May 13, 2013 Kathmandu to Pokhara

Room with a View

I opted for the tourist bus with AC since the trip to Pokhara starts at 7am and arrives mid-afternoon.  We made a breakfast & lunch stop and still arrived on time!  As promised by my last hotel, a man was there to greet me, carry my bag, and transport me to the Hotel Miracle.  It is located in the lakeside area although the lake in not to be seen from here.  I don't think there is a view of the lake from any hotel save the one across the lake right on the shoreline...must be an expensive one.  Since I am staying a week, I got a 100 NRS (Nepal Rupee) discount per day...YEA! They have WiFi here, but it is better accessed from the terrace in front of my room where they have a table and chairs.   I have a nice room on the top floor corner with windows on both sides.  The hotel is kept immaculate without even so much as a leaf on the ground.  The area is quiet and I sleep like a log.

Annapurna Range, Himalayas

The mountains surround us on 3 sides with a view of the Annapurna range visible from my back window.  Talk about a room with a view!  I still can't believe I am standing here at the base of the tallest mountains in the world!  Words or even photos cannot describe the feeling one gets being here on the rooftop of the world.  It brought tears to my eyes the first time I walked outside and just stood there looking at the grandeur of these snow covered peaks.

Phewa Lake

There are a lot of power cuts here that last for hours, so one cannot forget to plug in to charge your computer or there is a lot of down time.  I walked around the lake, took some photos and have been reading my book, "The Space Between Us" by an Indian author that explores two women's lives - one rich and the other her servant. Excellent book!

May 12 Stupas of Kathmandu

Temple at Boudanath

 Today I wanted to see the 2 large stupas on either side of Kathmandu: Boudaath and Swayambhunath.  These are the very large ones with Buddha eyes on the upper part.  As we drove along not only were the jacaranda trees blooming a brilliant orange/red, but there was another tree that blooms bright purple that I had never seen.  They ringed the park and proliferated the streets with their beauty.

Bodhnath Stupa

The taxis here use woolen rugs to save the seats from wear & tear.  There are a few bicycle rickshaws in the main part of the tourist district, Thamel, but mostly regular taxis.  The streets outside that area are a combination of patches of pavement, gravel & mostly dirt.  At least the gutters are for rain water run-off rather than grey water.  It is a much cleaner country than India, that's for sure.  I have seen very few cows loose, hence there is very little, if any, poop on the streets.

I've seen enough of this huge city and I am booked on a bus to Pokhara tomorrow.  The pollution here is awful as the cars, motorcycles, etc. have no emission control and the belch out clouds of black smoke.  At least half of the people here wear masks similar to surgical masks, but decorative, in different colors, and some very imaginative.

May 11 Durbar Square, Patan, Nepal

Birthday Girl

Durbar Square is probably the most popular of the sites here as it is the oldest part of the city.  Vendors lined the side of the square and had no doubt they could sell you something whether you intended to buy or not!  I bought a bracelet, knife, and a pair of stunning earrings. But, hey, I needed them didn't I? What I really needed, and bought, was an umbrella to keep the sun at bay!

Directly in front of the museum, in the center of the square, they had constructed a movie set, nothing elaborate, but apparently had been filming for some 4 days.  They drew quite a crowd of on-lookers. I again took a lot of photos of the surrounding structures.  Most of them could be entered to explore.

It was the Living Goddess, the Kumari Devi's birthday and there was a celebration taking place under a tent.  SheThe birthday girl celebrating on this day was so precious, as you can see by the above photo. 

I took a slow walk around Patan, the town in which it is located, to explore and
got abetter feel for the regular life of the

Guarded Entry

inhabitants of this grand city.  When I finally decided I was lost, I don't know where I was...some residential area, I found a taxi to take me back to the hotel.

On the way back, as when crossed the river in the taxi, I smelled what I thought was a sewage processing plant, but turned out to be the river itself.  It was actually black and had the smell of sewer water.  In a city of this size, I expected a better system. I guess I remain a bit naive.

May 10 Basantapur Square, Kathmandhu, Nepal

Basantapur Square

I walked today to Basantapur Square, in the a part of the old city. The typical Nepalese architecture is both unique and detailed.  Carvings on all the struts and elsewhere makes one wonder how the wood can be so old and still so well preserved. Brilliant!  The vendors were set up along-side and I found a necklace and 2 rings - woo-hoo for shopping!

What stunning architecture! I have to say I have
never seen anything quite like it -ancient, beautiful.  The mix of Buddhist and Hindu, both influencing the other is interesting. I am not sure of the ratio, but it is a gentle population...laid back.  I must have taken 100 photos, some to be deleted, of course.  I will post more photos on Facebook and send a link to anyone who needs it. Email Me!

Kathmandu is the capital of Nepal, a country situated between China to the north and India in the south, east, and west, with 25.8 million people.  It is clean and peaceful...at least what I have seen of it.