New Experiences in Nepal

After a breathtaking flight over the Himalayas, we arrived in rainy Kathmandu, Nepal. We were a little apprehensive a first about coming to Nepal because only 2 days before our arrival a series of bombs went off throughout the capital. However, we arrived without a hitch and were well onto our way to exploring our newest destination. After checking into our first guest house (complete with brown water flowing flowing out of the taps) we were out and about the streets of Kathmandu. After a only a short time we realized that Nepal was somewhere which was totally different from anywhere we had ever been before. Although the city was perhaps one of the least “clean” places we have seen thus far (garbage all over the street, wild dogs, cows and goats walking the streets and eating garbage, etc.) we were easily swept up in the excitement and busyness of the city. We enjoyed wandering the streets during the day, checking out the shops, the food and the people. One thing we weren't prepared for in Nepal was the constant power outages. It seemed that everyday, at least once (sometimes thrice) the power was out and we found ourselves in the dark, eating, reading or talking by flashlight or candlelight. We spent a few days in awe of the capital, just wandering and looking around our area. After a few days we decided to check out the main sights of the city. We taxied our way over to the Swayambhunath temple, were we were greeted with beggars, stray dogs and monkeys. We made our way up what seemed like hundreds of steps (365 to be exact) to the top of the temple. From here we were greeted by a guide (a student trying to make some money) and he explained some of the ideologies, stories and cultural aspects of the Hindu religion. From the temple we made our way to Dubar Square, located in the centre of the city (a UNESCO world heritage site and perhaps our favorite part of the capital). We wandered the around the square, and captured some stunning photos of what life in the city was all about. The next day we hopped on a 7 hour bus ride west of Kathmandu, to the quiet mountain city of Pokhara. We spent three days here, relaxing and enjoying the mountains (although the Himalayas which make the town famous, were covered by clouds for the most part). Pokhara is a great place to do some trekking, however we weren't able to take part, because the only short route (we had only three days) was closed down due to a landslide that happened the day before we arrived. Four villagers were killed on the mountain, and many rescue teams were working on cleaning up the mountain and making the way safe again. After our few days in Pokhara, we boarded our bus back to Kathmandu. We stayed in the city for two more nights, picked up our visa from the Indian embassy before deciding that it was once again time to pick up our packs, and hit the road.