Nepal is a country that is rightfully associated with hiking, trekking, and mountain climbing. It is located by the Himalayas and in most days you can see the Himalayan range even from the airport. It’s kind of magical to be able to see snow capped mountains and knowing that one of those is the highest peak in the world. The Buddha stupas will remind you of the ones in Tibet. Some of the Hindu temples, like in India, have erotic carvings. Structurally, the Nepali Hindu temples are very similar to the ones in Bali.
Over all, I enjoyed my time going around the Kathmandu Valley. Maybe in the next visit I should include a hiking trail for a beginner.
Kathmandu from the hill. It was hazy and hot during my stay.
There are a few chickens in this cage and the seller just put a bundle of veggies to feed them. This chicken is eyeing its food, not me.
Saturday is the day to sacrifice chicken to Ganesh the god.
At the Swayambunath complex, or also known as Monkey Temple, it is believed that holy monkeys live at the north-west part of the temple. There iseven a swimming pool dedicated for the monkeys.
Using saffron to color the water and throw it with bucket around the dome to make lotus petal visual illusion
My playing tourist, snapping photos here and there, around the stupa amongst the devotees is actually annoying. Imagine if I do this in a mosque or a church. The temple was busy because it’s the day of full moon.
As the women preparing the offerings, the men chanting from the praying book at Swayambunath Temple.
Post harvest activity for the whole town of Bhaktapur.
After the rainy season, some of the farmers grow mustard (and maze) as both crops don’t need much water.
There are water springs around Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur and it’s free supply.
The crowd was expecting the ceremonial speeches to finish and the friendly boxing matches to begin.
Pork is the most expensive meat. Chicken is less expensive and apparently beef is the cheapest meat in the country.
This woman looks like any woman from Sabu Island in East Nusa Tenggara Province of Indonesia where my mother comes from.
Visiting Pashupati in Kathmandu can be a rather traumatic experience for many. Watching cremation done openly by Nepali holy river, hearing the mourners weeping, holding breath as long as I can and breathe as little air as I can because I don’t want to inhale smokes from the burned dead bodies…are experiences I don’t wish to repeat
Unlike cremation in Indonesia or elsewhere after which we put the ashes in an urn, Nepali just sweep the ashes to the holy river of Bagmati. The holy river has been contaminated by different kinds of wastes that now there is initiative to save the river.
The smoke is something you just have to bear when visiting temples.
I asked my guide if he’s practicing his religion. He casually said he will when he is old. Wonder if this elder lady thought the same when she was in her youth.
The devotees of Buddha walk around the Boudanath Stupa saying their prayers. There are many Chinese and Tibetan monks.
Nagarkot is a town up the hill in Kathmandu Valley, about 1 hour drive from Kathmandu. This is the view of the Himalayan range at sunset from my hotel’s roof top. Too bad we didn’t have clear sky during sunset and sunrise.
Being not much of a climber, I chose to take the mountain flight to take a closer look at the Himalayan range. When they asked me to go to the cockpit, we flew just in front of the Mt. Everest – that’s the peak in the middle of the left window. What a sight!
Delicately carved pillars are important parts of the public spaces around cities in Kathmandu Valley.
Thank you India Odyssey Tours for making the trip easy to enjoy.
Lensaku 