Today was Ethan's day to show us his two favorite places in Kathmandu--the zoo, and the bookstore. I was thrilled at this plan because those are always two of my favorite places to visit in any city. Of course, I knew the zoo would be a very different experience than I was used to, and indeed it was. Here is the sign at the entrance of the zoo, followed by its English translation.
Unlike an American zoo, the only thing separating you from most of the animals is a chain-link face. If you were foolish enough to stick you hands through the chain, you would most likely suffer a fate like the poor boy in the warning sign above. Take a look at the photo below. It's kind of difficult to tell, but the leopard we were observing was no more than an arm's length away from us. It was quite agitated at the moment as well due to the Siamang monkeys howling in the cage next door.
The tigers were by far the largest tigers Gideon and I had ever seen. They were in a sunken pit which made me feel a little better about watching them from such close range.
Kathmandu is a highly polluted place, and the zoo was no different. However, there was evidence of an environmental initiative to clean up the zoo and care for the animals' environments. Besides the new ban on plastic bags in the zoo, there were also many signs depicting everyday ways to conserve water.
Here were some other signs that captured the feeling of the Kathmandu zoo.
The hippos are always a favorite for us... there's something about them that remind us of Josie, our Boxer. Maybe it's the eyes, or that big, bulbous snout.
As with most zoos on a school day, it was packed with visiting school groups. In Kathmandu, most children wear uniforms. Other than that, there's very little difference between school kids here and school kids in the states, especially concerning the thrill of being on a field trip for the day.
The highlight of our visit to the zoo was meeting the Asian elephant who was out for her morning walk. Ethan and I handed her a few rupees for the opportunity to pet her rough trunk. She deftly accepted our offering with the finger-like end of her trunk. After visiting with the crowd, the elephant wandered over to the lake in the middle of the zoo for her bath and play time. She had a ball splashing around in the water and finding things to play with and balance on her head. It was clear that this was her time to enjoy herself after performing for the crowds on land.
Playing hide and seek with the kids
One other thing caught my eye at the zoo. There was a rickety old collection of amusement rides for kids. They didn't seem to be in working order, but I have a feeling they were. Fortunately, Ethan didn't seem too interested in trying them out. Good choice.
The Kathmandu zoo was an experience that reflected my take on Kathmandu perfectly. The creatures of the zoo, like the people of Kathmandu are absolutely beautiful. The environment was run-down, dirty, and not adequate for the animals, like the city of Kathmandu. But all in all, it was a most wonderful experience, absolutely unique and unforgettable, just like this city.
Our next stop on the Ethan highlight tour of the 'Du was Pilgrims books, the Kathmandu equivalent to Borders. Pilgrims was a multi-level collection of books and gifts. It was rather dark inside, like a moody old bookshop, due to the afternoon power-outage. My favorite section was the self-help section. So many helpful titles... I could have spent the entire afternoon there.
Thanks for a great tour Ethan. I think you have a future in the tourist industry, and that's coming from someone who knows!
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