Kathmandu

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Kathmandu greeted us with a culture shock as expected. Getting the visa for Nepal at the airport was fairly straightforward, however once out of the airport we were very pleased to have organised a ride to our hotel. As we walked out of the airport hundreds of people tried to grab our bags, offering the ‘best’ deals for taxis and hotels. The traffic is crazy. There appears to be no road rules with people driving anywhere on the road to get to there destination quickest (the only rule is to beep your horn) and competing with cows, rickshaws, bikes and people who had established their homes on the side of the road. Every sense was in overdrive with the sight and smell of pollution and the sound of horns going continuously.

Our first stay was in Thamel for 3 nights, the main tourist area of Kathmandu. After a couple of days we were into the swing of things, including working out when the power was about to go off - it is off at various times for at least 16 hours a day. We found some delicious restaurants (always important!) serving a great selection of vegetarian food including delicious momos and chai.

We negotiated the back streets to reach Swaynabhunath (Monkey Temple), past a very polluted river, with cows and children competing for scraps in the mound of rubbish on the riverbanks. This is a large Buddhist temple soaring above the city which has been mobbed by monkeys. There were ancients carvings and shrines jammed into every spare inch of space with many spinning prayer wheels at its base. The 180 or so steps up to the temple were lined with animal carvings and street sellers as well as cheeky monkeys who would go right up to people and snatch food out of their hands.

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Photos

Vishnumati River, Kathmandu
Unfortunately, polluted rivers and people going through the rubbish has become a very common sight on this trip.

Kathmandu
People carried huge loads down the streets of Kathmandu

Comments

[Brian]

trekking
Going to Nepal in May, starting in Kathmandu then up to Pokhara for 7 days trekking. Never been before any advice clothing ect.