Expectations

Everything I thought Nepal would be was turned on it's head.

I expected a calm, serene, zen-like atmosphere, but instead was greeted with the hustle and bustle of city life and all that entails.

I expected clean, crisp, cool air, but instead it was thick, dusty, smoggy and sticky.

I expected vast, open spaces, but instead it was crowded and cramped.

When I visited India, I knew I was walking into a Slumdog Millionaire environment, and mentally I was ready for it.  As a result, I loved my time there.

For some reason, my mental pictures of Nepal were way off.

Of course, I did the prerequisite requirement of checking out things to do prior to going, but I didn't focus on the lifestyle of the land and what that might be like.

So, I was blindsided.

Don't get me wrong . . . I'm thrilled to have had the experience, and I loved the magnificent temples, but I need to remember to leave preconceived ideas on the doorstep when I leave home.

Most times I do.

Not sure why I didn't this time.

Kathmandu is a beautiful sacred city with extraordinary history.

Once I got past my initial shock, then I could see it.

Here's some of the things I saw.

This is a view of the Himalayan Mountain Range from my hotel window.
Kathmandu sits in a valley and is surrounded by these mountains on all sides.

Another view from my window.

Again, another view from my window.
Downstairs to the right of the balconies with flowers,
are birdcages, I think.
Everyday I watched a guy clean the cages and
collect something that might have been eggs. Too far to see for sure.
The small red structure with the white window
on the far left side about midway down the picture is an outhouse.

City street

THE GREAT BOUDHA STUPA - WORLD HERITAGE SITE

This is the Boudha Stupa, the holiest Tibetan Buddhist Temple outside of Tibet.
I found this picture online and it's not great, but I wanted you to get an overview of the temple.
It's huge and quite imposing when you see it see it from the street.  It is round and is surrounded by gift shops.

The temple has several levels and there are spires rising from each of these levels.
This one has Buddha Eyes on all four sides.
These eyes are prominently on display throughout the city.
These monkeys were three of many in the area.

The Boudha Stupa Temple 3

The Boudha Stupa Temple 4

These colorful flags attached to the temple have prayers written on them.

A view of the market around the temple.

Another view of the market.

Still at the market around the temple.
All of these birds caught me eye.
Some of my neighbors have pigeons that live above me,
so I'm inundated with bird poop.  My thoughts on birds nowadays is not too favorable.
These are fed by the monks and encouraged to stay!
Maybe I should take a page from their book and welcome the ones in my neighborhood.

This video is of a round cylinder wheel that is used in prayer.  There were scores of them that were built into the walls of the temple.  They are turned counterclockwise while praying.

                                          


This is a shop that has many prayer wheels on display.

Monks inside a tiny area praying.

An audio of the scene above.

More prayer wheels

One of the things I thought most interesting were the scenes
played out over and over again of people sitting and just hanging out at the temples.
This photo illustrates that.

This ornate object/oven? is used to burn incense.

A view of the market from the roof of the temple.

I stood by intrigued by these dogs.  There are six of them sleeping in the shade of  the temple.
They are oblivious to all of the people passing by.
Life is good.

A closeup of one of the pups.
It is extremely rare to see a dog in the UAE.
 Since I've been here, I've only seen one twice.

 PASHUPATINATH TEMPLE

This temple is different in that it is not one structure,
but a community of little temples that make it up.

Another view

This view gives you more of an overview of the area.  The higher up the stairs, the cooler and lighter the air.

Me with one of the ubiquitous eyes peeking out on the left.

The smoldering embers seen the right, is the burning of a body that is being cremated at the temple.

Another view of the cremation.

The orange cloth is covering a dead body that is being prepared for cremation.

 
           

I discovered this three minute video explaining the cremation process.  It's very, very interesting.

KUMAIR GHAR on DURBAR SQUARE

I believe it's this building that houses the living goddess of Kathmandu.

Work is being done on this building.
I'm always fascinated by the building process
that is so very different than we're used to in the US.
This scaffolding looks shaky at best.
More and more, I appreciate the systems in place in America
that are more likely to ensure the safety of the occupants.

This is an elaborate incense burning area.

I love this tree!

I wanted to show the intricate detail in the woodwork of the columns
holding each roof of these structures.
They're magnificent!

Birds, birds everywhere!

Although it's difficult to see,
there are people sitting at each level of the structure.

These folks have discovered the secret - the higher you are the lighter the air and cooler it is.

That's it guys.

As always, thanks for taking this ride with me.