Holy Men, Dancing Girls, and Religious Sites
"Naked Dancing Girls? Naked Dancing Girls?" The restaurants and bars had all closed at 10pm (with the exception of a few persistent ones), but apparently the rickshaw drivers all knew of another establishment where no one knew your name. We didn't take any of these drivers up on their generous offers but did have quite a laugh at their persistence.
Apart from the pollution, Kathmandu is a great city. Due to recent political tensions, it is pretty much empty of tourists, but the locals (with the exception of the touts, drug dealers, and rickshaw drivers) still pay us no attention. The narrow streets are a constant noisy chaos of honking motorbikes, small cars, roaming cows, and impeccably dressed Nepalese. Tiny children will run by, chasing tires, while bicyclists will constantly tempt fate by weaving between pedestrians and cars. Yet, this city is much calmer, quieter, and relaxed than many of the other developing capitals of the world. The touts will leave you alone after asking you twice (usually in a ridiculous "Allo mate" Australian accent), the marijuana peddlers will skulk back to their corner after a quick shake of the head, and the rickshaw drivers will go back to their afternoon naps if you don't express interest in an hour-long site-seeing tour.
The weather has been fairly predictable. Wake up to a cloudy sky. The clouds clear to a hot mid-day. Around 2pm the clouds return and it will then rain for about an hour.
We have spent our time wandering the streets, eating, and visiting various temples and religious sites that are scattered around the city. Yesterday, we negotiated cab fare to Pashupatinath, one of the most holy Hindu temples in Nepal. There, an enterprising colorfully dressed Saddu (holy man) greeted Shazz with blessings and gifts... and then a demand for money. Since we are not hindus, we were not allowed inside the temple (which was perched on the edge of a holy river), but from the hill on the opposite river bank, among the stuppas, lingas, and chaityas, we could observe the ceremonies. We had a colony of monkeys, many locals, and a few tourists to keep us company. The peaceful scene was punctuated with the melodic sound of bells, murmured prayers, and the occasional bellow from a cranky Sacred Cow. Incense and the smoke of funeral pyres filled the air.
We then hiked 2km through a small, peaceful town to the Tibetan sacred site of Boudha. We joined Tibetan pilgrims as they strolled clockwise around the massive stuppa, spinning prayer wheels and chanting their mantras. At 3:25pm, the skies opened up, and it poured. Luckily, we managed to jump in a cab at 3:24pm.
Today, we hiked to the Monkey Temple, a massive stuppa up on a hill that overlooks the sprawling haze of Kathmandu. After a steep walk up a long flight of stairs, we were confronted with Tibetan Pilgrims spinning prayer wheels, thumping drums, and crashing cymbals. Tearful old ladies made offerings, as gawking tourists shamelessly took their pictures. The local colony of monkeys, that is usually renouned for entertaining tourists with party tricks such as acrobatics and cheep backalley card tricks, seemed to be sulking. No tricks today, sir. Our walk back to Kathmandu's central square through some quiet streets, took us past old ladies squatting on doorsteps and cooking fried dough, tibetans sorting through massive piles of dusty wool, and carefully tended neighborhood holy stuppas. Since it was early afternoon, we raced the rain and attempted to find a highly acclaimed South Indian restaurant. Our route took us down "Makhan Tole," a pedestrian shopping street on which you could find any manner of goods. We miscalculated by five minutes and the rain came. We did find our restaurant, though.
Meals:
We have been eating Indian and Nepali food. Despite some bad reviews by other travelers, we have pretty much enjoyed the fare. For breakfast, we had puri and curried potatoes. For lunch, we enjoyed South Indian Dhosas, samosas, and other goodies. Last night, taking a local's advice, we went into a Nepali eatery, where the waiter asked "Rice?" Apparently, they are known for "one price, more rice." So we had the rice. It came with Dhaal, mutton, and pickle. Shazz insisted on having extra Mutton. And it was delicious (and cost $1.25).
As expected, the coffee is horrible. The masala chai, on the other hand, is very good.
People:
The nepalese are generally quite small. I keep hitting my head on low doorframes. They dress extremely well - the men in slacks and ironed collared shirts, and the women (impeccably made-up), in colorful saris or shalwar khamiz. And many of them are very beautiful.
Apart from the pollution, Kathmandu is a great city. Due to recent political tensions, it is pretty much empty of tourists, but the locals (with the exception of the touts, drug dealers, and rickshaw drivers) still pay us no attention. The narrow streets are a constant noisy chaos of honking motorbikes, small cars, roaming cows, and impeccably dressed Nepalese. Tiny children will run by, chasing tires, while bicyclists will constantly tempt fate by weaving between pedestrians and cars. Yet, this city is much calmer, quieter, and relaxed than many of the other developing capitals of the world. The touts will leave you alone after asking you twice (usually in a ridiculous "Allo mate" Australian accent), the marijuana peddlers will skulk back to their corner after a quick shake of the head, and the rickshaw drivers will go back to their afternoon naps if you don't express interest in an hour-long site-seeing tour.
The weather has been fairly predictable. Wake up to a cloudy sky. The clouds clear to a hot mid-day. Around 2pm the clouds return and it will then rain for about an hour.
We have spent our time wandering the streets, eating, and visiting various temples and religious sites that are scattered around the city. Yesterday, we negotiated cab fare to Pashupatinath, one of the most holy Hindu temples in Nepal. There, an enterprising colorfully dressed Saddu (holy man) greeted Shazz with blessings and gifts... and then a demand for money. Since we are not hindus, we were not allowed inside the temple (which was perched on the edge of a holy river), but from the hill on the opposite river bank, among the stuppas, lingas, and chaityas, we could observe the ceremonies. We had a colony of monkeys, many locals, and a few tourists to keep us company. The peaceful scene was punctuated with the melodic sound of bells, murmured prayers, and the occasional bellow from a cranky Sacred Cow. Incense and the smoke of funeral pyres filled the air.
We then hiked 2km through a small, peaceful town to the Tibetan sacred site of Boudha. We joined Tibetan pilgrims as they strolled clockwise around the massive stuppa, spinning prayer wheels and chanting their mantras. At 3:25pm, the skies opened up, and it poured. Luckily, we managed to jump in a cab at 3:24pm.
Today, we hiked to the Monkey Temple, a massive stuppa up on a hill that overlooks the sprawling haze of Kathmandu. After a steep walk up a long flight of stairs, we were confronted with Tibetan Pilgrims spinning prayer wheels, thumping drums, and crashing cymbals. Tearful old ladies made offerings, as gawking tourists shamelessly took their pictures. The local colony of monkeys, that is usually renouned for entertaining tourists with party tricks such as acrobatics and cheep backalley card tricks, seemed to be sulking. No tricks today, sir. Our walk back to Kathmandu's central square through some quiet streets, took us past old ladies squatting on doorsteps and cooking fried dough, tibetans sorting through massive piles of dusty wool, and carefully tended neighborhood holy stuppas. Since it was early afternoon, we raced the rain and attempted to find a highly acclaimed South Indian restaurant. Our route took us down "Makhan Tole," a pedestrian shopping street on which you could find any manner of goods. We miscalculated by five minutes and the rain came. We did find our restaurant, though.
Meals:
We have been eating Indian and Nepali food. Despite some bad reviews by other travelers, we have pretty much enjoyed the fare. For breakfast, we had puri and curried potatoes. For lunch, we enjoyed South Indian Dhosas, samosas, and other goodies. Last night, taking a local's advice, we went into a Nepali eatery, where the waiter asked "Rice?" Apparently, they are known for "one price, more rice." So we had the rice. It came with Dhaal, mutton, and pickle. Shazz insisted on having extra Mutton. And it was delicious (and cost $1.25).
As expected, the coffee is horrible. The masala chai, on the other hand, is very good.
People:
The nepalese are generally quite small. I keep hitting my head on low doorframes. They dress extremely well - the men in slacks and ironed collared shirts, and the women (impeccably made-up), in colorful saris or shalwar khamiz. And many of them are very beautiful.
posted by Ace at 6:55 AM
1 Comments:
Ah, so jealous you are in Kathmandu. Have you bought a tangka yet? Keep up the writing please, I love living vicariously through you :)
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