KATHMANDU

I was so excited I really couldn’t believe I was actually on my way to exotic Kathmandu, Nepal. Gateway to the Himalayas! Visions of temples, prayer flags, the snow covered Himalayas, and Mount Everest ran through my head. I could almost smell the incense even before my plane landed. I had that exciting feeling you only get when arriving in a new country for the first time.

In my younger days, after reading several books on the subject, I had dreams of climbing Mount Everest. But reality sets in with adulthood, along with the pre-requisites and cost of such a climb, which is well over $100,000.00. After I retired early and started traveling, I thought Everest Base Camp might be a real possibility. And at the time it was. But, I ended up traveling to other places higher on my bucket list. 

During our visit to Kathmandu, we stayed in the neighborhood of Thamel. Thamel has been Kathmandu’s main tourist hub for almost 50 years and is known for its crowded streets, noise, and partying. But this was not our experience. We stayed at a hotel located at the very end of a dead-end street. It was quiet and relaxing, not the noisy experience we had prepared ourselves for.  The Everland is run by wonderful people and has spacious, comfortable rooms, with free breakfast included (it was delicious). Our street had several really good restaurants, a small grocery store, and was in walking distance to quite a number of local attractions. It was a great location. We actually stayed here again at the very end of our time in Nepal.

There is something here for every budget. From hostels to guest houses, hotels, AirBnbs, and international hotel chains. On our block there was a Courtyard by Marriott, and a street over was the Hilton, to name a couple.

Turning off of our block onto the Main Street, we were greeted by streets full of stores selling hiking and mountaineering gear. Things I had never seen before made for extreme climbing in the Himalayas. I saw boots that looked like they were made for walking on the moon along with every type of cold weather, sub-zero gear and accessory you can imagine. There were also many colorful shops selling beautiful, handmade pashmina and cashmere scarves and wraps, along with jewelry stores, book shops, and souvenir stores. Stores that sold a variety of incense, mini prayer flags, Yak soap, colorful clothing and I just needed to dive in and check them all out.

The traffic here can be quite hectic, especially on some of the narrow, old town streets that don’t have sidewalks. That first night, I had my heart in my throat while out walking around. Luckily, the time I have spent in SE Asia had given me some experience with walking in heavy traffic. I find it amazing how quickly you can get used to things, after a few days I didn’t even notice the traffic any longer. There were too many other things calling for my attention.

For our first meal that night at the Cafe Mitra, we were introduced to the Thakali Dahl Bhat set, a traditional Nepalese/Indian meal. Served on a round tray, small dishes form a circle around the mound of rice in the center. The small dishes contain Dahl (lentil & bean soup), a couple of vegetable curries, spinach or some other green, spicy pickled vegetables or mango (achar), fresh veggies,  chapati bread and papadums. The dishes vary slightly from place to place. Little did I know that Nepali food was going to become some of the best I’ve had anywhere in the world. The Momos (similar to a dumpling), the noodle soups, the Curry’s, the Ting-Mo, the Tibetan bread, it was all so delicious. I am hooked! I ate mostly vegetarian (except for eggs and some fish) the entire two months we were in Nepal and found it very easy to do! Being so close to India, the Indian food was dynamite as well. Nepal also produces some of the best coffee in the world and you can find a very nice coffee shop or two on every street.

Just like with lodging, you can find very affordable to very expensive places to eat. We like to immerse ourselves into the local food, where ever we are, and found so many delicious and affordable places to eat.

Nepal is the first Hindu country we’ve been to, I mean really Hindu, 82%, the highest percentage of any country in the world. Buddhists come in at only 8%, Islam is at 5%, with the remaining 5% classified as “other”. I mention this because you do see a lot of Buddhist monks. Many of the temples and holy sites serve both Hindu and Buddhist followers. There are elements of Hinduism deeply entwined in Buddhism, which I find very satisfying and cogent.

There is so much to see and do in Kathmandu, we could not fit it all in on this visit. There are four different Durbar Palace Squares located around Kathmandu, and all are worth a visit. They all sustained damages during the 2015 earthquake resulting in minor repairs to some temples and the complete rebuilding of others. The first one we visited was Kathmandu Durbar Square. The walk over was an adventure in itself. I love watching the daily happenings of a place. The morning markets, people on their way to work, kids on their way to school, street vendors and bicycle rickshaws. An endless parade of things I’ve never seen before and foods I want to try. 

One of the first things we saw after entering the Kathmandu Durbar Square was a small temple with a Sadhu. There were Sadhus scattered throughout the complex and the city streets. Dressed in bright orange with designs painted on their faces, and beards that can be measured by the foot. These are Hindu ascetics that have given up all worldly possessions and follow a path of spiritual discipline. They are allowed to smoke cannabis and hash “to enhance meditation and connect the disciple with the deity”. Interestingly, some Sadhus have this life chosen for them and are actually donated to a temple, by their parents, at age six. The temples, shrines, statues, museum, palace, and royal garden here are amazing.

Another cultural first for me was the “Kumari” or the living Goddess. She lives in a royal house in Durbar Square. She comes to the balcony once a day and looks out at the crowd for about five minutes, no pictures allowed. There are actually four “Kumari” around Nepal. Revered by Buddhists and Hindus, the Kumari is a prepubescent girl, as young as two, that has to meet a rigorous set of criteria. She is selected by Buddhist monks, separated from her family (reminiscent of the Dali Lama) and raised on palace grounds. Surrounded by caretakers and tutors, only coming out for festivals, and allowed to see her parents only once a year, much is expected of her. Her duties end when she hits puberty, then she returns to her family, and a new Kumari is chosen. The retiring Kumari will collect a pension from the government for the rest of her life. The Kumari I saw was eight years old and assumed her position at the age of three. One of the Kumari from the past few, went to college, earned her MBA, and is now nationally promoting education for girls across the country. I hope more follow her example.

There was also a very interesting addition to the centuries old Kathmandu Durbar Square that really stands out from the rest of the traditional architecture. Built in 1908 by King Rana is the Gaddi Baithak, or Royal Seat. This is a neoclassical palace built after the King’s visit to the royal palace in England, which he was very impressed by. It is quite beautiful inside and completely different from the rest of the buildings and architecture in the square. It was used by the King to conduct business, coronations, and to welcome heads of states from other countries.

The next Durbar Square we visited was the Bhaktapur Durbar Square. It had a completely different feel than the first one we visited. Bhaktapur is considered a city in itself and divided into four different sections known by Durbar, Taumadhi, Dattatreya, and Pottery. Located about seven miles from the city center, we took a taxi and arrived at Bhaktapur early. With fewer tourists here in the morning, it was pretty quiet until about 10:00 am. There is so much to see here, and we started with the 55 Window Palace, an amazing tribute to Nepali architecture.  You enter the palace through the beautiful and ornate Golden Gate (made from real gold). Directly across from the Golden Gate is a very high and mesmerizing statue of King Bhupatindra Malla. The visually striking Vatsala Devi temple, famous for its large silver bell that has been rung every morning since 1737! The tallest pagoda temple in Nepal is also found here, the beautiful Nyatapola Temple, which is open only once a year during the Dashain festival. Also not to be missed is the Lion’s Gate which was designed and built by master craftsmen in the 1600s. Upon its completion the hands of the artisans were severed by the King of Bhadgaon so it could never be replicated. The narrow side streets that run off of the ancient square took us into the other three sections of Bhaktapur. They were full of residences, businesses, shops, and restaurants. We walked to the pottery section and a very old and wizened gentleman demonstrated his pottery making method for us. On a large wooden wheel, at ground level, he used a long wooden rod to get the wheel spinning very fast. He then put a lump of clay in the center and proceeded to show us all the different forms he could shape this clay into. All while standing and bending over it. It was fascinating to watch. I always feel privileged to watch a true artisan at work. We saw some beautiful pottery items on display in the shops throughout this neighborhood.

Located near Kathmandus Durbar Square is the infamous “Freak Street”. A once famous hippie nirvana from the early 1960s to the mid 1970s, but virtually unknown to younger travelers today. Government run hashish and marijuana shops attracted artists like The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Jimmy Hendrix and others, along with many young people from the West wanting to separate themselves from political and social frustrations of the day. I wanted to check the street out just to see if there happened to be a little museum with memorabilia and photos. But today Freak Street is inhabited by cell phone stores, clothing shops, and mini-marts.

Just like when you visit a beautiful cathedral, there is an air of calm and tranquility in all the temples I have visited. And I have visited A LOT of temples going through SE Asia. The temples in Nepal are completely different and gave me more than a feeling of tranquility. I had a feeling of connectedness and joy. I think that is due in part to the open welcome and friendliness of the people I encountered at them.

The first temple we went to in Kathmandu was the Swayambhunath, or Monkey Temple. Built in the year 640 CE (AD), this is one of the oldest religious sites in Nepal and is used by Buddhists and Hindus. This is a big complex with many different temples, an ancient monastery and a Buddhist library that are all still in use. Chedi and various statues of the Buddha greet you at the front, along with the monkeys. These little monkeys are considered holy and have the run of the place. I love watching them and think they really add to the experience. Next you encounter the 365 steps (days in the Buddhist calendar year) that lead up to the main stupa. We stopped about two-thirds of the way up to buy our entry tickets, and catch our breath. At the top we were greeted by the giant white stupa which is completely surrounded with prayer wheels, offerings of fresh flowers, and burning incense. This was the first place I observed the “Eyes of the Buddha”. On top of the stupa is a cube shaped structure, on each of the four sides is painted the “Eyes of Buddha”, representing wisdom and compassion. The third eye is represented by a small circle, in the center and slightly above the two eyes. The nose is represented by the Nepalese sign for the number one which represents the unity of all things existing in the world. I was immediately captivated by it. I was surprised at the number of people, both local devotees and tourists, circumambulating the stupa. Besides the main stupa, there are two giant white towers that represent a past King and Queen, and many chedi, of various ages and sizes, which contain cremation ashes. Farther back on the hill there is a large fountain, and viewing areas to take in the city below. It was very peaceful and we could hear the monks chanting from inside the ancient monastery walls. We exited out the back and the steps led down and around the base of the hill to the Swayambhunath Buddha Park. This park is also worth a visit with its three, 67 foot tall statues of different Buddhas. We met several interesting people at each site we visited that would give some history of the place, or tell us the correct direction to circumambulate a religious site (it’s always clockwise), or what to do for good luck. There were a couple of places that had so much going on that we hired a guide at the entrance booth. This is inexpensive and an official guide can give you so much history and information to make your visit even better.

The Boudhanath Temple was my favorite site that I visited while in Kathmandu. This is one of the largest spherical stupas in the world, and one of the most popular sites in Kathmandu for Buddhists, Hindus, and tourists. It has a long and colorful history going back to the 5th century, it also holds the ashes of the 27th Buddha, Kassapa Buddha. We arrived early but it never seemed overwhelming or chaotic even after the daily worshippers and tourists started rolling in. The whole complex had the most welcoming and serene feel. This amazing stupa was on the ancient trade route from Tibet to India and has hosted worshippers and travelers for many centuries. The giant mandala of the stupa has prayer wheels running around its entire circumference. You can also go inside the mandala. Inside, we found several levels and gardens. You’re supposed to circumambulate the inside, three times for good luck! It is topped with the four sided cube that has the “Eyes of the Buddha” on each side, and a solid gold spire on top. It really is beautiful! Around the giant stupa are coffee shops, restaurants, guest houses, souvenir shops, an art school, singing bowl studios, and several Buddhist monasteries. We walked round and round the giant stupa, seeing something new with every pass. We met the most interesting Buddhist monk, Rhamden Lama. Using our exact birth dates and days, he was able to tell us many things about ourselves. He looked at mine and looked up at me and said “You’ve had digestive issues all your life”. Wow, did he hit the nail on the head. He wanted to bless us by sprinkling water on our heads, but he didn’t have any. He did, however, have a bottle of Orange Fanta, so he used that instead. He was completely enchanting! After a few hours of walking, we went up to the third floor of a really nice coffee shop and had breakfast. We got a great view of the beautiful Boudhanath and just relaxed and soaked up the sunshine and the blissful vibe that the temple gives off.

Our next temple visit was to the Pashputinath Temple. Dedicated to the god Shiva, Pashputinath is one of the largest and oldest Hindu temples in the world. It attracts not only local devotees, but the faithful make pilgrimages from all over Nepal and India. Only Hindus can enter the main temple, but all other sites are open to everyone. This huge complex contains over 500 temples, ashrams, sculptures, and two hospice facilities for those who travel here for their final journey in this life. The Bagmati River runs through the complex, it is considered to be holy and an integral part of the Pashputinath Temple complex. 

I had read about Pashputinath before I visited. I knew cremations were carried out here, but I did not realize it was such an important part of this complex, and such an active and visible thing. Here, death is approached in a much different manner than it is in the West. Hindus try to cremate the body of the deceased within one hour after death so the cycle of life remains undisturbed. That’s why there are hospice facilities here in the temple complex. Fifty to sixty cremations take place next to the river everyday. An ambulance even delivered a body from the hospital while we were there. The funeral pyres are built and lit by the family members, and they stay until the cremation process is complete. Then the ashes are scattered into the Holy Bagmati River. The Bagmati meets up with the Holy River Ganges on downstream. In the West, the death of a loved one can be stretched out for a week or longer. Here, death is seen as just a small piece of a much larger journey. 

I had a little trouble taking it in when we first arrived. It was just so different from what I am used to, and reading about something does not prepare you for the actual experience. But after witnessing several cremations being carried out and learning more about the process from our guide, I find it very compelling. However, even with the use of incense and sweet grasses used in the fires, I did not get used to the smell of the smoke.

Kathmandu is an adventure, it is exotic, chaotic, fascinating, and I absolutely loved it. It was totally captivating and so much more than I was expecting in every way. Next we were off to Pokhara, the adventure capital of Nepal!

Nepal Visa On Arrival

We did the “Visa on Arrival” after arriving in Kathmandu. It was an easy process to fill out the paperwork and we paid $125 each, for a multiple entry, 90 day stay. The whole process took about 20 minutes. There is also the option to get a 30 day Visa for $50, or a 15 day Visa for $30. There are also a couple of ATMs right there if you don’t have any cash with you. The visa situation is highly dependent on which passport you hold and you should thoroughly research your own situation before traveling.

SIM Card

After collecting our luggage the next stop was to get a SIM card for my phone. I went to the NCell store located inside the airport. I got 84 days of cell service (including calls and text) plus 60 gigabytes of data for $11. A great deal!

Getting From the Airport

There are several options to get from the airport into the city. You can take a bus, get a taxi, or have a ride pre-arranged from the airport to where we will be staying. We used the taxi service located inside the airport that quotes a standard fees to where ever you are staying. This is always the best way to go if you don’t have a pre-arranged ride waiting for you.

Ride App

We used the ride share app “Pathao” in Kathmandu. It had a few bugs in it when showing our pick-up location, but all in all it was a decent app and saved us quite a bit of money over using a taxi. The few times the app didn’t work for us, we would show a taxi driver what Pathao was quoting for a ride to a particular location and they would always say okay and agree to that price. Currently, this app only works in Kathmandu.

Food

We honestly did not have a bad meal during our stay in Kathmandu. On average we spent $6 for the two of us to eat a meal, including a drink. A couple of our favorite restaurants in the Thamel area were the Western Tandoori and Naan & The Royal Garden.

CHECK OUT OUR GUIDE TO KATHMANDU VIDEO