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Ganesh
at the Pashputinath temple We have been in Kathmandu for about a week now, and as much as we would love to say that we have been out site seeing every day, thats not really the case. We have both been feeling a little under the weather lately: we both have minor colds (of course cold medication is the only thing in the entire pharmacy that we didn't think we'd need to bring with us) and Heidi somehow managed to get a second degree sunburn on the backs of her hands...so much for the sunscreen and the long sleeved shirts.
Thamel seems to suck you in and leave you wandering through book stores and generally bumming around. Despite our various ailments, we have been to check out a few places around the Kathmandu valley and they were certainly interesting.
A few days ago we took a walk to Swayambunath, which is a temple dedicated to Hanuman - the monkey god. On the way there, we passed by a Hindu funeral taking place in a temple by the riverbanks. It was quite the site - they started out by lighting incense all around the body while the crowd stood around weeping, then the
Mama Monkey
isn't the baby cute? body was carried on a platform to a funeral pyre where they proceeded to light in aflame!
The Swayambunath temple is at the top of a big hill overlooking Kathmandu from the West. The climb up consisted of 336 stairs - it was brutal. The forest surrounding the steps was full of monkeys (how appropriate) which were quite amusing to watch. They didn't seem to be afraid of people at all, and were jumping around, swinging from prayer flags and eating cucumber from the vendors.
While hanging around Thamel, we also visited Rum Doodle's 40,000 1/2 ft. bar, which is home to the largest collection of signatures of Everest summiteers. One of the signatories is the father of one of Heidi's good friends from university, Natasha. He (Laurie Skreslet) was the first Canadian to reach the summit of Everest, which was in 1982. We also saw the signature of Sir Ed Hillary up there, and many others.
Yesterday we visited Pashputinath, the site of the most important Hindu temple in Nepal. We weren't allowed into the temple per se, being that we aren't Hindus, but the view from the outside was lovely. There were more funeral ghats
The Ultimate Stairmaster
This is less than halfway (platforms for pyres) lined up along the banks of the Bagmati river which ran beside the temple, including the ones reserved for the royal family. They lent the entire region an odor that we wouldn't be sad to never have to smell again. Yet again, there were monkeys everywhere.
We walked from Pashputinath to Bodhnath, which in the spiritual centre of the Kathmandu valley. It has a very large stupa in the centre, dedicated to the Buddha, and is surrounded by Gompas (Tibetan Buddhist Monasteries). The monument is very impressive: covered in prayer flags and surrounded by Tibetan monks, many of whom are refugees from the 1959 uprising. We visited one gompa that opened up directly into the stupa's courtyard and it was really interesting to observe the monks going about their daily routines.
On a more exciting note, we have booked a white water rafting trip to the Bhote Kosi river in Northern Nepal that leaves on May 29th. It's only a two day trip, but we are still pretty thrilled. Nepal is said to have some of the best white water in the world, both for kayakers and rafters. A note to the mothers reading this:
David: Feeling Enlightened
after having been blessed by a Saddhu man Don't worry, it's completely safe - we are going with fully trained and certified guides from a reputable company and they go through all of the first aid and emergency procedures with us before we set out on the river.
Today we are thinking of going to visit Patan, which is the second largest city in the Kathmandu valley and is filled with Buddhist architecture and a Durbar (palace) square said to rival Kathmandu's. Before we head off to the Bhote Kosi we hope to get out to Bhaktapur and Dhulikhel to see some mountain views and experience the Newari culture.
We added pictures to the last two posts, as well, so you may want to take a look back at those.
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Anthony Ruta
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AMAZING...........................
I was beginning to wonder id the two of you had become monks (monkettes?), not having heard from you for a while. Sorry to hear you're both a under the weather and be careful in the sun (an understatement at this point I'm sure). The rafting sounds like a BLAST. ENJOY!!!!!! Love, Dad