Kathmandu parks

This very pretty bench is the perfect place to take some time to enjoy the sunshine, read a book, or just linger for a few minutes and take in the view. There’s nowhere else like it in Kathmandu.

Literally, nowhere. Kathmandu streets are dusty, noisy and difficult to navigate. Motorbikes don’t pay much attention to sidewalks. And pedestrians have a very loose idea of where they’re supposed to walk. So both mingle in a continual stream of near disaster and, if you’re not vigilant, you may well be standing in the wrong place when disaster happens. And if you’re not looking down, you can trip, or twist your ankle or tread in something nasty. There are no benches, public parks or quiet spots, only gaps in the chaos where people dump their garbage. It ain’t pretty. Not surprisingly–especially as a foreigner–there is nowhere to stop and take a breath.

Except the charming Garden of Dreams, a paid park close to Kathmandu’s tourist district of Thamel, and a little haven of quiet and solitude amid all the chaos. Getting out of Kathmandu to the beauty of Nepal is not always possible, but here at least you can escape for a little while.

Hanging out on the grassy amphitheater at the Garden on Dreams. Here in the dusty dry season, its not so green. But is pretty, calm, and no one bothers you.