From Lumbini, I flew back to Kathmandu. I had arranged to stay at a place called Sanu House, a homestay and hostel that Steve Herbert recommended from when he and Sharon were here last year. It is located in Patan, a city just across the river south of Kathmandu, and part of the greater Kathmandu area. Patan has it's own old center and a lot of temples.
My flight was an evening flight, and once I arrived in Kathmandu I first had to go to the hotel I stayed at before and pick up some luggage I left in storage. This was the same night that the Indian Prime Minister was visiting Kathmandu, so the traffic was completely grid-locked. It was quite late when I finally arrived at Sanu House, and I was tired from the long day. However, Sarita, the woman who runs the place, came out to meet me, and her warm, good nature put everything at ease. The first people I met at the house were a girl from Japan and one from England, both are staying here for months. One is a student doing research and the other is volunteering as a councellor.
The next day, the student was going to a village outside a city called Bhaktapur to do some research. Sarita was going to help to get there by bus, and to act as translator. They said they would visit Bhaktapur afterward, and invited me along.
Travel by bus is interesting. I'd have no idea where to catch a bus, as there are no signs. When a bus comes, there is a young guy who stands on the door and shouts the bus's destination, and then bangs on the bus when it's ready to go.
The countryside around Bhaktapur is very beautiful with farms on the hillsides.
Bhaktapur is a smaller city about 12 km from Kathmandu. The old part has been beautifully preserved. The buildings are very old and are famous for the intricate wood carvings on the windows. The streets are all of brick and it is very clean. Many tourists. We walk all through the old part of town, seeing many old temples and the royal palace. This dates from the time when Kathmandu, Patan, and Bhaktapur all had different kings. They are all of the original Newari culture, though, of which the wood carving is distinctive, for example.
Here is a picture of Sarita and I in front of the largest temple.
It is harvest time, and everywhere there is grain spread out to dry.
It is also festival time, so there are a lot of vendors selling fruit that is used for festival, and little clay lamps that are used to make lights outside peoples houses.
My flight was an evening flight, and once I arrived in Kathmandu I first had to go to the hotel I stayed at before and pick up some luggage I left in storage. This was the same night that the Indian Prime Minister was visiting Kathmandu, so the traffic was completely grid-locked. It was quite late when I finally arrived at Sanu House, and I was tired from the long day. However, Sarita, the woman who runs the place, came out to meet me, and her warm, good nature put everything at ease. The first people I met at the house were a girl from Japan and one from England, both are staying here for months. One is a student doing research and the other is volunteering as a councellor.
The next day, the student was going to a village outside a city called Bhaktapur to do some research. Sarita was going to help to get there by bus, and to act as translator. They said they would visit Bhaktapur afterward, and invited me along.
Travel by bus is interesting. I'd have no idea where to catch a bus, as there are no signs. When a bus comes, there is a young guy who stands on the door and shouts the bus's destination, and then bangs on the bus when it's ready to go.
The countryside around Bhaktapur is very beautiful with farms on the hillsides.
Bhaktapur is a smaller city about 12 km from Kathmandu. The old part has been beautifully preserved. The buildings are very old and are famous for the intricate wood carvings on the windows. The streets are all of brick and it is very clean. Many tourists. We walk all through the old part of town, seeing many old temples and the royal palace. This dates from the time when Kathmandu, Patan, and Bhaktapur all had different kings. They are all of the original Newari culture, though, of which the wood carving is distinctive, for example.
Here is a picture of Sarita and I in front of the largest temple.
It is harvest time, and everywhere there is grain spread out to dry.
It is also festival time, so there are a lot of vendors selling fruit that is used for festival, and little clay lamps that are used to make lights outside peoples houses.
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