Kathmandu, Nepal

T, S and I headed off to Kathmandu for 5 days last week. It is the monsoon, so not the best time to visit, but sometimes you don't choose when you get to go.

So after a very quick 1 hour and 15 minute flight (and an upgrade) we landed. Kathmandu has a pretty old airport and a slow visa processing system (remember to take your passport photos). It was overcast and the weather was pleasantly cool. The four of us travelling together piled into the smallest car possible and wound our way to the hotel. The roads in Kathmandu are among the narrowest I've encountered and the most pot holed, poor little cars!

The next morning T headed off to work and S and I went for a walk on the streets of Kathmandu. Nothing too much was open but we did see all the little ones off to school and people off to work or getting their shops ready for the day. We attracted a fair bit of attention too......

Beginning of the day at a Kathmandu fruit stall

Too early for sweets?

One of the nicest thing we encountered on the walk was people ringing the bells on the street. People would walk by, ring the bells and say a prayer for the day. It was lovely to hear them and smell the incense as you walked past. You get the feeling this is a very spiritual place - the bells, the incense and the marigolds all ready for a day of prayer and worship. Interesting I learnt that Hinduism is practised by a larger majority of people in Nepal than anywhere else.

Bells!

Ready for the temple.

Walking around town I saw some beautiful displays of wall masks and dolls. They are pretty cool and looked great all displayed together on the wall. Taking them away and displaying them on their own they might lose something. They looked a bit kooky and creepy dangling there and staring at me....

One thing we did see before the weather turned nasty was Durbar Square. A magnificent grouping of temples where the nepalese people hang out with friends, lovers, tourists and family.

It is busy and noisy but you can imagine what it would have been like before the world went all modern on it. Inside some of the temples astrologers sat predicting peoples fortunes..... there was a queue, these people must be good but I never really want to hear my future thanks.

Another amazing thing near the squaare is the Kumari Ghar. This is where Kumari lives - a prepubescent girl who is worshipped as a manifestation of the divine female energy.

Kumari is believed to be the bodily incarnation of the goddess Taleju (the Nepalese name for Durga) until she menstruates, after which it is believed that the goddess vacates her body. Serious illness or a major loss of blood from an injury are also causes for her to revert to common status. The current Royal Kumari, Matina Shakya, aged four, was installed in October 2008 by the Maoist government that replaced the monarchy (Wikipedia).

Imagine reverting to common status after this kind of treatment. People stand in the courtyard and wait for her to appear at the window. We waited but weren't nearly patient enough.

There are some beautiful temples and ornate gods displayed all over the square.

All over the square you'll see men and women moving goods from A to B. These guys are amazing, I really do not know how they do it....... I really wish someone would make it easier for them.

Amazing.....

Food is for sale everywhere in Kathmandu and at the moment it is all about the mango in the subcontinent....yum!!!!!

Another notable thing we investigated in Kathmandu was the Garden of Dreams. It is a beautiful oasis in the heart of Kathmandu near the famous Thamel area (backpacker land). This garden has been done up with the help of the Austrian government and is gorgeous!!! S and I sat on the lawn and relaxed before moving up to Kaiser Cafe for a yummy latte.

Places we ate:

* Chez Caroline in Baber Mahal Revisited: well worth a visit for some French cuisine and to look around the nice shops here.

* A restaurant in Thamel that isn't worth remembering the name of. I think I am officially too old for Thamel....

Place we stayed:

* Radisson: this place needs alot of TLC, alot! We had to eat here a couple of times due to circumstance but I certainly wouldn't recommend it.

Who we flew:

* Kingfisher airlines and Jet airways. Upgraded on Kingfisher so WIN WIN!! Jet delayed by two hours due to 'weather' so LOSE LOSE.

Note to self - have to go back when it doesn't rain everyday......