Slumdog

So my tour guide today wasn't a real tour guide. He was a dude I met while walking through Thamel in Kathmandu.

Firstly, you should know I got a lot by vibe and gut feeling. I liked Rakesh from the get-go.

The tour was excellent, but the highlight for me was having tea at his "house" which rivalled any refugee-camp i've ever seen on tv, and surpassed the slums i've been to in Cambodia.

Rakesh lives under a tarp on a woven bamboo-sliver frame he made himself and houses him, his wife and four children. I'd say it was 3-4 metres squared. It's pretty dismal but I tried really hard not to show it.

Instead I complimented him on his handy work, his beautiful family, and thanked them all for the priviledge of being welcomed into their home and their life.

Below is a photo of his son. I did the thing where you take a photo of the kid and show it to them- they love it.

I'm so lucky.