Day 37: Kathmandu cultural tour

After our grueling and sodden 5 days of trekking, a free day for a cultural tour of Kathmandu was a welcome and much needed change of pace. We spent the day hobbling around some of the most famous and spiritual sites of the country with our ever-jovial guide Ram.

First stop: Bhaktapur, a neighboring city of Kathmandu which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its temples, well-preserved architecture and skilled artisans. After paying an admission fee which goes towards ongoing restoration of the city, we wandered through meandering cobblestone streets, peeked inside Hindu temples (we weren't allowed inside), and looked over the shoulders of local craftsmen & artisans. Bhaktapur is particularly famous for its intricate woodwork, much of which is prominently displayed as windowframes on ancient buildings. Thanka, detailed Buddhist paintings on canvas, was another well-known craft, which we learned at a school for budding artists!

Man laboring over intricate woodwork

Cute lady spinning her wool

Detailed Buddhist painting

Thankfully Stan and I escaped Bhaktapur without dropping too many rupees (or purchasing something that would have required shipment to Stan's parents in TX!), and we headed to the Boudhanath, another UNESCO World Heritage Site which is also the holiest Buddhist site in Nepal, as well as one of the holiest in Asia. It is a massive stupa - basically a spherical mound-shaped structure used by Buddhists (particularly pilgrims) as a site of worship. The Boudhanath is reportedly the largest in Asia (which I take to mean the largest in the world but Ram was unable to confirm), completely surrounded by prayer wheels and adorned by prayer flags, each color symbolizing the 5 elements - earth, fire, water, air and space. We took a break for lunch at a restaurant which overlooked the stupa, and there was no denying the impressive and positive force emanating from this structure. Many trekkers in Nepal, particularly those seeking to conquer Everest, make a point of paying respects to the stupa to receive a special blessing prior to setting out. In ancient times, Tibetans traveling on the well-worn trade route would stop here to do the very same thing.

The Boudhanath

Heather gaining her merits by spinning the prayer wheel

Heather receiving a Buddhist necklace blessed by the monk

Lastly was the Pashupatinath Temple, the oldest Hindu temple in Kathmandu and so holy we were not allowed inside despite paying the 500 rupee entrance fee (~$6). Still, it was nice to see the view of the temple from the other side of the Bagmati River, where we also had a front row seat to 4 public cremations on the banks of the river. The Bagmati River is so holy that many Hindus in Nepal essentially live their whole lives with hopes of being cremated at the river, their ashes being deposited into the waters. It is interesting to note that adjacent to the cremation platforms is one of the oldest hospices in the world, as well as a retina transplant center. One stop shopping! On a serious note, it was touching to bear witness to such an intimate ceremony. Watching family and close friends hold vigil near their deceased loved ones was at once a eerie and powerful reminder of our own mortality and an affirmation of life. The latter also being emphasized by our interaction with an awesome-looking sadhu (holy man in Hindu culture, practices meditation, yoga, fasting, lives off of the kindness and charity of others - mainly at ashrams and temples) on our way out. A great last impression of Nepal before our voyage to the land of Gross National Happiness - Bhutan!

A Hindu holy man who happily poses for pictures for a fee