Kathmandu - Durbar Square and the Living Goddess

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14 Jan - I'm up quite early today, attempting to change my RTW ticket to fly from Kathmandu to Cambodia instead of Mumbai to Bangkok...as the streets are quiet I decide to head to Durbar Square. This is the heart of Kathmandu's Old Town and a complex of numerous temples and statues. Most of the buildings date from the 17th and 18th centuries. It's particularly busy today with beggars and worshippers as it's the first day of the month (Nepal follows a different calendar to the West). I'm accosted by a guide who seems knowledgeable about both Nepal and Scotland! So I have a quick brunch on a rooftop cafe overlooking the square then join him for a personal tour round the square which takes about an hour. He tells me all about the different temples including:

Kasthamandap - the Pavillion of Wood, supposedly carved from one tree, to which the city owes it's name.
Hanuman Dhoka - the Royal Palace. The statue of Hanuman (the Monkey God) outside the palace is unrecognisable as it's covered in orange paste and wilted marigolds left by faithful Hindu worshippers. Some say though that it's eyes are deliberately covered from the erotic art carved into the Jaganath Temple which faces it!
Maju Deva - popular meeting place on the steps of this Shiva temple
Kumari Bahal - house of the Living Goddess. The Kumari is chosen from local young girls during a secret process and becomes the Living Goddess until puberty when she reverts to being a mere mortal...not an easy process! The current Kumari was only appointed last year and is about 5 years old. She lives with a guardian, receives education and only leaves the house about a dozen times each year for various religious ceremonies.
Gaddhi Baithak - formerly part of the Royal Palace, this building looks out of place as it's a white neoclassical building modelled on the National Gallery in London.

We finish our tour on Freak Street, an old hippy haunt which has now been replaced by backpacker central of Thamel, where I'm staying.

I meander back along the streets of the Old Town and head to the Garden of Dreams, a tranquil haven within the madness of Thamel. The gardens are part of the palace of Field Marshal Kaiser Shamser and were built in the 1920's. There's relaxing ponds and fountains where I take time out to write up my diary. Delightful mid-afternoon snack in the posh Garden Cafe of goats cheese salad, breadsticks and glass of white wine, certainly don't feel like I'm in Nepal!

15 Jan - changing my RTW ticket is proving problematic. Keshav, the owner of the travel agent / internet cafe that I'm using beside my hotel decides it's easier if he takes me to Thai Airways office...on his motorbike!! Time consuming process but finally I'm booked on a flight to Cambodia, via Bangkok for 31 January ready to start 'work' at the bear sanctuary on 1 February. As a result of the huge demonstration the other day, unusually there appears to be power all day, I'm just not sure if / when it will go off...order room service of veg pakora and a Ghorka beer and watch TV...until 8pm when I'm plunged into darkness...blackout time, I knew it was too good to be true!

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Photos

So many Hindu gods and goddesses...
I can't remember who this is...Vishnu maybe?!