Nepal 3: Craft

Thamel is the tourist suburb of Katmandu. It is where you will find all the backpackers and budget accommodation, the trekking and adventure companies and of course the craft shops.



The narrow streets are lined with small shops selling everything from clothes to trekking gear. Buddist and Hindu statues, traditional crafts and other obvious touristy trinkets are everywhere.



I loved the clothes!



Felt made from yak-wool is very typical of Nepalese culture. Obviously it had to be adapted for the tourist trade.



Yak wool



Cotton yarn



Rayon from Bhutan. I always thought rayon was a synthetic material, but apparently not. Although it is a manufactured material it is made from natural fibres. I bought a piece from this shop to make into a tablecloth. I have since found out that the process of producing the material causes a lot of environmental pollution. I am now less impressed with my purchase.



Silk shop



Sari shop



A woven throw from a road-side stall



Crocheted truck-decorations sold next to the road. We never had a chance to stop at one of these stalls, so this is the best photo I could get. The women sat on the ground next to the road in small groups crocheting. The trucks coming from India are all heavily decorated inside and out.



This boy was working his pedal-powered Singer at high speed. He works in a shop that sells decorated t-shirts. He can make any design you want, even brands like Reebok and Hard Rock! He was wearing a school uniform so I assume he was the owners' son and not child labour (which is rife in Nepal).



Street art on the side of a delapidated building.



This man carried a tray with small bottles of coloured pigment. He had a range of minute little stamps with which he could make beautiful patterns on your body. He made one on my hand. It is really pretty but unfortunately it doesn't last very long.