Kathmandu Round II

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I left Kuwait at 10:00 AM for a much needed holiday outside of the Arab world, and was glad to be heading to Nepal for the second time. I went at this time last year with a friend, but this time she couldn't join me, so I am on my own, which is fine with me. Like most of Asia, you're never really alone when you're there. I made it to Kathmandu around 8:00PM and actually got through the visa line in about 5 minutes! I knew what to expect, so I rushed off the plane, rushed to get my entry form, and rushed to the front of the foreigner's line. I thought I could pay in rupees, but I couldn't, so I had to actually go exchange rupees back to US dollars. But the guys at the desk already had my application, so I went straight back to the desk and by this time, the line was really long. Whew! Made it!

Rabi Adhikari, the co-owner of Adventure Discovery Treks, met me at the airport with a driver and his brother, Dipu. I used Adventure Discovery Treks the last time I came to Nepal and did a four day trek in the Annapuras. This time I wasn't trekking, but I did want to visit Nagarkot and Chitwan National Park, so I asked Rabi to make my bookings for me and arrange transport. Once again, he did a great job. Everything was organized and went smoothly.

First I went to my hotel, Hotel Nepalaya in Thamel, and was very happy with my room. They have excellent service too. I was pretty tired so I didn't venture out till morning. Rabi met me at breakfast and then we went to his office for a bit where I saw my trekking guide, Nabin, from last year! It was so good to see him. Then we met up with a Canadian guy who had finished his trek and was leaving today. We all went to lunch together at Rabi's sister's restaurant, called Huddl House. That's where I took the picture of the electrical wires. Wow. Right outside the window.

After lunch, Rabi and I got on his motorbike and went to Pashupatinath Temple (500NRs), a World Heritage Site. This temple is quite famous and I didn't get to see it on my last trip. Rabi knows I like to ride the motorbike, so he took me there, even though this was not part of my trip package. I thought I would be on my own in Kathmandu, which was fine with me, but he took me to the temple and showed me around. Several bodies are cremated here each day, and I saw three while I was there. I had never witnessed anything like this before. There was quite a crowd watching when we arrived, tourists and locals alike. Two bodies were actually burning when I arrived. Rabi was a trekking guide for several years, but is very honest about the fact the he is not a city guide, so he told me as much as he knew about the temple. It is still an active temple with lots of worshippers and some people still live in the community around the temple itself. There are many, many stupas as well. I asked Rabi about what a stupa actually is. He explained that women build the stupas and say a prayer for their husband's long life, or something like that. Then he told me to look inside one of the larger ones, one of the red ones in my pictures. Haha. It housed, actually they all housed, a very interesting looking statue - of a penis. I had to laugh. Perhaps the women were praying for more than long life?

We walked to the top, watched the monkeys while we had something to drink, and then we were back on the motorbike on the way to see Rabi's new house that he and his family are building. I was so surprised that he wanted me to see it. It was really interesting and he has a fantastic view from his house. We left his house and parked the bike in its usual spot, and then headed to Durbar Square, which is also a World Heritage Site (750NRs). I really wanted to see this the last time I was here and just didn't make it there. When I first entered, I didn't realize the size of this square. I saw a few buildings, interesting, and thought that was it. Oh no. Turn the corner. There is more. Turn another corner, and there is more. It is a huge square with so many temples and sites and vendors selling vegetables. There were people sitting everywhere, just watching and being watched. Lots of young men mostly, but some women. We got there kind of late, so the museum was already closed. Given the price of the ticket, I recommend getting there in time to visit the museum, but several people told me the real museum is the square itself. I think they might be right.

It was hard to get a close look at any of the temples, because the steps were covered with young men just sitting there people watching. No one is allowed to enter the temples, so it wasn't really a big deal. But I'd highly recommend a visit to this amazing place. I was disappointed to see how many motorbikes (not Rabi's) were speeding around the square amidst all the people. This is a World Heritage Site, but it didn't look like much was being done to protect it from pollution - air, noise - which was a bit of a disappointment. And many of the motorbike drivers had no consideration for pedestrians.

After the square, Rabi had another surprise for me! He invited me to dinner at his home with his family. I had lunch at his home last year, but I really didn't expect this again. I met his wife for the first time, and I saw his two brothers and their wives again, and his sister and her husband, who was going to be my guide to Nagarkot tomorrow. He is a city tour guide, but also does treks as well. We had delicious dal baht, which is what they eat every day, usually twice a day, but there is some variety in the dishes that are served. Its a lot like an Indian thali actually. They eat with their hands, but I hate to think of the mess I would make if I tried that! Lucky for me, they had spoons. Whew! I really enjoyed dinner with them, which is usually a family affair, and when the electricity goes out, as it does just about every night, there is nothing to do but talk to each other, which is also nice.

Rabi and his brother, Dipu, who is a trekking guide, walked me back to my hotel and picked up the Canadian guy we had lunch with. Rabi made sure I was well taken care of today and I really appreciated that. But there was one disadvantage. I wasn't paying attention to where we were walking, so I still didn't know my way around Thamel!

Off to Nagarkot tomorrow. Seems like a long way to walk to see a sunrise, but I was assured by a friend it is worth it.

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Photos

Wow.
I was just a few feet away from this while eating at a restaurant.

Pashupatinath Temple
World Heritage Site - many bodies are cremated here each day

Body Being Cremated
at Pashupatinath Temple. I saw three in the hour was there.