As I write this I’m staying at the hunting palace of the Maharaja of Orccha, or what was the hunting palace. When India received independence in 1947, the royal families were forced to give up their power, and in most cases, their wealth. For reasons which I have not been able to discover, the hunting palace remained in the Maharaja’s family and was only converted to a hotel in the ‘70’s. We have been having an easy time here, with only a few scheduled tours and events – I have just returned from an Indian cooking demonstration that included lunch – so we could not ask for a better place to have some quiet time. It is just a few more days and the tour will be over and I’ll be back traveling by myself again. I’ve enjoyed the time with the group but I have a hankering to be back in control of my own schedule rather than be controlled by the group demands and schedules. The group travel was definitely the best way to see Nepal and India for the first time and Intrepid Travel have done an excellent job of putting this package together. If I get a chance to travel with them again, I will but I would make their trip the only thing I would do. But I digress.

NEPAL

My first impressions of Nepal are a bit uncertain as I arrived in Kathmandu at about 11:30pm after an 8 hour flight from Hong Kong with a 1 hour layover in Dhaka, Bangladesh, where we were not allowed to get off the plane. I traveled on DragonAir, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cathay Pacific, but a lot of airlines from the Middle East and South-East Asia (particularly those with large Muslim populations) also fly to Kathmandu. After clearing immigration and customs, I found a “taxi” – a beat-up Toyota HiAce van that had definitely seen better days and leaked petrol (gas) whenever we went around a corner or over a bump, in other words most of the time – and set off for the hotel. Kathmandu is a dark town – most buildings have only one external light and there are practically no street lights – and all I could see was what was revealed by the headlights, which was not much other than a cow sleeping on the steps of a storefront. Eventually, we reached the hotel only to find the gates shut. My driver beat on the gate, honked his horn and yelled out to rouse the night staff only to be told to shove off as he was at the house next door to the hotel. He moved over to the right gate and began again, only this time he found the night bell which quickly got the night security guard to come and open the gate. The night staff was roused from the beds on the couches in the lobby, a room was assigned for the night, and I was in bed by 1:00am or so – only to be woken up at 5:10am as everyone began to head out for the new day. Sunrise comes early in the Kathmandu Valley and people make use of every minute of daylight.

A quick look out the window confirmed that I was “not in Kansas anymore”. The first set of pictures show some of the buildings and streets in the general area of my hotel. The streets in the old part of town are very narrow and were not designed with cars in mind. Add to that the damage done by the torrential rains of the monsoon and it is easy to understand why the roads are in such bad shape. And everyone in Kathmandu seems to be on the road at the same time and wanting to go in the same direction. Consequently, the traffic jams can be extensive and unmoving. Nominally, they drive on the left side of the road and it is generally understood that this is where you should be – unless of course it is an inconvenience and then it’s every man for himself. It’s hard to describe how it works but it does most of the time as the traffic keeps moving, accompanied by constant horn blowing. A sign in the Kathmandu Airport arrival area says it all – the blowing of a car horn is a form of creative expression. The roads are mixed use, meaning they are shared by pedestrians, bicycles, motorbikes, cars, buses, and trucks and the aim of the exercise seems to be to get passed the guy in front by whatever means necessary, accompanied by much horn blowing. As everyone is also trying to pass you in the same fashion it does become a bit of a free-for-all. There are traffic police but I suspect that they realize that to intervene would be futile as they stand on control platforms in the main intersections and wave their hands about but go completely ignored. On smaller intersections they stand off to the side and only appear to get involved when a dispute breaks out. There are some big intersections in the area of the former royal palace that have traffic signals but these are obeyed in the same fashion as the traffic police.

Kathmandu Prince Hotel - "home"

If only it were true - Hotel Peace Night nearby

The local police station outside the hotel gate

Looking down the street from my hotel

The view in the other direction

The roads through the old town make up a rabbit warren of twisting and turning paths. It always amazed me how the drivers could find their way as there are no apparent street names and no obvious sign of where you might be or where to go. I guess a lifetime of growing up in the city has taught them all the circuitous routes from here to there and back again.

Anyway, as I was now up I changed and went downstairs and met members of an Intrepid group that had come from Delhi a few days earlier guided by the same person who was to guide my group. They filled me in on some of the things to pay attention to, but were insistent that everything would be fine and I would have a great time and would be well looked after. Most of them were off to take the Everest scenic flight later that morning, something I was doing the next day, so I wished them good luck and went to find the tour leader, who they had pointed out. Chetan, the guide, also filled me in on some of the details of our trip and asked if I would be interested in going out that day, with a local guide, to see one of the most famous World Heritage sites in Kathmandu, the Bahktapur Durbar Square, or royal square. I agreed to this and so at 10:00am, Prakesh (my guide) and I set out, with a driver, to visit Bahktapur. On the way Prakesh gave me a brief history of Nepal, the Kathmandu Valley, and how the present day country of Nepal came to be. Bahktapur played an important part in this history, which is part mythology and part historical record, as it is the former royal seat of one of the four kingdoms that were united to form present day Nepal (durbar refers to royal). The square itself is not like a western square – a large open space surrounded by buildings (although this does exist inside Bahktapur), rather it is a walled area containing the open square surrounded by temples and the royal palace. The temples are of Hindu origin, which was a surprise as I had thought, like most people I suspect, that Nepal was largely Buddhist. This is true in the regions in the Himalayas and close to Tibet but the majority of the population (over 70%) is, in fact Hindu. Not that there is no Buddhist presence in Kathmandu as the following day we visited the Swambhunath Temple (sometimes called the monkey temple for obvious reasons) and the Baudhinath Square and Stupa (the largest stupa in existence) but even at Swambhunath there is a Hindu shrine inside the temple complex. This is apparently not unusual as the Nepalese are very tolerant of other religions (Muslims and Christians make up most of the remaining population). The palace itself cannot be entered, nor can the attached temple unless you are a Hindu. I’ve added some pictures of most of the main temples in the complex and external views of the palace.

This small temple, just outside the Bahktapur Durbar Square, is the site for animal sacrifices.

The main entrance to the Bahktapur Durbar Square complex.

A view from inside the entrance across the open space of the square. Most of the buildings lining this space are temples.

The Royal Palace which is located in one corner of the square. The entrance to the palace courtyard is in the lower left hand corner of the photo.

The entrance gate to the palace courtyard. This ornate gate was given as a gift to the local king by the individual who would one day unite the four kingdoms of the Kathmandu Valley in to one kingdom.

In the king's bathtub. The water spouts are composite animals that feature cobras, roosters, crocodiles and cows!

One of the many temples in the Bahktapur complex.

This temple has been influenced by Chinese culture.

Most temples feature ornate decorations which, in some cases, also serves as an instructive device. This decoration was used, together with other glyphs on this temple, to instruct girls of marriageable age about the life of a woman.

Bahktapur also features several cottage industries, including making pots. Here the potters (young girls) are kneeding the clay to make it pliable enough to form the pots by hand. After sun-drying and hand-dipping in colorant, the pots are fired in a kiln formed from alternating layers of straw and pots (up to 8 feet high) and covered with ash from previous kilns to suppress flames and allow the straw to smolder for 3 days.

One of the many back alleys in the Bahktapur Durbar Square complex.

My companions for the day. On the left is my driver and on the right is my guide, Prakesh.

 Outside the main gate to the square is a temple for animal sacrifice. Just before we arrived, someone had sacrificed a buffalo and attendants were in the process butchering the carcass. Apparently, after the sacrifice has been made, the carcass is not wasted but is butchered and eaten. The accepted sacrifices are buffalo, goats, chickens and ducklings. There is a caste system in Nepal, with three caste levels. Since 2008, when the royalty was abolished and the country became a federal republic, these castes have been abolished but no one ignores for one minute what caste they belong to. Buffalo and chickens are acceptable sacrifices, and food, for the lowest caste as they are free-roaming and therefore “unclean”. There meat is “harder to digest” and gives strength to the workers of the lower class who perform much of the manual labor. Chicken is suitable for the middle and upper castes if it is “house raised” as are goats and ducklings. Their meat is more tender and easier to digest and more suitable for the middle and particularly the brahman, or upper, caste. I did take one picture of the butchering process but have decided not to post it unless specifically asked to.

That evening I met up again with some of the group that had done the Everest flight and asked how it went. They had a real story to tell. Just before they were to be bused out to their aircraft they were ordered back off the bus and into the terminal where the doors were promptly locked, The reason given was that there were technical difficulties at the airport but they quickly found out that a commuter plane from one of the local airlines had just crashed off the end of the runway, killing all on board. The resulting fire burned all the bodies beyond recognition, and even several days later, as we were leaving Kathmandu, only the bodies of the locals killed had been identified; the westerners on board would have to be identified by DNA. Eventually, their flight went ahead after a delay of less than an hour but it had a sobering effect on them. Not what you want to hear on the day you arrive and the day before your own flight. It was announced a day later that the crashed appeared to be caused by a vulture being sucked into one of the engines, destroying the engine and subsequently resulting in the pilot losing control of the plane. Just what I needed to know!

Day 1: That evening I also met with my tour group for the first time. They are a diverse group, mostly Australians but also a couple from New Zealand and two sisters from Vienna (with whom I will meet up with when I reach Vienna in about three weeks). Many have done trips with Intrepid before, some having just finished one trip and beginning this trip immediately, and one who has just finished one trip with others in this group and after finishing this one, will start another immediately from Delhi. Overall, a well-travelled group. Our guide, Chetan, is from Rajasthan in India and has worked for Intrepid since 2005. He has a Master’s degree in history and cultural studies and has worked for the UN prior to joining Intrepid. He does the trip from Kathmandu to Delhi and Delhi to Kathmandu with a two week turnabout. One of the women in the group commented on how well pressed his clothing appeared to be after a week on the road but my guess is that, given the small pack he carries, he is keeping clothing at each hotel along the route and it is laundered and ready for him when he returns every two weeks or so. He is clearly well known at each stop and has some well-established local contacts which have turned out to be very helpful on several occasions (more on that later). Having set the ground work for our group, we sorted out room assignments and discussed the next few days’ activities. I have lucked out in that the only other solo traveler in my group is female, so in spite of not paying the single surcharge, I do not have to share a room and get a double room to myself at each location.

Day 2: Five of us signed up for the Everest flight and Chetan managed to get everyone seats on the same plane as I was scheduled to be on (having booked my ticket through Buddha Air while still in the US). After an early start, we arrived at the airport at 6:30am for a 7:30 flight. The clouds did not seem to want to cooperate, with fog and low cloud being the order of the day. While other airlines announced departures for the “mountain flight”, Buddha Air delayed until 8:30am and immediately we were bused out to our plane, a Beechcraft 1800D turboprop. Once in the air, the plane began to climb steeply over Kathmandu and the surrounding countryside, revealing that outside the metro area that is Kathmandu, the valley is very much a rural, agricultural-based region. I would have liked to have explored this if time had permitted but maybe next time (!!). Eventually we popped out above the clouds, heading for 25,000ft, and immediately on the left-hand side you could see the Himalayas stand proud above the clouds. As we flew down the range, each person was called up to the cockpit to see the view from the “office” and to have Everest pointed out (we each had a second look during the flight). After passing Everest, the plane turned towards the range and flew back towards Kathmandu with the mountains on the right-hand side. The short glimpse of Everest from this height and distance is the dream of a lifetime as I have read books about climbing Everest, I know the names of the prominent features of the area, but I did not, for one minute, ever expect to see Everest for real. Now I really have to try to get to Everest Base camp somehow – I’ll never be able to climb it, but base camp should be doable still if I don’t suffer from altitude sickness. As we dropped back through the clouds we got another view of rural Kathmandu valley before landing at the International Airport again. Several domestic airlines have these flights, but Buddha Air has the best reputation of all, adhering to international flight standards and maintaining a modern fleet of aircraft. It was an amazing experience, and one I would highly recommend to anyone going to Kathmandu. Make sure to get on an early flight (before 8:00am) as weather can, and frequently does, interfere and causes flight cancellations.

The plane

Everest from the cockpit-nothing more to be said!!

View of the Himalaya range from the plane

More of the Himalayas

Yet more

Snow blowing from one of the many peaks. As the monsoon had end just the week prior to arrival, the mountains had a good snow cover.

Yet another view of the Himalayas.

These peaks, a little smaller than those shown previously (but still over 20,000ft) have not been as heavily wind-blasted so retain more snow.

see previous photo.

Later the same day (and our last day in Kathmandu) we visited three sites in Kathmandu, Swambhunath Temple (Buddhist and Hindu and commonly referred to as the monkey temple for obvious reasons), located on a hill overlooking Kathmandu, Baudhinath Stupa (Buddhist), and Pashupinath Temple (Hindu) and cremation site. The pictures speak for themselves so I will not talk at length about each temple. The cremation site at Pashupinath was quite sobering. I do have one picture of a funeral pyre in flames that I took discretely from within our group, which again I hesitate to show but will if asked. There is no ban on taking pictures here, as there is in Varanasi (our first major stop in India) but our guides requested that we be discrete and respect the families who were grieving their family member. There is a constant pall of smoke in the air from all the fires along the river bank as this is one of several holy sites where Hindus come to die and be cremated. There is even a hospice for those who come in their final days so they can be made comfortable to await their passing. All-in-all a very moving and thought provoking visit.

The stupa at Swambhunath temple. The yellow markings are from saffron water thrown of the cupola of the stupa to petal outlines symbolizing the sacred lotus of Buddhism. This is renew every 15 days.

One of the shrines at the base of the stupa. The draping decorations here and extending around the stupa are formed from marigolds

Within the temple complex is a Hindu shrine. This is not unusual as the Nepalese have a great tolerance for different religions. Percentage-wise, over 70% are Hindu, about 25% Buddhist and the remainder distributed amongst Muslim, Christian and others.

Looking over Kathmandu from Swambhunath Temple.

Another view over the city from Swambhunath.

And another view over the city.

On the balcony of Swambhunath Temple, Kathmandu and the Valley in the background.

Baudhinath Square and the stupa in the center

The cloth squares decorating the stupa are prayer flags. Buddhists believe that as they flutter in the breeze the prayers written on them are sent to heaven.

One of several Buddhist monasteries that are found around the square and stupa.

The stupa received a fresh coat of saffron water while we were in the square.

Another Buddhist monastery in the square.

The square is mostly lined with arts and craft stores featuring Buddhist themes.

A large prayer, or mani, wheel. As with the flags, the wheel is inscribed with the sacred mantra "Om Mane Padme Hum" so that as it turns, this prayer is constantly being said.

A constant pall of smoke overhangs the Pashupinath Temple complex, an ever present reminder that this is an important Hindu cremation site.

 

Day 3: This day involved traveling up through a gap in the hills surrounding the Kathmandu Valley (at around 4,500 feet) and then down from the hinterland to only a few hundred feet above sea level to Chitwan National Park. This trip has previously been done using local buses but Intrepid was starting to offer the option of hiring a local van (for a small fee per person) which we all unanimously agreed to. So we all piled into a large Toyota van (which was late due to a traffic jam on the outskirts of Kathmandu) and the luggage was strapped to the roof and covered with a tarp. A quick check of the tires on the van (if you’ve been following the blog you’ll understand why) revealed three almost bald tires and one decent one-not encouraging. Then, as we proceeded it became obvious that the driver was mostly interested in chatting to his offsider or chatting on his cell all the while careering down a constantly switch-backed road, heavily traveled by trucks coming up from India and heading for Kathmandu and Tibet (this is the main transport route into both Nepal and Tibet). The trucks coming up are heavily loaded with all types of stuff and the returning trucks are unloaded so there is a significant difference between the upside and downside of the road. Along the way, there are rest stops for the drivers, usually arranged at about 2 hours driving distance, which provide food and a place to rest up for a while. Then there are improvised rest areas, often where a stream is running down the hill, where people set out fruit and veggies for the drivers who pull over (and partly block traffic) to wash, drink and eat. Complicating movement is the fact that local pedestrians, soldiers on training exercises, bicycles, motorcycles, and local buses also use the road. The same road rules that apply in Kathmandu also seem to apply on this road as well which makes for an exciting time (!!!).

Around 1:00pm we pulled into a restaurant stop on the side of the road overlooking the river that flows through the valley the road follows down to the plane. It was a beautiful spot to stop and the food matched the scenery (see picture).

The van parked at a typical truck stop in Nepal. This was taken on the road from Chitwan to Lumbini.

The river gorge that the road out of Kathmandu winds through.

Another view down the valley. You can just make out the road in the distance in the lower left of the picture.

Rice paddy terraces on the road to Chitwan from Kathmandu. Rice is intensively cultivated in Nepal and every square inch is given over to it.

Small streams run down the side of the valley, creating small side valleys.

As if Nepalese drivers need an invitation!!!

An impromptu truck stop on the road to Chitwan.

The lunch stop on the way to Chitwan.

Eventually, we reached our hotel at Chitwan around sunset after an 8 hour drive. It was built in the style of a colonial lodge and one could just imagine sitting on the porch, drink in hand, watching the sun set over river. That night, after dinner, a local dance group put on a short display of stick dancing. This may not sound very exciting until you realize the sticks are lengths of bamboo and a mistake means someone is going to get hurt. I’ve added some pictures but they really don’t do the dancers justice.

The stick dancers.

Day 4: Well, today was to be a real adventure, walking through a section of Chitwan national Park, with real opportunities to encounter the one-horned rhinoceros that Chitwan is famous for, along with three or four varieties of deer, wild elephants, water buffaloes, and maybe a tiger. Unfortunately, as I have previously written, I had a bad reaction to my anti-malarial drug that resulted in a sleepless night and a very queasy stomach. I had previously thought I had escaped the more “interesting” side-effects of the drug but I now realize that since beginning taking the drug, I have not slept very well and I guess this was the ultimate example. Fortunately, these effects appear to be trailing off as I continue to take the drug and, as they say “this to will pass” in a few weeks. But it meant on this day I was not in any condition to take a walk in the jungle. So, after seeing off the group going on the walk, those of us who opted out (four in all), had time to sit (and recover in my case) until 3:00pm when we were taken by jeep to the overnight stop in the village of Ghatghai, to meet up with the jungle walkers again. Along the way, we were able to catch glimpses of deer, peacocks, storks and such.

The overnight stop is operated by a local family (something that Intrepid tries hard to foster) and was located on the bank of the river that flows through Chitwan. Shortly after arriving, close to sunset, the local elephant drivers bought their animals down to the river to drink and have a wash. It was fascinating to watch the interplay between man and animal as I always wonder why an animal of such immense size and strength should choose to cooperate with a human. There is a clear mismatch yet the elephants appear willing to follow the wishes of the mahoots (drivers) and this cooperation does not appear to be the result of fear. Whatever it is, the whole episode was interesting to watch.

Eventually, right on last light, our walkers emerged from the jungle on the other side of the river and were canoed across to the overnight stay. I’m not sorry that I missed the walk because although I may have started out OK, I suspect that I might not have finished and as the head guide bluntly put it “You start, you finish”. It was sometime after lunch, with some sleep and taking it easy that I began to feel normal again, but the tummy flops lasted for most of the day and judging by the exhausted state of the hikers, I’m certain I made the right decision.

Spotted deer in Chitwan National Park.

Another spotted deer.

Stag (probably spotted deer) in the elephant grass.

The river view at Ghatgai village. The national park is on the opposite side of the river.

Local river transport. These canoes are cut from single logs.

Another view of the river.

Twice a day the elephants come down to the river from a bath/wash down.

The elephants also cros over the river and in to the park to harvest elephant grass that is used as their fodder.

Sunset over the river at Ghatgai.

Day 5: We returned back to the hotel in Chitwan after spending the night at the lodge in Ghatghai. Before leaving, we went for a walk to through the village as it is a very traditional village in form. Many of the houses are built using the traditional mud-dawb technique, where a basic frame is built from thin branches or bamboo then covered with hand-applied mud, which is allowed to dry to form a smooth, hard surface. The roves and made from thatch formed from elephant grasses, some species of which grow to over 8 feet in height.

Typical village hut using mud-dawb construction with a thatch roof.

Another mud-dawb hut.

Grazing water buffaloes-these are the workhorses of many subsistence farmers

 The trip back was a re-tracing of the jeep ride yesterday and as we passed back through the villages, the children were heading for school and waved, called hello and, in some cases, briefly chased us down the road, just as they had the previous day. In areas where tourists visit regularly, this is often the case. The people are open and friendly and want to interact with you. In other areas however, they are more cautious and do no approach as readily. When it comes to taking photographs of people, you have to be careful because, unless they are tourist-oriented, they can be easily offended by picture taking as it is considered to be a personal thing.

After returning, the rest of the day was free time so I took the opportunity to take a walk and pick up a few souvenirs (wood carvings) and take care of some pressing laundry (not glamorous but necessary).

Day 6:  We had a later start today (only 7:30am!), as we loaded up the same van that brought us from Kathmandu to Chitwan for the trip to Lumbini. The aim was to reach Lumbini by lunchtime or shortly thereafter, in order to spend the afternoon exploring the Maya Devi temple and associated World Peace park complex. The trip was made in good order with one stop at a typical Nepali truck stop to allow our driver and his offsider to eat (Nepalese typically don't eat breakfast but have a large meal around 10:00 or 11:00) and for a leg stretch and chai (tea) break for the rest of us.

On the road to Lumbini at a typical truck and rest stop.

The view from the back of the rest stop.

After lunch at our hotel in Lumbini (the Buddha Maya hotel-very nice with AC!!) set off for the entrance to the temple complex (a short walk) where out leader hired pedal rickshaws to carry us to the Maya Devi temple and then tour the temples and monasteries of the World Peace park.

The Maya Devi temple marks one of four holy sites venerated by Buddhists. Within a fairly plain building is the site at which it is believed that Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha) was born. The legitimacy of the claim was investigated by one of the early Indian emperors, Ashoka (who converted to Buddhism in about 250BC), and commemorated by him in the form of a pillar erected in 245BC. The pillar was topped by a four lion sculpture, which toady, is on the reverse of Nepalese coins. The record of the site was lost over time but in 1896 what is believed to be the original pillar was rediscovered at the present site. In 1997, UNESCO designated a World Heritage site and received financial support to renovate and develop the site and establish a World Peace park.

The Maya Devi temple. Inside, in a clear plexiglass case, is a flat rock with a small indentation that is venerated as the exact spot of Buddha's birth. Hindus also venerate Buddha as the ninth important incarnation of the god Vishnu.

Another view of the temple reflected in the pool behind the temple. To the left of the temple is Ashoka's pillar.

The temple is surrounded by excavated ruins of an ancient Buddhist monastery and stupas which date from the third century BC. Behind the temple is a pool and a bodhi, or fig, tree. Both of these feature in the story of Buddha's birth. Under the bodhi tree sit Buddhist monks carrying out their spiritual practices. On one side of the tree, one of the monks (they cycle through the spot) will bless you and tie a bracelet of yellow thread (colored with saffron) around your wrist to bring you good luck and health. All people are welcome to participate but this ritual is of particular importance for Buddhist pilgrims who come to Lumbini as part of several pilgrimage routes that have been established by the Indian and Nepalese governments.

Some of the ruins that formed an ancient Buddhist monastery dating from the third century BC

Monks sitting under the bodhi tree. This tree is said to be a direct descendent of the original tree that was growing here at the time of Buddha's birth and figures in the story of his birth.

Under the bodhi tree after receiving a blessing. The monk to the left of the tree is the one who dispenses blessings to Buddhist pilgrims and interested tourists.

The peace park is divided in to two complexes, the east and west complexes and is home to a number of internationally sponsored Buddhist temples and monasteries. After visiting the Maya Devi temple, we visited as many temples and complexes we could in the time available in the western complex. Typically, the temples are sponsored by national governments but some are sponsored by Buddhist associations, either national or international. Some of these temple complexes are very impressive, particularly the Chinese complex, which is still being developed. Eventually, we simply ran out of time and headed back to the hotel. The pictures below were taken at some of the sponsored complexes we were able to visit.

Day 7: Today was a long day. Early in the morning (about 5:00am) we all loaded into two vehicles from our hotel to head down to the Indian border only a short distance away. There is an ongoing dispute between India and Nepal over access to each country by the others trucks and the backlog of trucks creates huge snarls at the border. Our tour leader wanted to get there early to be first in line when the border opened at 6:00am. It was a good choice as another Intrepid group, heading for the same town in India we were (Varanasi) in order to fly out, could not get to the border and had to turn around and head to the nearby town to fly to Kathmandu, then to Varanasi and onwards. As it was, the border formalities were straight forward on the Nepalese side, taking about 15 minutes in all. The Indian formalities were a little longer but after about an hour we were loaded up on to new vehicles and ready to proceed to Varanasi, our first destination in India. It was 8 hours away so a long day in the cars, but that’s for the next posting.

Doc