Bhaktapur City, Nepal

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Bhaktapur City, Buddha, Doha, Istanbul, Kathmandu, Nepal, Qatar, Shambaling Hotel, Turkey

I am sitting in the Doha, Qatar airport at an ungodly 3am (or should I say unMuhammad hour?) in the morning, waiting for my 7:40am flight to Istanbul, Turkey. Yawn. I started this leg of my RTW journey, the day before on the 23rd of March, at 11:45pm, from Kathmandu. By the time I arrive in Istanbul, it will be the 24th of March. Double yawn . . . 

On A Quest For Pashmina In Kathmandu

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Goat, Kathmandu, Nepal, Pashmina, Shabaling Hotel, Thamel

Thamel. This is the preeminent tourist shopping area of Kathmandu.

So unbeknownst to me until a couple of days ago, the “must have” product in Nepal (besides possibly gem and silver jewelry), is Pashmina, a type of fine cashmere wool. I was interested in possibly purchasing a shawl for 2 reasons: 1. It’s light and I can carry it in my back pack; and, 2. My mother’s upcoming birthday in April.

Sundarijal Water Falls Hike, Kathmandu, Nepal

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Bureau of Reclamation, dam, Kathmandu, Nepal, reservoir, river, Shasta Dam, Sundarijal dam, trail, trek, village, water buffalo

Sundarijal water falls.

Sundarijal is translated as “Nice drinking water” and that’s exactly what I found on this hike. A beautiful, if small waterfall, with crystal clear water. Nevertheless, westerners should not think that they can drink this water, as it is untreated. My point is that all the rivers I have seen in Kathmandu are distinguished by being quite “brown” looking (that’s putting it nicely) and the further you get away from the city, the “source” becomes cleaner.

James Bond and Hanuman-dhoka Durbar Square, Kathmandu, Nepal

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Hanuman, Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square, Kathmandu, Nepal, Shiva

King Pratap Malla’s statue.

I am so blessed to be able to travel around the world and see exotic countries such as Nepal. When I was a child of 6 or 7, one of the first movies I remember seeing and loving, was From Russia With Love. No silly, not because of the women (sheesh, I was 7 years old . . . yuck), but because of how cool, debonair, and witty James Bond was; and equally important, the foreign, exotic and mysterious places where he lived and visited, London and Istanbul, respectfully. I had two dreams back then – neither of which came true – become a professional baseball player or a secret agent. Oh well . . . LOL. 

Swayambhu Environmental Park, Kathmandu, Nepal.

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Buddha, Hindu, Kathmandu, Lotus, Nepal, prayer wheel, Stupa, Swayambhu, Swayambhunath, Tibetan

The 3 large Buddha statues stand above the worshipers and tourists below.

When I visited this park, I had no idea that it was only a small part of a large complex of Buddhist temples and shrines called Swayambhunath. Consequently, due to my ignorance – I was only able to see the “environmental park” and missed out on much, much more. Nevertheless, what I saw here was awesome and unforgettable. Tourists commonly call Swayambhunath, the “Monkey Temple,” probably due to the large monkey population here.

Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park, Nepal

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Buddha, Hindu, Kathmandu, Lakshmi, nagarjun, Nepal, park, Shivapuri

View from the peak of Mt. Shivapuri.

The day before yesterday, I went on an amazing one day trek at Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park.  Specifically, I climbed Mt. Shivapuri, which overlooks the Kathmandu valley. The peak rises 2732 meters (8963 feet) and the trek length is a bit over 6 kilometers. It’s suggested that you allow 2 hours for the journey up to the top of the peak and perhaps, a bit shorter time for the return trip. At the end of the trail is a Buddhist Temple and Stupa.

Kathmandu Kopan Monastery

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Buddhist, India, Kathmandu, Kopan, monastery, Nepal, prayer wheel, Stupa, Tibet

Buddha inside the Kopan Temple, where monks pray (puja). I was very fortunate to be allowed inside, as I arrived a few minutes before their lunch and they lock up this particular building (temple) for an hour. The monk told me to take as much time as I needed for photographs.

For my 3rd day in Kathmandu (this would be the day before yesterday), I wanted to explore my immediate surroundings in Boudhanath, the ancient town where my hotel was, as well as do a long trek to stretch my legs. The Shambaling hotel concierge suggested that I walk to Kopan Monastery, which overlooks the valley of Kathmandu and is north of Boudhanath. This would be a perfect day, if only because the Pashupatinath festival, with 1.5 million pilgrims in attendance, would all be on the south side of Kathmandu. Obviously, I wanted to avoid that congestion if at all possible. Of course, this would not be an easy hike, as it is approximately 4-5 miles away and the last mile or so ascends at a severe grade.

Kathmandu Traffic And What’s For Dinner

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bhaat, breakfast, car, daal, dinner, food, Kathmandu, lunch, Momo, motorcycle, Nepal, Shambaling Hotel, tarkari, traffic

Females wearing Hindu clothing means going side saddle.

I have never been a fashionista (or is it “fashion maven?”). To wit, I usually discover a fashion trend 5-10 years after it has left the proverbial train station. Sheesh, you’re talking about someone who’s ex-wife picked out his clothes. Same deal with this evening’s subject matter – traffic and food. Umm, they don’t go together, nor do they complement each other. However, I keep getting asked about what I am eating in Kathmandu and I decided to “marry” that subject with traffic. Especially since I was almost killed at least a half dozen times today, as both a pedestrian and a passenger in a taxi.

Boudhanath And Pashupatinath, Kathmandu, Nepal, Part II

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Garesh, Hindu, Kathmandu, Maha Shivaratri, Nepal, Pashupatinath, Sadhu, Shiva, yogi

Sadhu (Yogi) and I.

In yesterday’s post, I wrote about my visa experience at the Kathmandu Airport Customs and Immigration checkpoint; and, my visit to Boudhanath Buddhist Temple. Today, I’ll tell you about my visit to the Pashupatinath Temple. So many fascinating things occurred while I was there, including the visible washing of dead bodies by relatives and then their subsequent cremation. For some uninformed westerners not used to seeing such religious rituals, this might be a bit too much to process or even shocking. However, all of this has meaning in the Hindu religion.

Boudhanath And Pashupatinath Temples, Kathmandu, Nepal – Part I

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Boudhanath, Kathmandu, monastery, Nepal, Pashupatinath, temple, yogi

Thousands of Sadhu (Yogi) and Naga Sadhu (naked Yogi) come to the Maha Shivaratri festival in Pashupatinath. This Yogi blessed me with a red bindi (dot) which has multiple meanings, but in this instance – it bestows long life for me. A sweet deal all things considered.

Where to begin? Since arriving in Kathmandu, Nepal yesterday afternoon, all of my senses – especially sight, sound, and smell – have been continuously in overdrive. Yet I am quite relaxed, serene and peaceful. Ironically, the arrival at Kathmandu was a bit chaotic due to a confusing Visa application process, which took just about everyone – who did not already have a visa – at least an hour to complete. However, it didn’t bother me, nor did it seem to irritate anyone else.