Out and about in the hustle and bustle of Kathmandu

We had the opportunity to see a bit of the old Kathmandu which was amazing. We first stopped at Patan Durbar Square which is a complex of temples and statues which is the old royal palace. It was stunning the the morning sun which lit up all the red and brown buildings. As we wandered around I was amazed at the detail and intricacy of the wooden carving which was everywhere. However, sadly the 2015 earthquake caused a lot of damage with cracks appearing in a lot of places and several statues and temples being completely demolished. This was sad to see as it has had such a big impact on tourism which is a vital part of the Nepalese economy. These temples and statues are also hundreds of years old and will take a long time to reconstruct but it was still beautiful to see.

We then visited Pashupatinath which is where bodies are cremated. This was fascinating and definitely a highlight of the day as we could watch everything that was going on. It was very interesting to hear about the ceremony that Hindus conduct. They burn their relatives immediately or at least within 2 hours at this place. They bring the corpse, which is wrapped in flowers and garlands to a set of logs by the river. The family then walk around the body and the eldest son puts a flame to the bodies' mouth to begin the fire. They then cover the body in more wood and the family waits for around 3 hours for the body to completely burn, at which point they push the ashes into the river. Therefore, this river is extremely dirty and they have to redistribute the silt all the time to make sure it flows. There were also cows and monkeys everywhere which made it very atmospheric. This was such an interesting place to visit especially as it highlights the difference in our cultures.

For lunch we visited the incredible Boudhanath Stupa which was breathtaking. This is a big white dome covered in prayer flags and has a gold top. It is one of the most important sights for Buddhists in the world. When we visited, there was a special ceremony taking place so there were a lot of Buddhist monks around and a lot of noise but it was certainly the most incredible lunch spot.

Our final stop was Swayambhunath or Monkey Temple which again was another amazing place. It was a Saturday which is a holiday for most Nepalese so there were a lot of Nepalese tourists around which was different. We actually saw very few tourists, especially westerners the entire day which surprised me. This temple was situated on a hill overlooking the sprawling city of Kathmandu and gets its name from the number of monkeys swinging in the trees. Again there were prayer flags everywhere, draped on all the trees which made it very peaceful and tranquil. Unfortunately, the dome and buildings surrounding it had also been casualties of the earthquake as there was rubble everywhere. Despite this it was still stunning and the views of Kathmandu in the afternoon sun were breathtaking. Before we went back to our hotel we attempted to shop for trekking kit which was impossible if you wanted to buy anything real but we had a nice meal of MoMo afterwards which was good!

Overall, it was a great day and amazing to see the old parts of Kathmandu despite some earthquake damage.