Street vendor, Addis Ababa

By way of contrast with the photos I posted yesterday, today I have shown some scenes of the shops and buildings of some of the ordinary people living in the bustling city of Addis Ababa. There are thousands of street vendors like the one shown above, selling everything from fruit and vegetables to clothing to shoes to whatever you want.

Shops in suburban Addis Ababa

Many of the shops are tiny – perhaps only a few square metres in the front room of a house. Bakeries, butcher shops, furniture shops, car repair garages, cafes, clothing shops, sheep and goats for sale, shoe shops – the list could go on and on. In any one street you can find thousands of different items for sale. It’s all very colourful and diverse with pedestrians moving along the street – or on the road – all the time.

One interesting thing we observed in moving through the streets and looking into shops; they are generally very clean. The street may be rough with potholes, drains, animal excrement and the like, but most shopkeepers take a pride in their shops and the wares they are selling. Even in the poorest areas they attempt to give good service and a good product.

Shops in suburban Addis Ababa

Shops in suburban Addis Ababa

Shops in suburban Addis Ababa

Sydney Fish Markets

The Sydney Fish Markets was one of the interesting places we went during our holiday in Sydney last year. This is an amazing place to visit. Everywhere there are food outlets, from fast foods through to full restaurants. Everywhere people a bustling along shoulder to shoulder vying for position. Some of the more popular vendors are shown by the length of the lineup of people snaking from their premises. Everywhere is the smell of fresh fish – or cooking seafood. The noise when we were there was probably a little higher than normal as it was school holiday time and there were a lot of children around.

Sydney Fish Markets

Sydney Fish Markets

Queen Victoria Building, Sydney

On our holiday in Sydney late last year our son suggested that we have a look at the Queen Victoria Building in the city. This historic building contains dozens of interesting specialty shops. I was more interested in the building, the beautiful architecture and the wonderful ambiance of the whole building. Not many shopping centres present in this way, especially modern buildings.

Queen Victoria Building, Sydney

After a very pleasant time in this building and its interesting shops, we found a nearby food mall. Sure it was like feeding time at the zoo with every man and his family trying to find a table to use.

Admittedly we were rather optimistic seeing it was between Christmas and New Year. Actually we didn’t have all that much trouble finding a table for four which was surprising. I had a large plate of delicious pasta which more than made up for the crowded conditions.

I’ve included several more photos of the Queen Victoria Building below. Click on the photos to enlarge the image.

For more information click here.

Leadlight windows, Queen Victoria Building, Sydney

World Clock, Queen Victoria Building, Sydney

Detail, floor tiles, Queen Victoria Building, Sydney

Street scene in Kathmandu Nepal

It is really quite amazing what you can buy from the street vendors in a city like Kathmandu. The variety is staggering. The noise is constant. The movement of people is never ending. The smells are something you can only experience first hand. And the colours are magical.

In this photo I have shown the very colourful wreaths that were for sale everywhere, especially near temples like this one. I should have asked someone there about the religious significance of them, if that is what they are for. Perhaps readers of this blog can enlighten me by leaving a comment.

Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal

If you click on the photo you will get an enlarged version. This will show up the sign in front of the temple which reads “Cottage Handicrafts Exhibition and Sales.” I didn’t visit this one but I did go to several others in different parts of the city. These are generally cooperatives selling handicrafts produced locally with a “fair trade” policy. I felt pleased to patronize several of these as the profits were going directly to local women in need. I’ll write more about that in another article.

Thamel district of Kathmandu Nepal

Like all towns and cities Kathmandu has many specialty shops. The one in the photo shows one such shop. All the items in this shop were made from some kind of metal, mostly copper I think. And there was an incredible variety of different kinds of objects for sale. I actually stood there mesmerised for quite a few minutes, taking in the beautiful artwork and the incredible range of goods for sale.

Many of the items for sale were utilitarian in nature, like ornate jugs, plates, bowls and water pots. Then there were amazingly complex art objects, simple mugs, beautiful saucepans and ornate religious items. Most were carefully polished and wonderfully displayed.

Thamel district of Kathmandu Nepal

Yesterday I wrote about the retail outlets for clothing in the Thamel district of central Kathmandu. These shops are not just confined to this area and similar outlets can be found throughout the city. Sometimes they are not shops but merely displays of clothing or materials right on the footpath.

In the case of the vendor in the photo above, their ‘shop’ was in the square in front of the temple shown in the background. I would imagine that they could not afford to rent a shop space in the commercial heart of the city so they set up this street outlet to tap into the extra trade brought about by the heavy pedestrian and tourist traffic in this area. They might also have lived some distance away because they could not afford accommodation in the central area of the capital.

Whatever the reason, their ‘shop’ added some brilliant colour to an otherwise drab square.

Thamel district of Kathmandu Nepal

Like so many exotic cities shopping in Kathmandu has to be one of the delights for visitors to this city. There are plenty of tourist type shops but there are also many others that are unique to Kathmandu. In the photo above I have shown just one of dozens of clothing and material shops.

Beautiful and extremely colourful gowns were hanging from every vantage point in this shop. In addition there were hundreds of different materials available for those wanting to make their own or engage the local dressmakers. I didn’t ask, but I am sure the shop keeper could arrange for one’s material purchase to be made into a gown or dress, probably by one of the family and made on the premises. In another part of the city I saw a series of tailors, each boasting their pride in their tailor-made suits.

Thamel district of Kathmandu Nepal

I was fascinated by all the sights, colours, smells and variety as I explored the streets of Thamel in Kathmandu. Each little lane held a new experience. The variety was amazing. The variety of shops was interesting: jewellers alongside a bike repair shop next to a fruit and vegetable outlet next to a clothing store.

Some shops specialize in tourist items, like postcards and posters featuring the Himalayas. There are quite a few shops selling either music CDs or DVDs. (I wondered how many of them were pirated copies.) Every fifty metres or so one comes across a small booth where one can exchange money. Internet cafes seemed to be everywhere as were trekking supply shops.

Shops selling pashminas seemed to be everywhere, their colourful wares bringing brightness to the drab lanes. Clothing shops, religious icons, kitchen wares and small bookshops with barely room for two or three people at once and food outlets from street stalls through to large restaurants added to the variety.

While there I did a little shopping but I mainly spent many hours exploring the lanes and alleys of Kathmandu. The sights and sounds were fascinating.

Thamel district of Kathmandu Nepal

While visiting Kathmandu most visitors will end up spending some of their time in the Thamel district. This area tends to be very attractive to visitors due to the incredible range of shopping possibilities available. In a compact area of the city, this district offers many tourist oriented shopping outlets as well as your normal range of shops.

For those who are going trekking in the Himalayas there are numerous shops where suitable equipment can be bought before leaving for the mountains. In fact, those in the know can often purchase clothing and other supplies at a fraction of the price back home in Australia, America or Europe. Some of the well known labels are available very cheaply in Kathmandu so be cautious about quality; they are often not the genuine article.

One of the highlights of a visit to any foreign city in is experiencing the food in a different culture. Kathmandu has many food outlets, including some fine restaurants. The restaurants in the hotels are reputedly very good, though I only have experience of the restaurant at the Shangri La Hotel. This was exceptionally good with reasonable prices. We also tried several restaurants in Thamel, including Kilroy’s of Kathmandu, a famous eatery where Ireland meets Nepal. Excellent food at reasonable prices in a wonderful atmosphere.