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Kathmandu Sunday February 04, 2001 Magh 22, 2057.
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Khasha Bazaar resembles Bhrikutimandap
By Shraddha Shrestha
KATHMANDU - Far from the madding crowd - that was the driving spirit that
propelled me and nine other friends away from the mad rush of the noisy and polluted
Kathmandu Valley last week.
We planned to visit the famous Khasha Bazar, the Chinese town adjoining the
Nepal-China border, some 100 miles north from Kathmandu. And surely, I was really excited
to have a first hand experience of the much talked about hubbub town.
But instead of enjoying the whole drive, I stole a quick nap here and there
just to escape the scary winding road. But definately, the times when I was awake was
surely breathtaking.
Not to forget, the famous picnic spot of Dolalghat looked pretty much
impressive with its clean blue-green water and high hills beside it. We could not resist
the smell of fried fresh water fish there.
At one point, we stopped to view a foreigner who was preparing to experience
his own account of bungy jumping in the country, claimed by its organizers as the highest
point in the world. I vividly imagined, I could never do it if I ever was in his place at
all.
When the final jump was made, I have to admit: I was even more excited and
thrilled than the foreigner himself.
Then after Barebise, the drive turned more dangerous as the highway was
unpitched. In some places, landslide had even battered the winding mountainous road that
sometimes looked as if we would zoom down the hill into the river down below.
Finally, we reached Tatopani, the place made famous for its hot spring bath.
Water flowed continuously from some six taps where people were crowded, many who were
there as the place is considered holy by both Buddhist and Hindu devotees.
But the taps were what had never intruded my imagination as I always thought
hotsprings were ponds surrounded with hot vapours. But what to say? The place was indeed
Thatopani.
Then we reached Khasha Bazar, the market town on the Chinese side and where
tickets had to be bought before anyone entered. It was similar to Honkong Bazar, at
Bhrikutimandap in the capital. Except that the language spoken there was mostly Chinese.
"Oh Sathi (Hey friend)!" is the most common greeting used to
address the Chinese shopkeepers in Khasa Bazar. And, the Chinese businessmen loved the
greeting too.
The marketplace was heaped with all kinds of essential goods ranging from
daily accessories to electrical goods. The most easy way of price fixing there was by
pressing numerical buttons on a calculator.
For one instance, a shopkeeper pressed 400 on his calculator when I inquired
about the price of a Chinese tea-cup set. I wanted a bargain and pressed 180 on the same
calculator hinting if the tea-cup set could be bought at Rs. 180.
The shopkeeper instantly looked at me and said, "Kasto Lobhi Manchhe
(Such a greedy person)." Then everybody burst out laughing.
Most of the shopkeepers, mostly holding a cup of Tibetan tea in hand played
Majhong (a local gambling game). The game looked interesting but was difficult to
understand despite my fullest efforts.
On my return, I stopped and compared the Nepal and China side. The Nepal side
of the hill was surrounded by small huts. While the Chinese side was clustered with huge
concrete houses.
Had this development been in my country? I thought. Why do we always have to
be so capital centric in our development activities?
We returned passing by a number of police check post beats. And the thought
came over me during the bumpy drive back home: The long way to development in this part of
the country will only leap forward if only the road was well built and maintained
properly.
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