Kathmandu

October 31 Kathmandu

We are up at 6am as we are told we would be boarding our plane at 7:15. However, we learned that due to fog in Kathmandu no planes had left yet. We sat outside in the sun..talked and waited. We heard a siren at the airport. That means a plane had left Kathmandu. Ours is the second Yeti flight of the morning, so we will have to wait a while. We went to the airport at 9:30am, but had to wait until 11:15 for our plane.

While waiting in the airport we saw a trekker being transported by helicopter to Kathmandu.  He broke his arm. We assumed he fell along one of the trails.  The trails were very rocky and uneven and I am thankful our guide Dawa held my hand during the worst parts to ensure I stayed upright.

Back in Kathmandu we checked backed in to the Shangri-La Hotel. We got a nice garden view room on the top floor. I took a nice long hot shower and washed my hair. This was my first shower since Pangboche. I got into clean clothes for the first time since Pangboche also. We ate Pizza for lunch at the hotel. I checked my e-mail and had a trekkers massage. It felt great! Chris relaxed and took a nap. Finally my congestion appears to be gone but Chris is not feeling well. We had dinner at the hotel and went to sleep early.

November 1, 2007 Kathmandu

This morning we joined the other group on a sightseeing tour. First we went to Swayambhunath, a World heritage Site. It is one of the oldest temples in the world. A golden spire crowning a conical wooded hill, Swayambhunath Stupa is the most ancient and enigmatic of all the holy shrines in Kathmandu valley. Its lofty white dome and glittering golden spire are visible for many miles and from all sides of the valley. Historical records found on a stone inscription give evidence that the stupa was already an important Buddhist pilgrimage destination by the 5th century AD. Its origins however, date to a much earlier time, long before the arrival of Buddhism into the valley.

Swayambhunath's worshippers include Hindus, Vajrayana Buddhists of northern Nepal and Tibet, and the Newari Buddhists of central and southern Nepal. Each morning before dawn, hundreds of pilgrims will ascend the 365 steps that lead up the hill, file past the gilded Vajra (Tibetan: Dorje) and two lions guarding the entrance, and begin a series of clockwise circumambulations of the stupa (Newari Buddhists circle in the opposite, counterclockwise direction). On each of the four sides of the main stupa there are a pair of big eyes. These eyes are symbolic of God's all-seeing perspective. They keep watch over the Kathmandu Valley. There is no nose between the eyes but rather a representation of the number one in the Nepali alphabet, signifying that the single way to enlightenment is through the Buddhist path. Above each pair of eyes is another eye, the third eye, signifying the wisdom of looking within. No ears are shown because it is said the Buddha is not interested in hearing prayers in praise of him.

In between the eyes, there is a sign that look like a question mark (?) at the position of the nose; it is actually the number 1 in Nepalese language. It represents the unity of the universal. Swayambhunath Stupa building has classic structure of the Stupa. At the white half globe base, first level is round which represents the Earth; second level is square which represents the Air; third level is triangle which represents Water; forth level is an umbrella which represents Fire; fifth level is spiral shape which represent Live.

On the stupa; there are thirteen levels of golden rings; it represents thirteen different level of knowledge; it is the way for human to achieve Nirvana. . And that is the reason on top of the stupa there is an umbrella represents Nirvana.

The area surrounding the stupa is filled with chaityas, temples, painted images of deities and numerous other religious objects. There are many small shrines with statues of Tantric and shamanistic deities, prayer wheels for the Tibetan Buddhists, Shiva lingams (now disguised as Buddhist chaityas and decorated with the faces of the the Dhyani Buddhas), and a popular Hindu temple dedicated to Harati, the Goddess of smallpox and other epidemics. The presence of the Harati Devi temple signifies the intermingling of the pantheons of Hinduism and Buddhism in the development of the religious trends of Nepal. As Buddhists had no deity in their own pantheon to protect against the dreaded smallpox, they adopted the Hindu deity for assistance.

We saw many people lined up to bring offerings to the gods..food, flowers, one lady was carrying a duck. People bring offerings on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. The temple is also called the Monkey Temple because of all the monkeys scurrying around.

Next we went to Patan’s Durbar Square and visited the museum there. We had lunch in their outdoor café. The square boasts of many famous sites and unique architecture. Krishna Mandir in the Patan Durbar Square was built to honor an incarnation of Vishnu. Krishna fought by the side of the Pandavs in the Mahabharat war to assure that truth would prevail. He was a favorite among the gopini cow girls. His temple is the best example of stone architecture in Nepal. Scenes from the Mahabharat, Asia's greatest mythological war, are carved on the temple's walls.

Next we walked all through the Thamel shopping district with it’s narrow streets and numerous shops selling all kinds of goods. In addition to actual storefronts, people sit on the ground and set out vegetables, clothes, etc. right on the ground. We then walked back to the hotel. It was a 2 ½ hour walk all together.

We joined the other group for a farewell dinner at the Northfield Café. We ordered pizza which was pretty bad. They had live entertainment of singing and dancing which was so loud it was hard to talk. Despite all this we had a nice time. Overnight at the Shangri-La Hotel..

November 2, 2007 Kathmandu

We slept in until 8am, had breakfast at 9 and then walked along the street outside out hotel. Chris bought a ball cap that said “Top of the World Nepal.” I checked my e-mail. Chris is still feeling lousy. We decided to go to the Jawalakhel Handicraft Center (Tibetan Refugee Camp) to get a rug for our new home. We bought 2 which we really liked. We watched the women weaving the rugs, and when we left, they all said “Thank You” for purchasing a rug. The women seemd very happy and grateful as this is how they make their lving.

It’s Chris’s birthday so he wanted to go out to dinner. We decided to go to Rum Doodle. We took a taxi from our hotel. I sensed that the driver did not really know where he was going, only that the restaurant was in the Thamel district. After asking 3 people we finally got there. Rum Doodle is a popular dining spot for trekkers and those who summit Everest. Chris had Tandori Chicken and I had Fettuccini. We both enjoyed our meals and finished it off with ice cream for dessert. We decided to walk back to our hotel, which is about a 30 minute walk. We left the restaurant and apparently made a wrong turn as the narrow streets were pretty much deserted. We only saw a couple business’s still open. I asked a shop owner how to get to our hotel and he pointed us back in the direction we had just come. We saw some bicycle rickshaw’s and decided to let one take us back. We asked someone “How much to go to the Shangri-La hotel.” And he said 300 rupees. That seemed fair enough. You are always supposed to agree on a price ahead of time. So off we went on this rickety rickshaw, weaving in and out of the narrow streets and then finally on the main street to our hotel. I was uncomfortable as we had no lights, and we’re mixed among the cars. So this was our adventure for the night. When we got to our hotel, he asked for 500 rupees. We kindly told him that 300 were agreed upon. Guess you can’t blame him for trying to get more.

November 3, 2007 Day 16 Kathmandu

Chris is still very congested. We decided to lay low and rest all day. Most stores are closed on Saturday anyhow. So we stayed in our room and watched movies and the news. When the maid came to the room, Chris asked her just to leave fresh towels. I was in bed and apparently she thought I was the one who was sick as later in the day someone from the hotel came to our room with flowers as he heard “Mam was sick.” It was such a nice thought. We had dinner at the hotel.

November 4, 2007 Day 17

Chris is still very congested. We went to the local pharmacy and got him some medicine. Then we bought some spicy pickle relish for Danny ( which was confiscated in Paris. “Too much liquid!)

We took a taxi to Kathmandu Durbar Square, which is a World Heritage Site

It is easy to be overwhelmed by the seemingly uncountable monuments in the Kathmandu Durbar Square. The house of the Living Goddess, the ferocious Kal Bhairab, the red monkey god, and hundreds of erotic carvings are a few examples of the sights at the Square! The buildings here are the greatest achievements of the Malla dynasty, and they resulted from the great rivalry between the three palaces of Kathmandu, Patan, and Bhaktapur. The Valley was divided among the children of Yaksya Malla. For visitors today, and for the Nepalese, it was serendipitous that they, and later their offsprings, began an artistic warfare trying to outdo each other in splendid constructions. Kings copied everything their neighbours built in an even grander style. A visitor who wanders around the Square will see a round temple in the pagoda architectural style, the temple of Goddess Taleju (who played dice with King Jaya Prakash Malla), and an image of Shiva and Parbati sitting together among the many monuments.

The Square is teeming with colorful life. Vendors sell vegetables, curios, flutes, and other crafts around the Kastamandap rest house. This rest house is said to have been built with the wood of a single tree and is the source from which the Kathmandu Valley got its name. Nearby are great drums which were beaten to announce royal decrees. All woodcarvings, statues, and architecture in this area are exceptionally fine, and Kathmandu Durbar Square is among the most important sights for travelers to see.

However we were pestered here constantly by locals who wanted to be our guide and by street vendors selling trinkets. They just would not take no for an answer and followed us until we had to get firm with them…NO! this was the dirtiest and the least nice of the 3 Durbar Squares. We went to Fire and Ice for lunch and shared a pizza and our own ice cream.

After a nap it was time for dinner which we had at our hotel. We ate in the beautiful garden. Nights are a little cool. Fall is here in Kathmandu.