My clock is still on China time so I was up early. I've been meaning to try the giant buffet breakfast at the guest house and decided since I was up early and most everything else would be closed due to the strike I should try it. I was disappointing. The Indian food was plain, the English food was over cooked, and the omelets were greasy - the highlight was the corn flakes. I went out for a couple hour walk down to and around Durbar Square. It was very surreal - everything was closed and there were no vehicles on the street. There was also a strange electricity in the air - sort of half holiday celebrations and half fear. There are a few stores open, but even they have their doors half way shut and some one standing guard at the nearest corners. That way if the protest mob comes near they can quickly close and pretend they were never open. Talking to people it sounds like most people are not in favor of the opposition party called strike, but are in fear of having their stores destroyed or worse. Even the street vendors are gone.
I found a book store and bought two books I'd been meaning to read for awhile (Heinrich Harrer's Seven Years in Tibet and Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist), but I couldn't find any handicraft type stores open. Too bad I saved all my shopping for the end of my trip - the strike is going to last three days and I leave on the last day! With nothing else to do I did internet for a couple hours, and then read for a few more. Around dusk I went for another walk to see how things were. I walked for an hour and noticed a few more shops open, but they're all local orientated. I'm hoping things will lighten up a bit tomorrow, but it seems doubtful. I had dinner then worked on my computer, and then interneted again until late.
