Temples, streets and ATMs

Mann organised a day visiting temples, driven by Mr Ram.  We had a borrowed car and every time we got to a bit of a hill, I wondered if the five of us was tempting fate a bit much.  Apparently I spent

$70 today.  $5 each on the car and driver, then the rest on lunch and temple entry tickets.  Must double check that. 

A "Darbar" or "Durbar" is an old imperial city, including temples and other buildings. There seem to be a series of squares, often around a water feature, with a pool that is now used for washing people as well as collecting water. It is noticeably cooler inside these wide brick walls. Usually this seems to be a series of wooden buildings, some built on about 1m of terra cotta bricks, that might be being restored but currently are pretty derelict.

Kathmandu Durbar (or Royal Palace) Square is a collection of two storey wooden buildings, one where the Kumari lives. She is revered as a living goddess until she first bleeds (even from a cut). Then some time is spent choosing the next virginal very young child to replace her. Life after a few years as such an honoured person would be difficult, because few ever marry.

The path up to Pashupatinah Temple is bordered by stalls selling every imaginable local tourist item. Fewer scarves that other places, but there are thanka paintings, brass bells, cymbals, and rocks that break apart to reveal fossils everywhere. I wonder if they are real or plastic?  Pashu Patinath Temple is the cremation spot. Bit hairy, especially trying not to watch a real family mourn a relative. After walking 200m, before the bridge, on the left there is a walkway to a collection of semi-naked sadhus, chalked in white, with dreadlocks and vibrant red and yellow splashes of colour. Looking through the arches on a row of 2m stupas would make an excellent photo.

In the UNESCO site, Pattan Darbar, there are restorations supported by the government of Austria. I enjoyed the Pattan Museum with its "Museum behind the golden door". It is in the residential section of the Pattan Dabar, one of the homes of the former Malla kings. There are many treasures explaining Buddhist and Hindu traditions, as well as restored examples of architecture and building styles through the ages. The walls are recently white washed, with exposed wooden beams. Each room is about 2.5m wide and maybe 3m long (which seems to be a common room size), separated by a raised wooden doorstep under a lowered doorway.

Outside, there is limited evidence of restoration, so again I guess they are struggling with rebuilding. It was rebuilt in the 1700s and then the earthquake of 1934 did more damage. Some of the restorations have been better than others, so some have been redone. As you walk inside there are low white ceilings and exposed wood. Along the walls there are descriptions in very complicated English showing different architecture styles through teenagers. One display shows columns built over centuries, comparing Ancient Greek, Roman, Mesopotamian etc.

At times you can see the evidence do previous colours. Some gilt, some red. But most is a dark brown colour. further along there are displays of carvings that were in columns, doors and above the doors. These spread from Buddhist images, to Hindu, with Ganesh, birds, and lots of sprite type creatures.

I really liked the ink and water colour paintings of Henry A Oldfield, who was able to move around Nepal in the 1850s, despite it being "closed". He drew street scenes and showed daily life.

Bhaktapur is another UNESCO listed area with huge 2 and 3 storey wooden buidlings. This is a city where people work and live. Rarely restored but still more majestic than the pyrevious places. This might be because there were fewer tourists there and people aren't sitting all over the buildings like yesterday. 

The history of this area dates back to the 8th Century and it was a capital city until the 12th Century. I enjoyed walking around the tiny streets, with rows of houses behind tiny doors. We saw stone workers. Wooden carvings for door frames and columns, metal workers making curves Ghorka knives, tiny wooden one-person spinning wheels, and other crafts.

There was a touristy restaurant on top of one building, but we chose another lunch spot, with the now expected very low ceiling and tiny rooms. Mann and Sima drank local water. Ed's lemon soda was in a bootle with a Coke logo. Our veggie burgers were huge patties.

The drive back went along a highway that was built with Japanese money. There we some traffic lights and corners with police directing traffic. Closer to Thamel, returned to the random chaotic traffic, with bikes weaving through, in and around stationary cars.

Street scenes



For the first three days, the streets have been dusty and around Thamel, each one is about 2m wide with open shops on both sides.  The surface might have been paved at one point. But today they are rocky, almost cobbled. Two tiny Suzuki Maruttis could pass each other, but anything bigger has to wait for a break between pedalled cycles, meandering pedestrians and people carrying parcels.



On the road to Boudanath Stupa I saw several busses that seemed to be electric. I think they were called "Safa tempo" but I am not sure. Understandably, they were dusty with green stripes. We travelled through back streets originally, winding along pathways sometimes hardly wider than the car. At one point we did a 5 point turn to get around a corner. Sitting in the back between Ed and Sima (Mann's wife) meant I could ask questions, and see straight ahead. I don't think we travelled faster than 30kph for most of the way. 

By now I should know better than attempting expensive restaurants and eating Western food. The Dalai-La Hotel only opened in mid October 2015, and a Gin and Tonic was 7,000 rupees. Well the gin was. The tonic was an extra 180R. Bolognese penne? The music was an young Indian woman who did sound a bit like Joan Baez with gentle acoustic guitar sounds. Staying in a guest house between three quite musical, spots is interesting. One ranges from heavy rock, to 70s ballads. Another is quite lyrical and the third was the jazzy singer. Weird, but sometimes, just sometimes, they all break at the same time, and it's quiet.

Money, banks and ATMs

Standard Chartered might be the best ATM with the lowest fees, but both times I have tried to use one, I have seen the "Sorry, your request cannot be processed due to insufficient funds" message.  Yesterday I learned this really means the ATM has run out, not me.  The Dutch looking ATM has a 10,000 R ( about $100) limit.  So today, when I wanted to pay for the 3 day/ 4 nights in Chitwan, I had to do it in three lots of 10,000R.