Nepal - Thamel and Kathmandu Durbar Sq

Back in November I was lucky enough to spend some time in Nepal for work. The aim of the trip was a team building, team bonding, goal setting, meeting the organisations we work with in Nepal and checking out some new ones too! I was super excited as I have always wanted to go to Nepal, in stronger-back-days I really wanted to do some trekking in the Himalayas - maybe one day! We packed it in there during our visit and I was lucky enough to tag on a few days before and after the trip to see more of the Kathmandu area.

When I was home in the UK I had the fortnight to grab my down puffer jacket – as ladylike and fashionable as it sounds - it is a lifesaver and after a conversation with a friend the night before I left night that went ‘Take your thermals’ ‘I have no thermals’ ‘oh, you’ll need them’ I was glad I had the jacket, a few long sleeved things and one pair of tights – to wear under everything. The longer I live in Cambodia the more used to the heat I become and anything below about 30 degrees feels cold now. 

Flight times were about 12 hours - 5/6 of those a layover in KL. Better than the option of a day and a half and via China. My greatest find at the airport in KL was Durian Kingdom – oh yum! (not)

"You can be the ripest and sweetest Durian in the world but there's still going to be someone who hates it." - Jhanghiz Syahrivar

Got to the gate, what I thought was early, but there were barely any seats left. The plane was a A300/330 so there were about 500 people waiting to get on it. Around 490 of which were young Nepali men. The instant the flight was called everyone got up – apart from about 10 people, the only non young Nepali men - a few non Nepalis and a handful of Nepalese women. I have never seen a queue like it! 

The flight was only about 4 hours, but pretty loud and involved a lot of staring at this strange, young, white woman travelling on her own, which felt a little awkward - though understandable considering the numbers of Nepalese women travelling (probably non on their own) and the number of foreigners on the flight. 

When we landed in Nepal it was time to get a visa – long lines. The visa is finalized at immigration – never have a met a more friendly immigration officer – chatty, smiley, welcoming – he asked all the questions you have to ask (where are you going, why, who are you meeting, how long will you stay??) but made it seem like a friendly chat, not an interrogation – as is often the case at other ports. 

One through immigration it was time to go through customs again TIA customs (teehee) were the company in charge of this! They demanded another bag scan and then on to collect our luggage. Once they had unloaded all the flat screen TVs that each of the 490 young Nepali men had bought! Never seen so many TVs!! The flight must have been a shopping trip to KL for most people! As we left the airport they checked our baggage ticket stubs and bags matched to ensure no one was stealing TVs.

"Television is chewing gum for the eyes." - Frank Lloyd Wright

Headed out to the usual chaos and found my car, not much chat between me and the driver as we had no common language, but he understood my comment as we squeezed past a bus round a 90 degree bend on a tight lane way as we got to the hotel. Hotel lovely, staff super friendly and helpful. Quick shower and bed after a nice pot of tea!

Sore (back) and tired from yesterdays travel the morning was a quiet one, late breakfast, unpacking, scan of the guidebook before heading out to Thamel. This is quite a touristy area – loads of shops, souvenirs, places to eat and drink and buy trekking gear or book treks and guides. The shops are like Afflecks Palace cross with the souks of morocco combined with the traffic of Hanoi – think crazy!

I had a walk round chatted to a few local people running shops, found a few souvenirs to take home and decided on a few others to get on my last few days. It was quite a lot of same same but different and after an hour or so I got off the beaten track and had some lunch and a look through the guide book.

Thought the wires in Cambodia were bad!

Lots of lovely little temples all over the place, on street corners, down alleys, in peoples courtyards - lovely!

The people there were in the main super friendly,  calling ‘Namaste!’ as you pass their shop or even in the street, very smiley and I have been stopped a few times in the street by randoms for a chat. 

"Look at the sky. We are not alone. The whole universe is friendly to us and conspires only to give the best to those who dream and work." - A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

The opposite of that seems to be the people who openly stare and don’t respond to a smile. Cambodians love to stare - so I am quite used to that, but this is a little more of an intense stare. I also receive quite some hilarity at my cropped leggings (I live in a warm place!!) I was wearing with people looking at my ankles / feet and openly laughing – I could hear my Grandad in my head asking if I had forgotten the end of my trousers or if they had shrunk in the wash. Cold climates obviously don’t see a lot of mid calf pants! 

On my walk back I popped into the ‘Garden of Dreams’ (cost R200), a lovely little oasis away from it all and a great place for locals and tourists to sit and chill.  

"Beauty surrounds us, but usually we need to be walking in a garden to know it." - Rumi

Waterfall built into the wall...

...with a linga at the end of it.

After a bit of a rest it was time for dinner. Work wise our team is spread all over the globe, so it was great to finally meet in person and be lucky enough to be joined by a friend who lives locally in Kathmandu. 

The next day was a slower start as unfortunately there was a warning about travelling on the roads today due to a Maoist rebel group banda, who have regular days of disruption and stop cars for money and extort people, tourist cars have in the past been safe, but in the last one they set a taxi on fire, so many people had a relaxing day in the hotel or walked places. As plans were cancelled I had a lovely morning chatting about my role and my region with my colleague sat outside in the crisp and sunny Nepal weather.

That afternoon I decided that exploring on foot should be safe and set off...heading back through Thamel I suddenly felt the vibe shift and knew I was in a much less touristy and much more local place. Weaving down back streets with hobbit like houses and shops I ploughed on in the quest for Kathmandu Durbar Sq. 

I got totally lost! Its about a 30 min walk from the hotel and the guide books maps were pretty terrible. I wandered round and couldn’t believe how many small temples and stupas there are everywhere. I was told it was so simple to find, but I must have wandered for about 2 hours before I finally found it! One of the problems was that there are three Durbar Squares -I was looking for Kathmadu Durbar Sq but the map kept showing me the one in Patan.

I really needed some wifi to work out where I was and where I wanted to be. But due to the banda many shops and cafes were closed or had heavy security. I finally found somewhere, had some lunch and accessed wifi – google maps was also terrible and directed me to Patan Durbar Sq or a Durbar Sq right by the Indian border. The waiter kindly informed me, out of the café left, left and there it was! I was so close, only 2 hours of walking!

Here are some photos from my wanderings!....

Rickshaw driver - fast asleep!

Eventually I happened upon a small temple complex - was this Kathmandu Durbar Sq?

I wandered around and took some photos..

...and climbed the steps to enter the temple.

I took a look and wandered up to the top, taking off my shoes I stepped inside and smiled at the lady and man tending to the shrine. Suddenly the man leapt over the barrier inform of the shrine he was tending, and started shooing me, grabbing hs socks and roughly putting them on his feet he shouted at me ‘get out!’. I couldn’t work out if he was in a rush or f I had done something wrong, Some temples are for Nepalis or Hindus only, but they usually have a sign. I apologized and left double speed.

Eventually I did find Kathmandu Durbar Sq! This is situated in front of the old Royal Palace of the former Kathmadu Kingdom and is an UNESCO world Heritage site (as are the other Durbar Sqs)

Sadly the earthquake damage was all too apparent, it was hard sometimes to tell which building was which and so sad to see all that damage....and many of them were being held up with scaffolding or had netting over them in case more bits fell off into the crowd below.

Some amazing carving and wood work that has lasted through so many year and destruction!

  

Cows everywhere, not sure where they graze, but as they are sacred Hindu country, they have the run of the place!

  

 

Sooooo many pigeons here!

This was the entrance to the museum and where I realized I was supposed to have a ticket (no one has asked for one until that point!) I bought one on the way out in the end!!

'Buy the ticket, take the ride.'- Hunter S. Thompson

 

Small temple in a Banyan Tree

 Just loved this!

This is where the Kumari is based - she is a living goddess, taken from her village before puberty and appears here at the middle window several times a day (you cannot photograph her). She lives here with her family. Once she starts menstruation she is no longer the goddess and is replaced by a new one. She used to go back to her family, but found it hard to live a normal life again. As a goddess she would have lived a privileged and spoiled life, now she will be normal again. She also find it hard to get married - men would often find marrying an ex goddess a lot of pressure, understandably. These issues have now been recognized and the ex Kumari is usually now given an education overseas after her duties and can return with a new identity and a new life further down the line - what an unusual life this very limited group of young women face.

Apparently if the Kumari remains silent and impassive throughout the audience, her devotees leave elated. This is the sign that their wishes have been granted. I cant remember what my wish was!! 

Many people found the experince of being in the presence of the Kumari quite powerful. For me I felt quite sorry for this seven year old girl with so much pressure on her and not being able to live a normal child hood. 

“She had power over the most magnificent forces on Earth, but she still didn’t feel like she had power over the most important thing of all—her own heart.” 
― Josephine Angelini, Goddess

I met this Sadhu just outside the Kumari Temple encouraging people to photograph him and give him a few rupees. There were many Sadhus at all the temples who seemed to be content, peaceful men.

  Just outside of the square, there was a lovely view out to the mountains....

...and also a small temple with these amazing carvings.

 And a place to get water, take a wash and socialise.

 Back in the square on my walk back to the hotel - this bell was huge!

 Having just bought my ticket I could finally go into the museum on my way out. They really do need to get the ticketing sorted as the site needs as much financial support as possible, especially after the earthquake.

There was a lot of damage and not all the museum was open, but I did manage to see some things, mainly the outside of buildings and restoration of artifacts or photos...

Soon I was on my way out and wandering back to the hotel, seeing lots of small temples on the way once again...

I  followed my nose back towards Thamel in much the same way I had arrived, clueless. Nepal is  pretty safe though, and I knew I was headed in the right direction or could jump in a rickshaw or taxi at any point. Suddenly the feel of the place changed again and I knew I was back in Thamel (I'd made it – phew!) I found a place for a quick drink and some wifi and worked out where we were meeting for dinner.

A lovely little place called Rosemarys Kitchen did the honours for our evening meal and putting the world to rights before we jumped in a taxi back to the hotel.