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Published: December 19th 2006
Back in Kathmandu
Kathmandu is littered with Temples, these prayer flags made for a great picture.In Kathmandu for the third time and life has taken a turn to the undecided. Where to go next is the big question, India? Southern Thailand? Indonesia? Southern China or all of the above? As for the last few weeks since the trek I've been bumming around. First in Pokhara, then Kathmandu, then I figured I'd hit another World Heritage Site and headed to Bhaktapur, in the Kathmandu Valley.
I guess three weeks of trekking left me feeling a bit lazy, like doing nothing at all, so Pokhara was a welcome retreat to the long days of walking. I slept late, then would finally get up, have some coffee, with a side of bacon & eggs and just lounge around reading the newspaper or a novel or just people watching the day away. It was perfect! But by the tenth day Bryan had already headed back to Kathmandu then NYC, and I felt if I didn't force myself to leave, I'd get stuck there forever, so it was back to hectic, smog filled, horn honking, Kathmandu. Since my first visit to Kathmandu lacked any and all culture I figured I should head to Durbar Square this time, which was amazing,
Coolest kids in Bhaktapur
Met these two within the first hour of my visit, they turned out to be really funny kids. aside from the constant barrage of Nepalese men who wanted to be my "tour guide". I have to admit being on the road for over a year now I've built up a pretty thick skin when it comes to being hassled but I almost reached my breaking point. This one guy just wouldn't leave me alone, first him and his friend followed me for five minutes refusing to take no for an answer. Then they tried to sell me drugs. After I had said no to all their advances they asked "Why don't you like us?". It was at this point I pointed one way said,"you go this way, I'm going that way!", it worked. Until twenty minutes later I bumped into the same two guys, these guys just couldn't take a hint, as if harassing me was the best way of enticing me to hire them. Luckily this second encounter was short and sweet with me not wasting any breath and just walking away. Other than the nuisance touts present, the buildings, temples, shrines that surround the square are amazing. It was a Tuesday and you could see the "Kumari, The Living Goddess" during her weekly appearance. I might
Awesome Stone Statues
THe temples of Bhaktapur are covered with intricate details from small details all the way up to large statues like this one. have hung around waiting the hour to see her, but while I was taking pictures of the inner courtyard of the temple she resides in a pigeon decided to use me for target practice. So with Pigeon diarrhea dripping down my ear I decided enough was enough and bought the postcard instead. Plan was to leave Kathmandu the next day but I met a few cool travellers, stayed up too late and ended up sleeping way too late to check-out. So I killed another day in Kathmandu and then headed to Bhaktapur the following day.
Now Bhaktapur is a beautiful city, most of the city is 300-400 years old but the location has been the site of a city since the 12th century. Most buildings are built entirely of brick, so it's red as far as the eye can see. It is a much better city to help get feel for Newari culture than Kathmandu, the buildings are in better shape, many have been restored. Plus there are far fewer tourists in town. It really allows you to walk around, enjoy the classic buildings, soak up the local atmosphere, you just get to see the real Nepal. The Newari
Different Types of Daal
These are all different types of Daal (Lentils) and beans for sale people, who represent the majority of people in Bhaktapur, practice a cross between Hindu and Buddhism, they pray to Gods from both religions, actually if you ask a person what type of temple, Hindu or Buddhist, you're looking at, they'd probably respond...both, it doesn't matter. The people here are artisans and craftsman, the city is home to woodcarvers, puppet makers, metalworkers, potters, and painters. They all leave a lasting impression on you. Watching the potters in action was awesome, they have a huge wheel maybe four feet across, they use a long broom stick to spin the wheel on the floor while they squat beside the wheel and work the clay into shape. It's an amazing skill, I watched for about ten minutes and the potter finished three Piggy bangs about 1 foot high and eight inches in diameter, all from memory, no gauges or tools, mostly using just his hands. They worked in an alcove in "Potter's Square", the entire square is about pottery. There are piles of sand, clay, hay, all the finished work is set in rows catching the sun, the storekeepers pester you trying to sell small Buddhas, ashtrays, incense holders. I loved just sitting around
Sunrise
This was the color of the sky when I woke up and watched the sun rise from my bed. the square people watching, stayed for close to an hour, I almost felt like I was in the middle ages. Went to watch the Thakha paintings, which are intricate Tibetan Buddhist designs used to decorate temples and to help with meditation. It is amazing to watch the artists in action, some of the paintings take six months to complete, they show many scenes common in Buddhism, the Wheel of Life is one example. I've actually been fascinated with the paintings since Pokhara. All told I spent five nights in Bhaktapur, three during my first visit and then another two on my way to Nagarkot
Well what is there to say about Nagarkot, it's beautiful, scenic, peaceful, quiet and relaxing. It is set on the ridge of a mountain with views from Annapurna range in the west all the way to Everest in the east or so they claim, it was never clear enough during my three day visit to see past the Langtang range, but I wasn't complaining in the least bit. It was good to get back into the mountains, breath the fresh air, soak up the sun, watch the Falcons, Eagles or some other type of bird
(I have no idea what kid they were) soar above riding the thermals all day long. I stayed in an A-frame Bungalow with a bamboo roof and a view of the valley. It was perfect and all for 300 NRs, that's less than 5 USD. So I spent three nights there, went for walks during the day, found restaurants with a nice view for tea and just soaked up the mountain air while reading. But all great things must come to an end so I headed back to Kathmandu to pick-up my passport at the Chinese Embassy and to finish dealing with the hell that is getting a Indian Visa.
Just wanted to mention one of my favorite experiences in Nepal before I call this blog complete, taking the local express buses. These amount to a tin can with four wheels and an engine. What can I say other than it's fantastic travelling the way the locals do, I spent four of the five rides standing the entire time, no problem though since I'm a New Yorker at heart and am used to public transportation. Most of the time people stare at me and my over-sized backpack, and they
Lake in Pohkara
Spent most of time in Pohkara being lazy, but I went for plenty of walks. range from students wearing uniforms going to/home from school, to twenty somethings heading to/from Kathmandu, some dressed business casual, to old women dressed as the local villagers dress, some heading to sell their fruits and vegetables at the markets, others heading home after finishing their day in town. During the five trips the number of people varied from a half-full bus that I got my own seat on to a bus filled with over 50 people plus the people on the roof and hanging off the rear bumper. Mind you these buses were about 20 ft long, not large city buses, we were packed in like sardines. Thing is that during any bus ride in Nepal you are bound to pass at least one bus that careened off the side of the road in the recent past, this always makes for a bit of nervousness during any bus ride. On my last local bus ride a lady dropped her 50lb sack of rice on my foot, two lady's got on carrying baskets with about 50 lbs of vegetables each, we past the shell of what used to be a bus, it had rolled down three rice terraces and I've left
Farming in Pohkara
Even though this is the second largest city in Nepal, it's more like a large village. These fields where a ten minute walk from the main strip. out the fact that we were driving down mountain switchbacks, with shear cliffs off to the side of the bus all the time. Just to let you know I loved every minute of those sweltering, uncomfortable, noisy, bus rides. What would travel in Asia be without the local bus.
So it's time to leave Nepal, been two months now and I finally decided the next stop of the world tour...INDIA! Four days and I'll be off to the sub-continent itself, for a three week tour of a place that is sure to shock me.
One last story, I'd finished writing this blog yesterday but still had to upload all the pictures. But I woke up today to find that the Maoists had called for a Bandh (Strike) today, everything was closed. I went out for a walk and found some Internet, on the way back I watched as about eight kids jumped some foreigner who was walking down the street. I couldn't tell if he had provoked them or not, but he did have his index finger pointed in the air for the twenty seconds prior to them chasing after him, shouting at him and beating him up.
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Pamela
non-member comment
Hi Alan!
These pics are awesome! Wish i was there! Love you, talk to you soon. :)