruses that is going around and everyone has a go at it. So we will try to get some respite in the eating houses of Jawalakhel and head back to Ilam for the second half....speaking of which, I heard the Football season was about to start again in UK....will have to tune in ESPN for live footie on Saturday evenings, it can only help shorten the Monsoon.