We arrive in Kathmandu to pouring rain and venture forth on foot to try to find the ATM god in the same frenetic chaos we encountered in Delhi. Two hours later, wet and tired, we arrive back to... THIS! The Oasis, The Calm in the Storm, where resides the god of mohitos, the god of BBC and many other gods of indescribable pleasure, Dwarika's Hotel. Ahhh, nirvana...
Having learned from Delhi we quickly hire a taxi driver who drives us to Kathmandu's Thamel Chowk where we embark on a self-guided walking tour of the area made famous in the 70s by western hippys. Here's our first view of a stupa (a Buddhist religious building). They're everywhere.
Choking in Kathmandu's Thamel Chowk. A chowk is a marketplace and boy, do these people know how to make you choke. The pollution is suffocating. (First time in Sandi's life she's felt tall among all the locals.)
One of the most popular and instantly recognizable symbols of Nepal, the Monkey Temple, named after the large troop of handsome monkeys that guards the hill and amuses visitors and devotees with tricks. That's one big handsome monkey!
The REAL monkeys cavorting on Buddah.
Hindu Goddess in Patan's historic Durbar Square—Nepal's second most important world heritage site after Kathmandu's.
Everyday life—weaving mats in the street.
Yes, this is really our life. The view from the restaurant where we lunched overlooking Patan's Durbar Square showing off, albeit from a distance, spectacular Newari architecture. The Himalayas are beyond the hills. Food is an incredible bargain everywhere in Nepal, for example, snack lunch with a large beer, $5US.
For adults only. The roof struts of the Pashupatinath Temple in Bharakapur's Durbar Square depict some of the rudest erotic art in the valley. Unexpected humour is provided by one bored-looking woman washing her hair while pleasuring her husband at the same time. Makes sense. Tim has been nagging Sandi to improve her multitasking, more than ever after seeing this.
Tim on the steps of the five-storey, 30m high Nyatapola Temple—not only the highest temple in Nepal, but also one of the best examples of Newari temple architecture.
Today's adventure is in traffic-free, but not hassle-free Bhaktapur, Nepal's most intact Medieval town. This stunning "peacock window", in a building called the "Pujari Math" constucted in the 15th century, is reputed to be the finest carved window in the Kathmandu valley.
Everywhere we go we are greeting with, "Namaste, where you from?" from the locals—their way of trying to start up a conversation to get us to part with our fast-diminishing store of Nepalese rupees.
We're off to Bhutan on Monday so this might be the last post for a while as we've heard internet and email access is very limited in Bhutan. We return to Nepal on October 13th for a few days in Pokkhara before heading to Varansi, Khajuraho and Agra, India. We want to tell you how much we enjoy reading the comments you are posting to this blog—we LOVE hearing from you and encourage you to post more. Lots of love to you all!
Having learned from Delhi we quickly hire a taxi driver who drives us to Kathmandu's Thamel Chowk where we embark on a self-guided walking tour of the area made famous in the 70s by western hippys. Here's our first view of a stupa (a Buddhist religious building). They're everywhere.
Choking in Kathmandu's Thamel Chowk. A chowk is a marketplace and boy, do these people know how to make you choke. The pollution is suffocating. (First time in Sandi's life she's felt tall among all the locals.)
One of the most popular and instantly recognizable symbols of Nepal, the Monkey Temple, named after the large troop of handsome monkeys that guards the hill and amuses visitors and devotees with tricks. That's one big handsome monkey!
The REAL monkeys cavorting on Buddah.
Hindu Goddess in Patan's historic Durbar Square—Nepal's second most important world heritage site after Kathmandu's.
Everyday life—weaving mats in the street.
Yes, this is really our life. The view from the restaurant where we lunched overlooking Patan's Durbar Square showing off, albeit from a distance, spectacular Newari architecture. The Himalayas are beyond the hills. Food is an incredible bargain everywhere in Nepal, for example, snack lunch with a large beer, $5US.
For adults only. The roof struts of the Pashupatinath Temple in Bharakapur's Durbar Square depict some of the rudest erotic art in the valley. Unexpected humour is provided by one bored-looking woman washing her hair while pleasuring her husband at the same time. Makes sense. Tim has been nagging Sandi to improve her multitasking, more than ever after seeing this.
Tim on the steps of the five-storey, 30m high Nyatapola Temple—not only the highest temple in Nepal, but also one of the best examples of Newari temple architecture.
Today's adventure is in traffic-free, but not hassle-free Bhaktapur, Nepal's most intact Medieval town. This stunning "peacock window", in a building called the "Pujari Math" constucted in the 15th century, is reputed to be the finest carved window in the Kathmandu valley.
Everywhere we go we are greeting with, "Namaste, where you from?" from the locals—their way of trying to start up a conversation to get us to part with our fast-diminishing store of Nepalese rupees.
We're off to Bhutan on Monday so this might be the last post for a while as we've heard internet and email access is very limited in Bhutan. We return to Nepal on October 13th for a few days in Pokkhara before heading to Varansi, Khajuraho and Agra, India. We want to tell you how much we enjoy reading the comments you are posting to this blog—we LOVE hearing from you and encourage you to post more. Lots of love to you all!
4 comments:
Can't wait for the cat to pop it so that we can take to the road too. Jelte's spiking his catnip! Think of what you are missing - the most entertaining soap in the world - the last leg of the Presidential elections. And none of it is made up.... In the meantime, the dry season has started in CA, with the first of the brush fires. The entire financial world is going to pot (in case you haven't read the papers) and Sarah Palin (if you have never heard of her, you are one lucky couple) is self-destructing. All so blah compared to your lives now. We have to live vicariously through you two. Have fun, stay safe, keep blogging.
Kathmandu is one place that I would love to see but it sure isn't high on Rudy's list so seeing it through your eyes is like being there. Sandi, you are a marvelous writer - you describe things so well it's like being there with you. LOVE the mosque 'dress'... woo hoo! When we were in Mumbai, we couldn't get over the heat and pollution. Interesting that even in Kathmandu you found it hard to breathe. Nothing like good ol' B. C. air.. which by the way has been wonderful lately. Today it is going up to 21 degrees C., a second summer and it's the end of September!!! Take care, oxorchid
Well hello there. Thought I'd wait and see oncologist before latest blog blast from the C's. All is well, thank God. He is v happy with everything and with way I've responded to chemo so PHEW, GOOD NEWS AT LAST! I spoke to Tessa about Hoods' lack of comments and she got very defensive saying she'd emailed you and that they were v busy and they weren't (contrary to popular belief) dinosaurs! You can just imagine Tessa saying that?! Talk about DON'T SHOOT THE MESSENGER. Really glad you're enjoying my little creations. We are certainly loving yours. Wonderlust is definitely taking hold. Apart from good news on health front, we are all well. Gay came for lunch today, I mentioned the blog and she said she'd been following your progress. Look out for a comment from her soon. Bean hits 30 tomorrow and we are all heading up to town for dinner at Gordon Ramsay's new place. More on that in my next installment. Winter upon us now. No real earth-shattering news. Keep well and until the next time......Ed et al xx
WOW...incredible photos and you 2 look so happy...I'm envious!
Well...my 2 favorite words lately are "someday" and "maybe", I just have to work harder on the beads to get to my dream trip, someday, maybe...LOL
I can hardly wait until your next entry, it's nice to armchair travel with someone you know!
J
Post a Comment