Kathmandu - Freak Street

Freak Street acquired its name in the late 1960s/early 1970s when Kathmandu became a Mecca for hippies and flower people attracted by the idyllic almost traffic-free city and seemingly unlimited supplies of hashish. Cannabis or ganja, Shiva's favorite herb which grows virtually wild here, is used by sadhus as part of normal religious practice. Older male villagers also enjoy a smoke when getting together for a game or a chat. In this congenial climate the influx of drug-seeking foreigners stimulated a thriving trade. Cannabis sellers on the streets and cannabis biscuits in the restaurants were not unusual. More and more hotels appeared. Freak Street became the tourist center of Kathmandu, until eventually overtaken by Thamel with its