All about photography, travel in Nepal | Sangesh Shrestha

Thamel is the heart of Nepal’s tourism. I think more than 90 % of tourists who visit Nepal reach there at least once during their visit. It is the place where tourist get everything they want. The Thamel Tourism Board has taken many good steps towards the development of Thamel area and given a different identity of Nepal.

It’s a happening place in Nepal; the only place in Nepal where night life exists. It is the place that shows the real picture of Nepal for the tourists as their first destination in Nepal is Thamel after their arrival in Nepal. It is the place about which they will describe first to their friends once they go back to their home country.
It is the image of Thamel that they will carry in their mind as it’s their first destination in Nepal. This image of Thamel, the first sight of Nepal will always be in their mind for their remain life.

You guys might say, yeah we know that, why are you talking about this thing which we already know? Yeah we all know that, but have we notice out some images they will carry in their mind for long time in future?
Whenever I go to Thamel, I see all these beggars and street children running around the tourist saying 1 dollar Please or with action showing them that they are hungry. It might be the global problem but at the tourist area such scenario? I think Thamel tourism board should try to control such person who irritates the tourist so that they don’t have a bad impression about Thamel. None of the people likes to see the hungry people asking for food when they are eating. Think once what will you do when someone ask you food while you are eating? We can see such incidents there every day. It should be control and the Thamel tourism board should take some steps to take care of such people specially street kids and beggars.

The other thing I found out yesterday night while I was roaming around Thamel area eating sandwich. I took a short walk around the from Thamel chowk to saat ghumti. After finish eating my sandwich, I wanted to throw the plastic and napkin paper in a container or dust bean, but what a pity I could not find one public container where I can throw that plastic and napkin paper. I asked myself a question, is this place we call tourist area of Nepal? There is no even a single container to throw the plastic bags, food wrappers and other things

I have a bad habit of spitting, coz I get cough most of the time. My friends says me, “you dirty guy always spit where ever he likes”, but to tell you guys the truth, when I find any container or a place where people put off their cigarette (a container with sands) I used to spit on such things when I was abroad for few months. We don’t have such facility in Nepal. If I find such container where I can throw the residue or spit, then why would I spit on street. I don’t want my friends calling me dirty guy, I also don’t want to give bad impression to tourist who visit by spitting on the streets. I am really controlling on my habit, it is not just habit but I have my own health problem too.

I remember many years ago, may be before 1991 people movement or just after that, I did see such small container in green color on every corner of the road, later they disappear. I don’t know what happen to such container, past is past now we can still do it in a community level, I urge the Thamel Development Committee to start this movement, and hope all wards will get aware of such containers and start them from community level so that we can see the clean street.

I hope someday soon, we will see in every 100 meters distance small container to throw food wrappers, plastic, bottle and even spit when you need to spit and let’s hope that beggars and street kids will be eliminated from such tourist areas and government will take some steps for their food, shelter, good health and future.