Maoists and Strikes - May 4, 2010

Ok, so here's the situation: I'm bored. And I don't mean year everyday garden variety bored, I mean BORED!!

Today is the third day of an indefinite strike. The Maoists were elected into government a few years ago. They were unable to write a constitution, so a transition government was set up. This government also promised to write a new constitution, and set a deadline. However, Constitution Day, as it has come to be called, is less than a month away and there's no way they'll finish on time. Needless to say, the Maoists are pissed. They want the government to resign.
For several weeks party members from around the country have been heading to Kathmandu. On May 1 they held a protest in the valley, asking the government to step down. Unsuccessful in this, they enforced an indefinite nationwide strike, to last until the current government resigns.
The country has been brought to a standstill. No shops are open, nobody's going to work. All transportation has been shut down and school is closed. Students taking their SLC exams (equivalent to British A levels) have been stuck at home as well. The streets, normally congested with cars all over the place and ceaseless honking, are quiet. The entire city has become an almost vehicle free zone - no cabs!
Three days in and the newspaper is carrying reports that those living in the rally camps are starting to get ill from lack of sanitation. Hospitals are apparently treating lots of heatstroke and water-born diseases. Emergency vehicles are among the few allowed on the road (vehicles with tourist plates, press vehicles and essential services as well) and today's paper carried an article on the prevention and treatment of heatstroke.
The streets are the most noticeable difference, with no cars or motorcycles. The only civilian vehicles you see are bicycles, and there are fewer of those. All the streets have become pedestrian walkways, and impromptu cricket and soccer games have broken out everywhere.
Today we went for a wander around this part of the city. The main streets are filled with people, but the side streets, where the shops are, are much quieter than usual. Durbar square, usually hopping with people, is almost empty.
Even during a strike the people have to live. So the shops and restaurants are open for two hours each evening, so people can shop for food. These two hours are especially important in Thamel, as the only option for cooked food is from a restaurant. There's time to get any errands done, and I have lots before leaving for India.
The restaurants have been operating on limited menus, and prices have been increasing as ingredients are increasingly difficult to come by. The bakeries, unable to get the usualy delivery of fresh goods, haven't been open at all. The first two nights we were able to get a good evening meal, but tonight we couldn't find a single open restaurant; they can't get food.
For breakfasts we've been finding the hotels that have restaurants. Some have opened a side door half or all the way, allowing us to find an open one. With 2 decent meals per day, the first two days weren't too bad. With the restaurants closed tonight though, I'm prepared for breakfast here.
The supermarkets have been doing fantastic custom these past few days. The first two days it felt like every tourist here was buying enough food to last a day, and tonight it was even busier. With no kitchen, it's been meals of snacks; instant noodles, cooked and raw, crackers and jam, biscuits and candies have become my meals.
There's nothing to do, as everything is closed, so I've become an expert at being bored. I've read a ton, and gone through all the settings on my camera. Julia with dark skin, and five seconds later, Julia with pale skin. Fuck, I'm bored.

May 27: A quick update on the strike. It ended May 7, one day after I left Nepal.