Kathmandu Valley is the most developed and populated place in Nepal. It serves as an economic hub of the country and is the first touch point for tourists coming to explore the beauty and culture of Nepal.
Photo of the Day: Kathmandu Valley
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Tag Archives: Nepal
Swayambhunath
This is an ancient temple found on top of a little hill built in the 5th century AD. It is one of the UNESCO World Heritage site in Nepal with temples scattered around the complex as well as a monastery. Holy monkeys also live in the area that’s why it is also known as Monkey Temple.
There are two ways to get to the temple. You can climb up the 360 steps to the top OR drive towards the parking lot and enter at the other side. I opted for option number 2. 🙂 The driver dropped us off the entry way and after paying the entrance fee, Dinesh (my tour guide) and I went in the complex.
There’s a pond with the statue of the Buddha and a golden bowl at it’s feet. Some people would throw coins for good luck and they try to shoot it in the bowl for better luck i presume. The monkeys also do get to enjoy the pond, not for swimming but for drinking the water.
I saw some stupas with the eyes painted on all 4 sides and I said to myself, “Is this it?!” We continued to walk and I listened to Dinesh while he explained the history of the place then we went up a flight of stairs. I saw shops and cafes and I thought we are just going to look at the view of Kathmandu. I was in for a surprise!
There it was! The huge Swayambhunath stupa and a huge grin spread across my face. I must have looked funny so I told Dinesh that I thought it was the stupa by the entrance gate and he laughed.
We went around the stupa and I saw the most breathtaking view. It’s the panoramic view of Kathmandu Valley. I heard that sunset is really beautiful here, now that’s something that can make me come back and visit again. 🙂
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I booked my tour with Alpine Club of Himalaya. Thanks to Sujan for all the help and for allowing me to personalise my tour.
Photo of the Day: Kathmandu Sunrise
My first ever sunrise in Nepal. I went to the rooftop of the guesthouse to get this breathtaking view while happily observing locals doing their morning ritual of prayers and blessings.
Kathmandu Durbar Square
The plane landed late in the afternoon and I was excited to explore. After going through all the hustle and bustle, I finally arrived at the guesthouse and left my stuff so I can roam the streets of Kathmandu. I did a bit of research before coming to Nepal. This is my first time ever to visit the country so rely so much on the internet and google maps to help me with my itinerary. I decided to stay at Freak Street. It is less famous than Thamel but I chose to stay here because of its close proximity to Kathmandu Durbar Square.
It was already sun down when I reached the durbar. A lot of locals hangout by the square – Â old people watching the world go by, teenagers hanging out with their friends and people whizzing by on their motorbikes. The brick laden road around the durbar is pretty cool and it brings you back to its glorious time.
This place is also known as Basantapur Durbar Square or Hanumandhoka Durbar Square. Â Locals know this place as Hanumandhoka and is the ancient place where the Nepalese royalty lived. It is also called Basantapur because it’s the old name of the original centre in Kathmandu. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was built during the 14th century.
I pretty much walked on just one side of the square and got stuck trying to take a photo of the square. Cars and motorbikes zoom by so fast on the brick road and it was pretty interesting to observe that despite the craziness there are no accidents.
I noticed two lions guarding the entry way to beautiful building but cars might hit me if I try to take the picture, lol. So, I decided to take the shot of the lion and the temple beside it. As I turned around, I noticed a piece of wood with an interesting painting. Cool, eh?
I decided to go back to Freak Street and check out the place. I saw lots of different stores selling souvenirs, quaint little coffee shops and restaurants scattered around with cute lights and decorations.
I continued walking and I noticed a lad ringing a bell of some sort of little temple. I decided to stay by the little temple and I noticed that they would open the tap, touch the water and then ring the bell.
I decided to continue walking and settled for a quaint little sandwich shop. After spending a few minutes having my dinner and reading a bit of Nepal history, I decided to go back to the guesthouse and retire for the nice.
Til the next adventure. 🙂
Weekly Photo Challenge: Inside
Something inside me changes every time I travel. A new experience makes me appreciate life’s beauty and I feel so lucky given the chance to experience a new culture. The curiosity in me is satisfied when I learn about the history of the place and how the people coped up with the challenges thrown their way. We may come from different countries, different religions, different beliefs and cultures but we are all the same in a way – trying to find that one thing that makes our world a better place.
Wandering Candy 