Following our trip to Chitwan, we ended up back in Kathmandu. The next morning we caught a bus to Bhaktapur, once the capital of Nepal, on the outskirts of Kathmandu. The Durbar Square includes many ancient temples running along cobblestone streets, which are free of traffic, surrounding the beautiful Palace of 55 Windows, built in the early 15th century and home of the king until the late 18th century. It now houses the National Gallery. Not far from the palace, and perhaps sharing the status of the chief site of Bhaktapur, is the Golden Gate, which acts as the entrance to the Hindu-restricted Taleju Temple, dedicated to the goddess Taleju Bhawani. We headed to Pokhara the next day. There isn’t much to do in the town except fatten oneself up before and after the Annapurna Circuit.
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