May 31, 2012

• Kathmandus and Donts

  

  The first stop of our 2nd morning in Kathmandu was right back to the airport, this time to take a one way flight to mountain. What mountain, you ask?

  

  Well, it wasnt this one. This is a sacred mountain no one is allowed to climb or go near

  

  Nor was it this one, although you can see we are getting closer, because someone put up a cloud awning for us

  

  Ah, here we go. A flight to Mount Everest

  

  Next stop, the roof of the world

  

  And as Short Rounds T-shirt declaims

  

  I didnt climb Mt Everest, but I touched it with my heart.

  Before I go on to regale you with the remainder of our nepal adventures, I will take a moment to say that I would love to go back to Nepal in a heartbeat, and with more time available, would totally be down to at least hike to base camp. I have some doubts about my physical ability to conquer everest, but have not yet crossed it off my bucket list. Nonetheless, even flying around it was something to behold

  

  Next stop,  Swayambhu a large stupa, highly revered in Nepal, and one of the most sacred Buddhist sites in the country. It offers great views over the city, and no lack of monkeys

  

  Monkey swimming pool indeed

  

  This site is sacred and mentioned in a buddhist scripture about the origine of the katmandu Valley, which was once said to be a lake

  

  Atop the mount are multiple small stupas, temples, and vendors of momos (tibetan dumplings filled with awesome)

  

  Atop each of these major stupas you can see the eyes of buddha looking out at the world in all directions. The flags represent the major components of the earth, with earth, fire, wind, water, and heart. Your powers combined! haha no just kidding, there is no flag for heart

  

  Buddha is watching you…

  

  From one Buddhist site to another, our next stop was Boudahanth, one of the holiest sites for Buddhism in Nepal and also home to a large community of tibetan refugees

  

  Home to the largest Stupa in the world, underneath which are said to be interred the remains of a great buddhist saint.

  

  As the legend goes, this whole Stupa was built by an old woman and her four sons alone

  

  And now, for no good reason, a lion with breasts! hee hee!

  

  This way to the former royal palace. Quite a scandal took place here according to our guide. The current King was very popular, and as the legend goes, his son had fallen for a common girl. Of course, this was unacceptable, so when it was forbidden, the crown prince went out and got drunk, later returning to the party where he was said to have massacred his entire family, excepting only his uncle who was out of the country at the time. The orince then turned the gun on himself and was in a coma. His uncle assumed regency, declared the prince king for the three days he was in a coma, and when he died, his uncle assumed the throne. The nepali people have a great deal of suspicion about this however, as both the king and prince were very popular and the uncle much less so. Also, while the prince’s entire family was killed, the uncle was out of town, the uncles children were the only survivors of the massacre, and the uncles wife escaped with a couple shot injuries. Mysterious indeed

  

  Short Round is standing in the very spot where the last king of nepal, the uncle, was ever crowned. He looks quite regal. or constipated

  

  Next to Durbar Square, center of Kathmandu, and home to the former royal palaces of the multiple kings who used to rule the Valley. There are more temples in this square than anywhere else in the city, and in a city of temples that is saying a lot. Lets take a closer look at this magnificent architecture, shall we?

  

  Wait a tic…is that?

  

  Oh you naughty monkeys. No wonder the city was so religious

  Well after having such holy experiences, we stopped for dinner at our favorite discovered restaurant, a back alley vendor of momos, where we ate every day in Kathmandu and watched triple x with the owners. It was like being at a family dinner. 3 people at a full meal with drinks for roughly us $5. We also purchased a singing bowl, and during the process of haggling, short round asked whether or not he could eat out of it as well. If this does not seem funny to you, look up what a singing bowl is, and then you will know why I love traveling with short round.

   

  Next stop…Pokhara and Parahawking for the final days of the trip!

  • 4:42 pm
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