We arrive in Kathmandu mid afternoon and take a very narrow taxi to our hotel.  The streets are dusty and the air quality is really bad….glad we bought masks in Vietnam.  As we jiggle along on the bumpy roads my very first impression is that this isn’t a place I think I’ll like much, dusty, poor and no charm….wait a minute check out that monkey running down the road…..and look at that cow just cruising along, and those goats chilling on the sidewalk….ok so that’s all pretty neat.  As we get closer to our hotel I see the surrounds transform and come alive with interesting shops and buildings of brickwork and my first impressions slip away.

The narrow streets team with small cars, narrow vans, rickshaws, motorbikes and people, a challenge to drive, equally difficult to walk. Its so nice to see all the amazing brick buildings but the downside is the large kilns that send black smoke into the already dusty air.

Shop vendors call out as you walk by to come inside their shops, street merchants follow you and if you show the least bit of interest they may hound you for several blocks! It’s hard because you know they’re just trying to make a buck but it can very annoying and detracts from the otherwise amazing experience.

After getting acquainted with our area we head into restaurant called the New Orleans Cafe, an indoor-outdoor place with great atmosphere, great music and great food.  I opt for the Nepalese set which comes on a large tray and consists of an assortment of delicious items:  lentil soup, dahl, sautéed spinach, vegetable curry and mango pickle. So yummy it becomes a fave dish for my stay here.

On our first day of sightseeing we go to Bodnath Stupa, the largest in Nepal and the holiest Tibetan Buddhist temple outside of Tibet.  We entered a large square, the Stupa taking up the centre surrounded by shops and restaurants.

Topping the Stupa is a square tower bearing Buddhas eyes (something we see represented in art and jewelry everywhere) on all four sides.

 

Bhaktapur City

Next we head off by taxi to the ancient city of Bhaktapur.  This is the cultural capital of Nepal. It dates back to the early 8th century and was once the capital of Nepal.  Bhaktapur Durbar Square in the centre of the city was listed as a World Heritage in 1979.

So much to see everywhere you look.   Ancient buildings with amazing woodwork and carvings that have impressed generations.

We wander down a road gazing at the ancient buildings and shops. The narrow street gives way to Pottery Square where potters are working away.  Row upon row of clay pots fills the square, such an impressive sight!

This city is home to almost 100 thousand people and spread over 6 square km so it’s a large area to cover and we only saw the tip of it.

We are greeted at the airport by a blast of hot air, oh sweet precious heat!  I wonder which of us will be the first to complain about being hot?  Meanwhile we peel off the jackets and grab a taxi to our hotel. As we’ve spent a fair amount of time in Bangkok we don’t feel the need to do any sight seeing. We wander the city trying to stay clear of the protest sites but somehow seem to end up in the middle of them!  From what I did see the protests are quite peaceful, almost festive like, vendors are selling their wares, food stands and tents set up where once cars and bikes owned the roads.

There were spots where getting through was tough and taking taxis or tuk tuks was out of the question so we found a new way around by boat taxi on the canal and that worked just great.

Just a few days here and then off to Hua Hin and the beach!

Over 2 months of traveling, while enjoyable, can also be quite draining so we decide to take some time and just chill.  We head south about 2 hours from Bangkok and spend almost 2 weeks in the Cha’am/Hua Hin area.  Here we soak up the sun, walk the long stretches of beach, laze by the pool and catch up with some reading. Glorious!

After lazing around Hua Hin we head back to BKK and get ready for our trip to Nepal.