A Taste of Kathmandu

Kathmandu was described to me as "charmingly overwhelming", and I couldn't agree more. The city is crazy, thrilling, and full of wonderful hidden places to discover.  Everywhere we go there are a million things to look at, people and animals and signs and buildings, little vignettes of ordinary life.  Every morning and evening hundreds of bells ring as people make offerings to their gods, and the air is full of the smell of spices.  Walking down the street is an adventure, and crossing it is an adrenaline rush. (There are no rules - traffic will move around you, but it won't stop.) Despite the apparent chaos, there is little aggression - everyone seems pretty mellow.  Mellowest of all are the hundreds of stray dogs, who spend their days snoozing peacefully on the sidewalks.

Even if I never feel at home in Kathmandu, I think I'm going to like it.  There are some inconveniences - most notably, the rolling blackouts which leave us without power for several hours every day - but the city is colorful and exciting, the people are friendly, and there's so much to learn.  Already we've gone out for delicious dal bhat and momos - Nepali staple foods - hiked to a hilltop temple, and explored historic Patan Durbar Square, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  We even had our first glimpse of the Himalayas.  Here are some photos of our first few days:

Our first dal bhat! (Photo cred: Leah)

View from the rooftop - apparently this was the first time the Himalayas have been visible from Kathmandu since June

Chobar Hill

We climbed Chobar Hill (the small one on the far left of the picture) to visit a temple.  This is just outside the city.

The pagoda was invented in Nepal; the smaller temple in front is built in a style imported from India.

The pots and pans are nailed to the temple in memory of people who have died.

View from Chobar Hill over the Kathmandu Valley

Laura and me with Kathmandu in the background (photo cred: Leah)

Patan Durbar Square

This was where the kings of Patan (the city we live in, adjacent to Kathmandu) had their palace. Opposite the palace is a series of Hindu temples.

He had been feeding the pigeons.

The throne of the kings of Patan, designed to portray the king as an incarnation of Vishnu.

A parade celebrating the 78th birthday of the woman on the sedan chair.  Among the Newari people, who are native to the Kathmandu area, all 78th birthdays are celebrated in this way.