Nepal 2011.

April 5, 2011.

I woke up early this morning and took a stroll down the street(s) that were so alive last night. What a contrast a few hours make as I did not recognize anything as there were no people, traffic and all the shops were closed. Just a few stray dogs trying to find something to eat as well as a few homeless sleeping on the sidewalks.

Today will consist of a tour of Kathmandu and some of the better known landmarks, temples and historical areas.
We started at the Monkey Temple - above which is a few km's West of the city and overlooks it as well. Needless to say it got it's name for obvious reasons however, there is a reason that monkeys are protected in Nepal (as in other parts of the world. Ahh, religion) . Along with the Bodnath Stupa were the main things I wanted to see...

Monks at the Monkey Temple...












Afterwards, we drove over to the Pashupatinath Temple. This is where (for Hindus) the bodies get cremated and ashes get returned as in the cycle of life back to earth. It's very much a 24/7 operation where the bodies are brought in, unloaded, prepared then lit up. This is open for everyone to see though only family members were allowed on the side where it all took place where non-family members could see the whole procession from the other side of the river.

Now, when I say river as you can see in the picture, there is none. The only source of water seems to be when the ashes are hosed off the cement platforms to where there used to be one. And not 100 yards or so downstream are people bathing and cleaning clothes.














Bodhath Stupa.

Located within sight of the airport is one of the holiest Buddhist sites in Kathmandu and is one of the largest in the world and is an influx of Tibetan refugees from China. As of 1979 the Stupa was listed as a UNESCO world heritage site. Along with the monkey temple one of the more popular tourist sites and by far my favorite!

I'm truly humbled by what I've seen today. On tap for tonight...Rum Doddle.