Photos - temples and such of the Kathmandu Valley

Shrines to Shiva - the protector. One of the 3 major gods.



The cremation ghats. The body will be placed on the bed of marigolds,
and after some ritual, be covered in logs and straw for cremation.
Across the river are many people watching. Amazing.

 

 



Funeral rites on the Bagmati River - just like Varanasi in India.
Under the yellow cloths - dead bodies.

 

 

 

Boudhanath  Stupa (sp? - we left our Lonely Planet Guide book behind sadly).
Largest stupa in Asia

 

 

Bagmati River - filthy and full of garbage. Considered sacred and
just a bit further on one comes to the ghats (steps). En route to
Pashupatinath Temple. We barely got lost walking the 6 km or so each way.

Durbar Square - Kathmandu

Next few photos - Patan Museum. Fantastic. We visited 3 museums in total
and the other two paled in comparison wrt layout, lighting, and descriptions of artifacts. 

Hmm. Any wonder Barry took this photo? 

Looking out over Patan Durbar Square from museum bell tower.

Now we are in Bhaktapur - following our LP guide book walking tour.
Two kids helped us through a crazy maze we might never have found,
mostly motivated by the possibility that we might give them money.
Did we - no.

 

 

These large "pools" - pokhari are scattered all over Bahktapur.
What you can't see is how green the water is with a sludge-like algae, or the
garbage. Fish live in here - what kind?

Walking to Changu Narayan Temple - this might have been the

point where we started to suspect we may have made a wrong turn

Square in Bhaktapur - I'd have to look up the temple name

After a  long day of walking some rooftop bliss. Barry has a beer,

me a pot of tea and my book. You just might pick out the small

white dot centre-sky - a kite skillfully flown. It slowly climbed

higher and higher.

The restaurant above, Sunny's Café, had a great view of one of the squares (toles). We loved this place because of the view. We went there, tired after so much walking one day, just for some liquid refreshment. However, the Maoist Party was holding a rally in the square below (2 factions of the Maoists - this party, according to the staff, was not the one which called for the general strike, was threatening to block voting in some parts of the country, and torched/bombed some cars and buses). The energy and enthusiasm of the speakers, even though we could not understand a word was still so evident. There was music, dancing, speeches and the square was packed. It was so interesting we ended up staying for dinner (dahl baht) and did not leave until the entire event was over - maybe 7 o'clock. many of the young people are enamoured with this party and its talk of change....although our much older guest house owner aid it would be the young people who would pay, in time, if this party was elected into power.

 

One thing about the elections we have not figured out: the papers have many times referred to some parties being in a first-past-the post "contest, while others, or maybe other regions are running according to proportional representation. Confusing!