Since we were lucky enough to finish our ABC Trek in nine
days even though we budgeted 12, we found ourselves with a small surfeit of
time after our trek. After spending two
days visiting every jewelry store in Pokhara we departed for the fabled city of
Katmandu for a day and a half of sight-seeing before making our way back to Delhi
for our return trip home.
Katmandu has some lovely sights and in my opinion, it
is well worth a visit, but I would advise you to keep it short especially if you are tight on time as I think no city anywhere is a match for the glory of the Nepalese Himalayas. In my humble opinion I think the average tourist should be able to see most of the worthwhile sites in Kathmandu in a day or two max, unless you REALLY like temples or you happen to be some kind of scholar with specialized interests.
What did we see? Well I found the architecture of Durber square to
be a very interesting mix of Chinese meets Indian motifs. Too bad the UNESCO world heritage site is open to vehicular traffic.
The Hindu crematorium, a.k.a the Pashupatinath temple complex was certainly a much different take on death and the funeral experience familiar to most westerners. The extremely casual air created by the mixing of children, refuse, monkeys , cows, dogs, flowers, death, tourists and hashish smoking, griftery sahhadus was a vivid contrast to the somber, reverential and antiseptic atmosphere of the typical American death ritual. That was nice enough, however the sadhus, decaying refuse, the obscene friezes and the funeral pyres all conspired to create a dark and very carnal vibe that was jarring for both Akila and myself. We heard other tourists say they witnessed cheerful singing families and an altogether different mood than what we experienced so maybe you have to see it on the right day or maybe it's an emotional Rorschach test predicated on your feelings about death and sanitation. Regardless it is a worthwhile tourist site but be prepared for the intensity of the experience before you go.
The Hindu crematorium, a.k.a the Pashupatinath temple complex was certainly a much different take on death and the funeral experience familiar to most westerners. The extremely casual air created by the mixing of children, refuse, monkeys , cows, dogs, flowers, death, tourists and hashish smoking, griftery sahhadus was a vivid contrast to the somber, reverential and antiseptic atmosphere of the typical American death ritual. That was nice enough, however the sadhus, decaying refuse, the obscene friezes and the funeral pyres all conspired to create a dark and very carnal vibe that was jarring for both Akila and myself. We heard other tourists say they witnessed cheerful singing families and an altogether different mood than what we experienced so maybe you have to see it on the right day or maybe it's an emotional Rorschach test predicated on your feelings about death and sanitation. Regardless it is a worthwhile tourist site but be prepared for the intensity of the experience before you go.
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| Those are what you think they are |
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| My new buds- good time Saddhus |
The fantastic Swayambhunath stupa with its iconic Buddha
eyes and its commanding panoramic views high upon a hill was all-around awesome. It had the exact opposite effect on Akila
and I from the crematorium/Hindu temple complex. Soaring, transcendent and calming instead of the dharma, drudgery, strident pre-ordained classism
and fleshy death of the Hindus trapped in their lives and rituals dictated by caste.
The entire place was beautiful and cheerful.
Visiting Swayambhunath right on the heels of our visit to Pashupstinath strengthened my growing resolve to become a Buddhist. I really think those guys are on to something.
As far as generalized strolling, people watching, shopping,
café lounging, etc. the horrible condition of the dusty, dangerous and tiny medieval
streets packed with cars, motorcycles and pedestrians made getting around
Kathmandu more trouble than it was worth.
It's a real pity because with a little bit of planning and traffic management the city could be a much nicer place. Its a very historical and interesting city with a beautiful backdrop.
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| Beep- Beep! |
It's a real pity because with a little bit of planning and traffic management the city could be a much nicer place. Its a very historical and interesting city with a beautiful backdrop.
Over and out til my next blog-worthy trip…
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