Kathmandu Part I
Trip Start
Mar 27, 2007
1
11
17
Trip End
Jun 10, 2007
Kathmandu,
Nepal
Monday, May 14, 2007
After a nap (I had spent over 24 hours in transit from Ko Tao) Douwe finally arrived and we went out for dinner and a bit of sightseeing. The following day, we saw the city for real- including the Durbar Square and its plentiful temples. Of note also are the stupas in Kathmandu. Unlike Southeast Asian stupas, these are huge mounds of concrete topped with a kind of crown, beneath which lie the all-seeing Buddha eyes.
We also went to the crematorium (aka public park)
bhaktapur alleyway
. The custom there denotes that bodies be burned. Unlike Westerners, death is more in the open. In fact, the crematorium is open to everyone and we sat across the river and watched as bodies were brought from ambulances and funeral pyres were built and lit. Families stood by, mourning as loved ones burned. There were four or five concrete pyres for the commoners hanging above the river. On the other side, the procedures were a little more elaborate and there were no bleachers on the other side. That side was for the more well-to-do dead people. As we watched, monkeys played- chasing each other off of a bridge and hurling themselves into the river below. A cow grazed on hay meant for a burning. People strolled and talked. Women were led away from dead husbands. Just 100 meters down the road, the elderly home exists in quiet solitude. A sign tells of why the elderly come and the circumstances in which they are allowed. Boxes take visitors' money. On the 15th, we headed to nearby Bhakatpur via taxi. It was a 30 minute ride through crowded streets and when we got there, we were confronted with a $10 entrance fee. No small price for Nepal. Regardless, Bhaktapur is amazing. It is closed to vehicles and the streets are narrow, winding, and filled with shops, temples, and interesting sights. I ended up purchasing a thangka- a painting of a mandala and hoping that the wrapping would keep it safe for the rest of my journey since that, too, was very pricy.
Kathmandu, however, is not for the faint of heart- though I think that India would offer a more devastating experience. It is dirty, roads are rough, there are cows blocking traffic, beggers- adult and child, dogs so mangy that all their hair is gone and they whine at you with shiny eyes. Power outages occur on a regular basis- nearly every night. And I wouldn't miss it for the world.
