Yak Restaurant, Boudha

You know those places that you walk past and completely ignore, that you walk past and think, eek I wouldn't go in there... well, Yak Restaurant is a dingy little place just like that. That you'd probably just walk past without even looking at twice. I did, and have done for months until someone insisted that they did the best Szechuan food in town and took me there for an office lunch....and this was coming from a man from Hong Kong so I trust his judgement. 

It's located on the main streets heading to Boudha Stupa from Shechen Guesthouse, or the Hyatt, just past the bollards and ticket booth that never ever seems to stop anyone for tickets. Small from the outside, it's actually surprisingly big on the inside with a weird cross between gloomy and bright with light only come from the main door and skylights. There is noting presuming or fancy about it. Tables and chairs are all odds and ends, there are several makeshift wooden pillars in the middle of the room holding the roof up, it's like it once-upon-a-time was a shack but has slowly become more and more established and held together. 



















Now for the important bit, the food. I can't claim to know anything about Szechuan food, but what I can say is that everything that we ordered was fantastic. Tofu in oyster sauce, Chicken, beans and peppers - which turned out to be peanut and chilli was delicious. Little spicy pieces of chicken with a nutty background. Then fried green beans and mixed vegetables and nuts. Lots of noodles and rice to go with it. Oh, and bottomless tea...not green tea, and not black tea...something else rather good. 

The menu went on for pages with very to the point descriptions. What else would you want to know - it's Beef with peppers- forget to mention that it's super hot chilly and lots of ginger, or, just fried mushrooms - which turn out to be battered mushrooms which have been deep fried and then put into a gravy with onions and other vegetables!

Since that first visit, I've been back several times and tried a whole array of different choices. It's quick, it's simple - (but only both of these if you don't let yourself get completely confused by the menu and take half an hour just to order!) and best of all it's amazing! 

Time to start again

I've been horribly bad at updating my blog, and realise there has been a lull for about four months! Not good when I am meant to be sharing my crazy and wonderful experiences from this year away.

What I can say right now is that it's been tough. A tough few months, especially since I got back from the UK in August. But rather than dwelling on the hard days...though I might rant about that a bit, I'm going to start doing more of what I'd set out to do in the first place.... talk about the restaurants and cafes around Nepal that I go to, the random events that I get invited to and general day to day experiences and craziness.

And I'll try and start sooner rather than later.

Incredible Faces...pt1

I've had the privileged to take pictures of some amazing local faces while here in Nepal and I wanted to take the opportunity to share some of them. As most of my friends know, I'm pretty inseparable from my camera and I particularly love capturing the faces of people who have amazing stories. Most of the images here are of Tibetans who live in the Tibetan Refugee Settlements scattered around Pokhara, Nepal. The elders have all got a story that either involves having fled Tibet after the Chinese invasion in 1959 or who were part of the Mustang Guerrilla army who continued to fight the Chinese until the late 60s. The young generation who are being brought up in the settlements are now struggling with their identity, and most of struggling with the lack of opportunities for them. Ultimately the younger generation are the future of the community and the seed for Tibet to live on. It's the younger generation that I'm going to be working with closely while I'm out here. 

Different Worlds

Working withing the real developing sector, with NGOs that function on the most basic budgets, and looking out on people who live on the smallest amount every day...and then seeing an add for the new super swish, Microsoft offering to the world which costs what three families could live off for a month...I actually had to remember that this is the same world we are living in. 

Shopping

I went out yesterday to pick up a few bits and pieces of shopping that I needed. I thought I'd share my purchases with you because really the come from a rather wide spectrum of places around Boudha. 

It may not look like a very exciting shop, but really, each item is pretty special and made me happy.  

So, Starting with the Mangoes. Who can resist, especially when it's mango season. These are a more local variety of mango, not the golden Alfonso ones that get shipped off to the west, but a more rustic type who stay fairly green on the outside but have deliciously yellow and sweet flesh. These I bough from a man with a bicycle with a big basket strapped to the back. It's amazing how the mangoes remain so neatly arranged in the basket. I don't think the guy ever rides the bike, it can't possible be balanced properly, but they let him take around a fairly big cargo without straining his back too much. I had already eaten a couple of the mangoes before I decided to take this picture. And these two lovely specimens got turned in to lassi which you can read about here! 

Just above the mangoes is a bag of yogurt (dahi) which is really far more liquid and runny than any yogurt you'd get in the west. I've already promised to get a picture of the little dairy shop where I buy it from. The shop keeper makes the yogurt fresh every day and keeps a big bowl and bucket of it in a chest fridge in the store, pouring out 1/2 liter ladles of it into plastic bags when needed. For some reason people here like the yogurt to be pre-sweetened and it's the far more available variety. Not what I like, especially to go with my rice and dall dinner. You can get the sweetened stuff in tubs which is a bit more convenient and the tubs can be returned so is really far more environmentally friendly. Come to think of it, I could just take a tub down to be filled up! I've been putting the yogurt through a muslin cloth to take the whey out. But this time I think I'll make Mango Lassi out of it. 

Potatoes. still got some dirt on them ...and not all neatly packaged in plastic! Instead they are straight out of a sack from a little shop that sells all sorts of veg, rice, lentils and pretty much everything else you'd need for a basic meal here. Think I'll make some mash this week and try and get some sausages from the Nina and Hager Butchers on the other side of the city. While I am loving the food her, I am getting a bit bored of rice and dall every day, and some times twice! Nina and Hager is a butchers that all the foreigners recommend where they prepare and package the meat using German technology. Really, it allows us foreigners to keep our squeamish side and stay away from the raw chopped up carcasses that the regular butchers have on show here. Maybe I should do a comparison picture at some point. 

Ah, then the Tonic Water!! yayayay, the last four cans in the shop. 2 cold enough to drink so I cracked one open for a G&T as soon as I'd taken the picture, and the rest carefully cooling in the fridge! I picked up a bottle of Tanqueray gin on my way through Delhi duty free and am very happy I did. If anyone is coming to visit me, I'm going to have to insist on doing some duty free shopping for me (I now sound like my parents). 

A tub of Amul Cheese Spread! Does anyone else remember this Plastic Cheese? It's actually perfectly good, particularly in a pasta sauce or even just on toast! Back at Woodstock we used to have this in our waiwai instant noodle some times with the addition of a can of tuna. Really I sometimes look back at those dorm cooked meals and wonder what on earth we were thinking!!

I also got a kilo of baby carrots for a guy who had a little stall on the side of the road who only had carrots. He asked 40npr for a kg, but I got them for 30, even that was probably more than they were worth, but really at 22p for a kg of carrots is seriously a good price! How can I possibly argue about that. At some point I do want to think more carefully about these bargaining rituals that I some times go through. Is it really worth driving the price down when what we are talking about is a matter of Pence in UK terms? But at the same time, should I let salesmen/women get away with charging me a much higher price for something just because I'm clearly a foreigner? I had that dilemma recently when buying peaches and the store keeper asked the Nepali woman next to me for 100npr for a KG and then turned to me and asked for 150npr! The problem is that I understand the language so know when I'm being treated as a foreigner, and that just annoys me! In the case of the peaches, I insisted on 100npr! 

Finally a nice loaf of Muesli brown bread and a Walnut Brownie. These were from a bakery down one of the side roads leading away from the Stupa. There are quite a few of these bakeries around that make pretty decent brown bread and even more fancy pastries. The bread was perfect for breakfast with Mum's home made plum jam, and a change from my usual yogurt and mango. The brownie on the other hand, didn't quite hit the spot. Had a distinct artificial flavor to it, too much sugar and certainly not enough good dark chocolate!! 

Oh, not last, last of all is a 200 gram piece of fresh paneer. From the same yogurt man. I had some spinach pure in the fridge so decided to make Palak Paneer for dinner tonight. I cut the paneer into cubes, lightly fried it, added the spinach pure and some spices, salt and pepper, and had it with my rice and dall! 

So there you have it. My Shopping for the day and some little stories along the way. 

More coming soon. 

The Simplest Mango Lassi!

It's mango season here on this side of the world, and they are everywhere! Today I decided to make Lassi! 

It's so simple and all you need is: 

Three Essential Ingredients.

A couple of nice ripe mangoes

A packet of yougurt

and

A blender

Here I walk down the road and buy a packet of yogurt in a plastic bag. The man in the shop ladels in into a bag in 1/2 or 1 ltr portions from a big bowl of freshly made yogurt that's chilling in the freezer. One day I'll put up a picture of my friendly dairy man in his shop. He also sells fresh Paneer which is georgous as well as the slightly more unusual Yak Cheese!! 

 How to make a Lassi

Step 1: Cut up the mango and put it into a blender. I ended up using three smallish very ripe mangos

Step 2: Add in the yogurt. It needs to be fairly runny yougurt, Greek Yogurt will not do (as much as i love it) because it will make it way too think. A plain natural yogurt should do 

Step 3: Blend it up! 

And pour! That's it! 

If you've made too much then pop it in the fridge to let it chill and drink it later. Or, I had the idea that putting it in a tub and freezing it would work quite well too, and make a really nice mango yogurt ice-cream!! I'd do it if I had a freezer I could rely on! 

Other recipes suggest a dash of cardamon which would work too. Would give it that tiny bit of spice and Indian flavour. And if your yogurt is too sour, or mangoes not sweet enough you can always add a spoonful of sugar or honey to make it a bit sweeter. 

But mine was perfect for a Saturday morning! 

A morning walk

Empty Boudha streets 

Things were looking rather uncertain in Kathmandu a couple of weeks ago. There had been a series of bandhs, day after day, and I was beginning to hear about the situation getting a little more unsettled and volatile than usual. I've talked about the bandhs before - when it is enforced, people are not meant to go out, drive their cars, or open up their shops for the day -  generally bicycles were ok and even motorbikes. This time though, I kept hearing that motorbikes and bicycles were not being allowed out and the protesters, or the ones calling the bandh were burning peoples bikes if they did go out. Even the lady who helps out in my flat said she passed two burning motorbikes last Morning on her walk to work.

So, with all this happening, I was beginning to get a bit nervous. I wasn't able to get across the city to my office, and even most of the shops in Boudha were closed so I hadn't been able to buy any food. I decided, I'd head to Mumbai for a few days and wait it out until after the 27th and the constitution was due to made. 

Not a car in sight

I booked my ticket for the next day, easy enough and pretty cheap, but then came the next problem. How was I going to get to the airport in the morning. My flight wasn't till noon, not that made a difference. Taxi's didn't want to drive because there was a possibility they would get damaged, and there isn't exactly any public transport to take. Actually, taxi's would go, but not after 5am in the morning - so I'd have to be up and out by 4 and then have over 6 hours sitting at the airport - not my idea of fun. 

One option that came up was taking the tourism board bus from the Hyatt Regency to the airport - by the timings were unpredictable and there wasn't any guarantee of a seat. So I started asking around about options and the idea came up to walk to the airport! Yes, Walk to the airport, with a porter carrying my luggage, early in the morning. Not something you would ever think about doing in any other country.

At least I didn't have too much luggage

So that's what I did. 6km from Boudha to the Airport, at 8am in the Morning isn't too bad when you don't have much to carry. It was oddly enjoyable and definitely makes for a good story. It was quite impressive having this little Sherpa man carrying my luggage! Going down through Boudha and across the main road was a bit weird. Not a car in sight, a few people walking around, but that was it. This is usually a busy road and at that time in the morning should have been packed with cars, busses and micros taking people and children to work and school. Instead it was rather eerily quiet. We crossed the main road and went down along a back road heading towards Pashupati temple and the airport on the other side. It was nice to see the place waking up. It's amazing what people will do in total public on the side of the road, have a bath, brush their teeth, drink their morning cup of tea. When your house really small, and you share with so many others I guess all sense of personal space and privacy gets lots.

A Nepali riot policeman having an easy time

I walked down behind Pashupati Temple, they didn't let us go through the complex, which might have been faster, without paying the 500rs entrance fee. They clearly didn't want people just using the temple as a through road, and fair enough. Instead, we walked along an unpaved and rather dusty road through a beautiful forest. At that time in the morning the cicada's and the birds were singing and it was still quite cool with the sun just coming up behind us. In front, we saw several other families dragging the bags along, clearly also headed for the airport.

Then, up through the forresty bit, we came alongside Kathamdu's golf course. I had never know it was there before, but there it was, green and lush with people out with their caddies already starting a game. I guess the bandh's didn't really affect them. By now we were nearing our end point, arriving at the airport in style! 

Pretty walk through the woods behind Pashupati

Nicely paved path along the golf course on the final stretch 

Constitutional Dilema

I have been looking for an article of some sort that explains or at least a perspective on the situation in Nepal at the moment. Living in Nepal for the last couple of weeks, it's been really interesting to be a part of the bandhs that have been held and to hear about the issues that are leading to the strikes. Basically, Nepal is finally drawing up a new constitution, and different groups, most of them ethnic, are trying to bid for their own requests to be part of the constitution. The main issue is around dividing up the country into states based on ethnic groups. If not based on ethnic groups, they want the states to be named after ethnic groups. As far as I am concerned it's a primitive way of viewing things, but as this article form The Economists explains, Nepal is a highly segregated country, with a large number of different ethnic groups, casts, and identities who previously have not had the opportunity to have their voices heard. This article does help a bit to explain where the current turmoil is coming from. 

And, I am glad that it highlights that "Ethnic leaders, national politicians and the media have all failed to explain what ethnic federalism will mean", - this is something I've failed to understand, a relief that it's not just me.


Nepal's minorities  Constituting a nationality                                                                                         The Economist  May 24th 2012, 9:23 by T.B. | KATHMANDU

"....This week politicians were due to fulfil a commitment to divide Nepal into ethnic federal states, under a new constitution. This made many Nepalis anxious, as they feared that their country was on the brink of falling apart. The pressure mounted until, amid alleged conspiracies, strikes and street protests threatening to boil over into something worse, the long delayed charter was postponed for another three months.

Is it really a good idea, dividing a country of around 30m people and over 100 different ethnic, caste and linguistic groups into ten or more federal states, each with a designated ethnic identity? Sceptics argue that ethnic federalism makes a poor fit for the country’s social complexity. Opponents predict it will sow communal divisions and aggravate a spiral of hatred and violence where peaceful co-existence was once the norm. None of this, they say, was an issue until the Maoists messed up everything.

Caste discrimination has not had been embodied in the law of Nepal for 50 years and yet, despite assurances of equality that were written into previous constitutions, very little has been done to address entrenched inequalities. The high castes still overwhelmingly dominate national politics as well as the army, bureaucracy, media and business communities. Nepal is one of the most economically unequal countries in Asia and ethnicity and caste status are closely correlated with a person’s likely fortunes. Many if not most citizens consider themselves “excluded” by the state...."

To read the full article on The Economist visit: http://www.economist.com/blogs/banyan/2012/05/nepals-minorities

Majestic

Ever since I first came to Nepal I've wanted to see the infamous view of the Himalayas that you are meant to get on the flight in and out of the country. On all my visits here before I've either ended up on the wrong side of the plane, or the weather hasn't been clear enough, leaving the mountains hiding behind clouds. When you haven't seen the mountains, you look out of the window and don't realize that they are there, blanketed by the clouds - or they just blend in, white against white.


On Tuesday I finally saw them. On my flight down to Mumbai I got spectacular views of these majestic mountains. Just a few minutes after take off, there hey were and for a good 15 minutes we flew along side. At a distance of course, but the mountains tower so high that even from the air they seem be be just there.

They seem to rise out of the clouds, like they had not base, a a snow capped crown sitting in the sky. And down on the ground, several huge rivers flow away from the mountains. The life line if Asia. It was incredibly breath taking, and I couldn't help but sit and smile and finally getting this view. Oddly, no one else seemed that interested to look at them, and instead I got funny looks as I tried to switch seats and move further back in the plane to get a better view.

Pictures from my window don't do it justice...So, if you want to make sure you see them on your flight in to visit me, get a window seat. A on the way in and F on the way home. This took me a while to figure out, but now I know exactly where I'm sitting on my future flights.

A very local eatery

After my first work meeting earlier this week, my British colleague to me and a couple of others from the office to this rather local establishment. Not one I would usually trust without some serious recommendations. But who can resist a plate full of lovely steamed momos? 

I've tried making Momos in the UK in the past. N loves them and there is something particularly fun about making them together. One rolls the dough, the other fills them with the meat and onion filing. I've always found that the one at home, though nice and tasty, then to end up with the meat being on the slightly dry side. Clearly lean mince is not quite the right thing, and what you need is some seriously fatty filing! And some good chili sauce. I didn't get a picture of it, but a mug of chili sauce was being passed between the tables, bright red an clearly nothing but ground up chilly. I decided not to risk it. If the momo's where going to upset me, the spice certainly was! 

Very simple but delicious place of lovely momos

So this restaurant was seriously simple. Just two tables that got shared around between customers. And the owner is a Nepali woman married to a Tibetan man who runs the cafe with her son. Like anywhere else, if the place is filled with locals happily eating, then it must be good. When we arrived we got one of the tables to ourselves. The other was being shared, an old Tibetan woman, a chupa roughly put on, layers upon layers even in this heat and old grey hair platted and wound round her head, a mala round her neck and a few pieces of old Tibetan jewelry; a young mother and her daughter, out for her school lunch break, the girl said she was five but really that means she was four, Tibetans say they are 1 from the time they are born, eat up, eat up - a plate of momos and bowl of weak momo soup; and a Nepali man who spoke perfect Tibetan who was introduced to me as one of the drivers for a local hospital, a bit smile and friendly face. The same hospital where oddly my offices have the top floor. 

 A restaurant like this is a real experience. A lot to see and take in. I dare not think what meat it is hanging on the line across the kitchen. Not what was in my momos I hope. Though saying that, they were delicious and I have not had any tummy repercussions so it must have been clean enough. There were bowls of boiled noodles ready to make soup, or turn into chowmein, plates of herbs and vegetables and a big momo steamer on the stove. 

Himalayan Produce

I was rather excited to come across this Himalayan Extra Virgin Olive Oil when I was last in Bhat-Batini. Certified as being Extra Virgin, it's apparently the only olive oil made in this part of the world, and certainly the only one made in the Himalayan region. At NRS 1150 it feels like it's a tad on the steep side, by really, when translated it's only about £8 and so, just for because of novelty of it, and in order to support local businesses over her, it's definitely worth it! 

I wonder how many I'll be able to get in my luggage! 

"Himalayan Extra Virgin Olive Oil is made from hand-picked, green-ripe Olives which grow in the crystal clear mountain air of hills in Nepal, at close to 2000m. They are cold-pressed immediately after harvesting. The oil is low in acidity and high in natural antioxidants. To retain its superb qualities, this oil should be kept closed after use, in a cool and dark place. Below approx 8 *C it becomes cloudy which does not influence the quality. It regenerates quickly at room Temperature" 

www.himalaya-plantations.com

Fashion!

So it didn't take me long to catch onto some real Nepali fashion :D Don't I look great.

It's rather dusty here at the moment. A lot of illegal buildings have been torn down along the side of the roads (a future post), the roads haven't been re-made for years, and it hasn't properly rained yet to dampen down the dust. This brilliant fashion pieces does kind of keep the dust out of my noes, mouth and lungs though. everyone is wearing them, where ever you look and there are some brilliantly ornate ones available too! Fancy some nice brocade fabric? It does get a rather hot with it on and some how manages to steam up my sun glasses! I have to hasten to add that I didn't quite realize that my mas was going to be quite so candy pink, it's white on the inside, and I had my sunglasses on when buying it. Having said that, the choice wasn't exactly huge where I was looking, I might go for the one with cartoon bunny rabbits on next time :D

Bandh, power cuts and dry taps

It's been a rather interesting first week in Kathmandu with a lot of getting used to.

So where to being? The temperature, the dust, the endless dogs barking at night...the bandh's, power cuts, and running out of water. Think I might have to cover these one by one.

I was meant to start work on Thursday and go into the office, meet my colleagues and start having meetings. Up I got, rather nervous and out to the road to meet my ride. By lo and behold, I was going to experience one of Kathmandu's many joys, a Bandh. A Bandh is a strike which is generally called by a political party or active group (student group for example) in protest against something. It's a form of social disobedience, and Nepal has become famous for it! Apparently there had hardly been any bandh's for months before I arrived, but I seem to have landed right in the middle of a rather sensitive political situation. The current issue is around the new constitution of Nepal, which having missed deadlines, been pushed back and delayed several times has now been given a final deadline of the 27th of May to be published. And when I say it's been delayed, I don't mean by just a short while, the interim constitution has been extended for two years now, since May 2010 because of failed negotiations between all the involved parties!

The major sticking point at the moment, as far as I understand (and I am not a political person) is around how to construct a new federal Nepal which represents the country's diverse ethnic groups. There are certain groups who are calling for Nepal to be divided into states along ethnic lines, and some say even by caste and there are those who are think the states should be based more on economic viability and diversity. While the congress seems to have decided against ethnic divisions, very wisely I'd say, they still haven't come up with how many federal states there will be - somewhere between 7 and 11 is the current figure, and how to name them. Trying to satisfy all the differnt parties involved, and all the fractions within the parties is clearly not easy, and this is why there have been all the strikes.

During the bandhs people are not meant to go out and are forced to keep shops and businesses closed. Taxi's are scared of driving, because if they break the bandh the car will likely be threatened and damaged. If you need to get somewhere, you have to either walk, or leave before the bandh begins at about 6am or after it finishes at about 5. Only emergency vehicle are allowed out, and apparently you can hire a fake ambulance or police car to get you to the airport or out of the city during a bandh.

The bandh must be incredibly damaging to the country's economy. Tourists can't get out to sites, taxi's don't get their rides and shops have to keep their door shut. How the groups who call these bandhs think it will have a positive out come I am yet to understand. So, within my first week in Kathmandu I already experienced two days of bhand, and am getting to grips with the precarious political situation around me.

Power cuts and dry taps will follow...

Tax

Tax in Nepal us huge, I guess It's import tax. I've been told that a new car is subject to 2-300% tax, (and yes, I mean Hundred!).
The taxi driver I had this morning was telling me that he'd never been to India, but that he and people from his village, close to the boarder would often buy bicycles from across the boarder. Being rather unchecked they could get away would it, but to make sure not to get hit up for tax he'd scuff the new bike, drop it on the floor a few times so it looked a but warn and old.

Money exchange

In Nepal money get a totally different level of respect than anywhere else in the world that I've been to. Notes and coins don't just get chucked around there is a particular way of handling money. When you are handing money over or receiving it you can only ever use your right hand. And as you hand it over, you touch your left hand to your right forearm or elbow. It's hard to explain without seeing it done, but immediately  there is a sense that the money has a bit more meaning. It's a habit I really like and remember noticing the last time I was here.  

Arrival

Trying to start this blog has been harder than I expected. I've been quite occupied since leaving England with rushing around cities getting stuff done. And the day in Delhi was an adventure in it's self, but that's for another post. There is almost too much too see and too much going on around me for me to take in to be able to write down.

Durbhar Marg, one of the main streets in the city, should really be called Purple Avenue with all the Jakaranda trees in bloom along it. Note, KFC and Pizza Hut have come to town!

My task list on arriving in Kathmandu included getting my phone set up and getting 3G working, an internet dongle and money changed. All of which require copies of my passport and visa and finger prints. I had blue thumbs for the first day here which I failed to keep away from my face. Then there is the basic buying of stuff. Bits of food, toiletries and a towel! Kathmandu now has a super market chain Bhat-Bhateni which has aisle and aisles of all sorts of stuff, imported and local. The one near Boudha that I went to was four floors high and sold absolutely anything you could need. Three aisles of just pasta - four if you add in all the instant noodles!

Bhat-Bhateni Super Market full of local and imported food and anything else you could want!

This is my third evening in Kathmandu and I am beginning to get the hang of things. The power situation here is something I had been dreading but I've managed ok so far. Nepal has serious electricity shortages and until the rains come and fill up the dams the whole of Kathmandu has scheduled power outages (I've just discovered this link - very useful). I am in Group 1 and every day we have 12 hours or more without power. It's actually surprisingly easy to function especially when I have back up batteries for my laptop, an internet dongle and a wind-up lantern. Tonight though the power hasn't gone out when it should have done (three hours ago) and I think that's because it's been raining heavily all day. I don't quite understand the logic but if it rains they don't turn the power off because it fills up the rivers/dams enough. But when the power does go off most places have a back up generator or inverter (battery) that give at least enough power for a couple of lights and appliances to work. But the one in the place I am staying has died. 

The inverter - or massive battery