After our trek and a few days in Pokhara, we returned to Kathmandu and spent 11 days here recuperating and doing the site-seeing that we hadn’t done the first time around. We had the impression that most visitors think Kathmandu is a place best left as quickly as possible, and at first glance it is. It is noisy, filthy, chaotic, polluted, congested, crowded, and the electricity is sporadic at best. But, in retrospect, Kathmandu is also one of the most amazing cities we’ve spent time in. It is a living, open-air museum, with relics and ancient buildings and temples everywhere, still in use. Some are preserved and protected, but many are dilapidated and dirty, making the city all the more amazing.
Kathmandu has a wonderful old town, at the center of which is Durbar Square. Durbar means “palace” and it was here that royalty lived and ruled. The square is filled with temples dedicated to Shiva, Krishna, and Vishnu, among others. They embrace different architectural styles and materials, creating a mismatched feel that highlights the long history of this square as the center of life in Kathmandu.
Durbar Square is surrounded by bustling backstreets that give a feel for what life in urban Kathmandu is like. Narrow lanes and hidden courtyards (bahal) lead to innumerable Hindu shrines and temples, Buddhist stupas, and local markets (chowks) dedicated to wedding beads, bindis, produce, fresh meat and everything else a local might need. We loved walking around this part of town and spent several days exploring amid the beautiful old buildings and Nepalis going about their routines – a noticeable contrast to our neighborhood, Thamel, where tourists outnumbered locals. Another highlight was a trip to Swayambhunath Temple (Monkey Temple) which took us through a peaceful neighborhood before we climbed the steps to this Buddhist stupa to admire the views and photograph the monkeys who swarm the hillside at sunset.
We came to really enjoy Nepal’s capital. Besides its beautiful temples and palaces, fascinating back alleys and markets, and frenetic pace, the city is also home to some really delicious and cheap food (both Nepali and Western). An American-style coffee shop down the street from our hotel, cheap room-service, abundant (though really slow) wifi, and inexpensive Christmas and souvenir shopping made it a great place for us to have some downtime after six months on the road.
Click on the photo below to see our Kathmandu album.
Kathmandu has a wonderful old town, at the center of which is Durbar Square. Durbar means “palace” and it was here that royalty lived and ruled. The square is filled with temples dedicated to Shiva, Krishna, and Vishnu, among others. They embrace different architectural styles and materials, creating a mismatched feel that highlights the long history of this square as the center of life in Kathmandu.
Durbar Square is surrounded by bustling backstreets that give a feel for what life in urban Kathmandu is like. Narrow lanes and hidden courtyards (bahal) lead to innumerable Hindu shrines and temples, Buddhist stupas, and local markets (chowks) dedicated to wedding beads, bindis, produce, fresh meat and everything else a local might need. We loved walking around this part of town and spent several days exploring amid the beautiful old buildings and Nepalis going about their routines – a noticeable contrast to our neighborhood, Thamel, where tourists outnumbered locals. Another highlight was a trip to Swayambhunath Temple (Monkey Temple) which took us through a peaceful neighborhood before we climbed the steps to this Buddhist stupa to admire the views and photograph the monkeys who swarm the hillside at sunset.
We came to really enjoy Nepal’s capital. Besides its beautiful temples and palaces, fascinating back alleys and markets, and frenetic pace, the city is also home to some really delicious and cheap food (both Nepali and Western). An American-style coffee shop down the street from our hotel, cheap room-service, abundant (though really slow) wifi, and inexpensive Christmas and souvenir shopping made it a great place for us to have some downtime after six months on the road.
Click on the photo below to see our Kathmandu album.
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