Kathmandu, Bandipur & Patan

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I intended to do a partial trek of the Annapurna Circuit, specifically, up to Manang and back down, but changed my mind when the views of the Himalayas disappeared completely soon after our arrival. We were awarded awesome views of the great snowy mountains as we approached Kathmandu on our flight, and we could still see some while we waited for our van in the airport parking lot, but by the time we arrived in town the cloud line had lowered and blocked them out. It was kind of like a strip tease; the dress -in the form of clouds- was raised high, giving us a great show, when we flew in, and was slowly pushed down after we set foot on Nepali soil.

With each consecutive day, the haziness got worse, and from Bandipur, where there are supposed to be "gobsmacking" views of the Himaly, there was nothing but dense fog (not that that did anything to spoil our time in Bandipur itself -its unspoilable).

We spent 8 days in the Kathmandu Valley in the capital itself, and also Bandipur -a medieval Newari village perched up on the hills of the western wall of the valley; Lonely Planet describes this place as a "national treasure" where the people are open-hearted and not out for your buck, and I have to agree 100% with that depiction; we also visited Patan, a smaller -also medieval- city near Kathmandu.

Here are some pix.

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Photos

the Himalayas!
Our first (and best) view of the majestic mountains

another ariel shot
the "Middle Hills" brood in the foreground, the Himal beckon in the background

on the ground
stupa

cows and pigeons
the entire country is a photo op

famous stupa
in Kathmandu (KTH)

Tibetan "millet beer"
Fill the metal mug with dry millet and just add hot water

hills of Bandipur
loveliest place I've been in all my travels...

inside our room
at the Old Inn, nicest B&B I've ever stayed in

Sidda Cave
this opens up into what is still a largely unexplored cavern , mammoth, and considered the largest in the Himalayas

ornate
everything is worth looking at in Patan

antiquated
typical doorframe, windowframe work

alley
wandered around here for hours

poverty
in Kathmandu

Himalayas on the way out
above the cloudline as we fly out

Comments

[mike leznoff]

awesome
and that's why I'd go back to Nepal in a heartbeat. Glad you got to try some Chung millet beer too- Nepal is great in every way.

[Shane]

Wow...
I've got very little to say - those pics really knocked my socks off. Those hills are just perfect. The cows were cool too. Surely an amazing trip.