Kirtipur

Camille

Camille

Day 69 – Location: Kiritipur, Nepal

10/11/12

Whilst I was having breakfast at the guest house Camille appeared. I met her and her sister Gersende afterwards. They’d been to Nargakot for the sunrise and sunset, near Bhaktapur. Although I’d been advised it’s one of the best views in Nepal, Camille wasn’t too impressed and said the visibility was poor. They’d had a good time walking around the area though.

Kirtipur sidestreet

Kirtipur sidestreet

They were off to Kirtipur today, a recommended town close to Kathmandu, and invited me to join them. I agreed and we caught a local mini bus from the bus station nearby. It was pretty big and comfy by Nepali standards. We drove through the sprawl of Kathmandu for about half an hour and wound our way through a short bit of countryside up a hill to Kirtipur. I was expecting some charming village but it was a typical, although very colourful town of stacked houses on the hillside. We were dropped off just outside town, where kids were playing football and a team of guys were stuffing blankets on the grass, beating the blankets with sticks to make the down more fluffy.

AlanStock-1080889

 

The terrible twosome!

Gersende and Camille

 

AlanStock-1080896

We walked uphill from the bus stop along the tall streets and came upon a big Thai-style Wat (temple) which we’d seen from the bus stop, decorated in red and gold with a large large golden stupa next to the main building. There was a memorial stone for a Thai airlines plane crash which had happened nearby. We saw two tourists inside, and for the rest of the day we didn’t see any more, which made a nice change!

AlanStock-1080909

 

 

AlanStock-1080911

 

 

AlanStock-1080917

 

AlanStock-1080925

We climbed up a steep path from the main road where the houses became more old and traditional, reminding me of Bhaktapur and Patan. We followed the sound of music to find a procession of people in black dress playing flutes and drums. We later learned they were promoting the opening of a new museum in the town.

AlanStock-1080929

As it was Saturday there was lots of activity as we wandered around the charming backstreets. The people here were really friendly and quite happy for us to take photos of them at work and play. Lots of women were drying rice on mats in the baking heat of the streets.

AlanStock-1080935

 

AlanStock-1080938

 

AlanStock-1080933

After a nice little stone temple we found a group of guys clustered around a piece of paper on which symbols were drawn. It was a dice gambling game. The participants dropped paper money from above to land randomly on one of the symbols. Then 6 dice were rolled, and you got a payout if your money was on the symbols which came up on the dice. The guy running it asked if we wanted to try. I gave it a go and got lucky – double my money back!

AlanStock-1080962

Shortly afterwards we passed a cute kid wearing a tiny bike helmet which was really funny, his mum let us take a photo.

AlanStock-1080965

Soon we found a collection of stupas at the top of the hill, with prayer flags fanning out like webs from each one. The central stupa was unusually painted blue around the top where the eyes were.

AlanStock-1080944

 

AlanStock-1080952

 

AlanStock-1080954

 

AlanStock-1080959

Down the other side of the hill we came to a small temple next to one of the big communal ponds that you can find in the old cities, which was covered in algae and had rubbish floating around in it. Cam had been chatting to a local guy who introduced himself. We’ll call him Kamal as I can’t remember his name, it was something like that! Kamal spoke good English and told us some history of the area, this was one of the five big city states of Nepal back in the day, and we were in the main square. I suspected that Kamal was a guide and was proved right later, but he wasn’t offering his services for money, just curious to get to know us and tell us a bit about the area. He explained that the green pond gets cleaned and filled with fresh water at certain times of the year for festivals.

AlanStock-1080972

 

AlanStock-1080979

 

AlanStock-1080982

Next to the pond was a very old and ornate wooden building with sloping windows. He said it was the old house for the king and queen of Kirtipur, back when it was a separate city-state. He offered to show us inside, it’s just a normal house now. The interior was quite dark and had low ceilings, with steep and simple wooden steps separating the floors – I had to bend on them to avoid bumping my head. We went into a simple bedroom where an old lady was sitting. After greeting her, Kamal insisted we sit in the windowsill seats overlooking the square, in the same spot that the king and the queen used to sit to watch their subjects.

AlanStock-1080984

We chatted about ourselves and found out about our guide. It turned out he is transgender, a devout Buddhist and does a variety of jobs including an unofficial tour guide. He was enlightened about his sexuality some years ago when a German couple was visiting him, they talked with him about his feelings and ultimately encouraged him to try women’s clothes and makeup! From that point he became open about his sexuality – not something to be sniffed at in this conservative country. He was already in an arranged marriage and actually sent his wife away, telling her he liked men, but romantically she kept coming back telling him she accepted him as he was. Eventually he took her back, and now they have a son and have been together for ten years. Luckily for him the locals are now very accepting of him and his sexuality. He’s now a gay and lesbian ambassador for Nepalese people, and goes to Kathmandu to meet other transgenders. It was pretty random to run into one of Nepal’s very few openly gay guys!

Tip lady

Tip lady

We left the house and I asked to photograph an old women in the courtyard who agreed via Kamal, as long as I paid her a tip. After giving her one small note she kept motioning for more until she had 3 and I wouldn’t give her any more!

Kamal in his home

Kamal in his home

Kamal invited us for tea at his house a few minutes away. He lives on the middle floor of one of the old street buildings. We took off our shoes at the living area/bedroom where his young wife was, and his two year old son was sleeping in the bed, despite it being about 2pm. It was a simple house, classic Nepali. We sat on cushions and his wife brought us some tasty local sweet tea which I hadn’t tried before. Kamal told us about his wife and his problems making money now he had a son to support. Other foreigners have visited him before and the German couple he’d met had even donated 400 euros to pay for his son’s medical checkups. Because of his sexuality and marital situation he used to have problems getting work, and had to do menial work like cleaning. Now he sometimes works as a guide amongst other better quality jobs. He obviously makes a bit of money from people like us who he invites to his house and shows around – who then pay him for the hospitality.

AlanStock-1080997

We were offered food, Kamal’s wife produced plates of beaten dry rice, which is hard and chewy, served with soy beans and pickled spinach. Although it was a simple meal, the flavour combinations were very tasty. Kamal’s son woke up and smiled to see the visitors in his house. Then Kamal did some prayers for us, sitting cross-legged and lighting incense. He prayed for our good luck and health one by one, sometimes murmuring under his breath. At two points he whipped his head sideways, which he told us afterwards was throwing bad premonitions he’d had away, about me and Cam. He’d also forseen a problem with Gersende’s arm and had put a protection charm on it. After this nice gesture we went outside, and he mentioned maybe we could give him something, which is as I’d expected, but it’s not often you get invited into a local house and shown around for nothing!

AlanStock-1090017

As we walked up the hill to see a temple we came to a political event in the street, with a big audience and a stage, with a large riot police presence, some carrying huge rifles. There are upcoming elections in Nepal and due to the very troubled political history there’s always the danger of trouble. It was a Maoist event judging by the flags, the party currently in government. First on stage there was traditional dancing by a woman in full Newari dress, twirling, running and swinging her long ponytail around to music. Then a guy came on stage to sing. A band with cymbals and drums marched past the proceedings, we’d seen this setup before, leading political marches around Kathmandu, presumably it was from another party sent to disrupt the occasion, as they were shadowed closely by the police keen to avoid trouble.

AlanStock-1090005

Our guide led us uphill to the biggest tiered temple of the town, another really old one with worn wooden carvings on the beams. The stone elephants guarding the steps had big spikes to stop people sitting on them! Kamal told me this was a temple where if you are single you should pray there to get a girlfriend. Of course he made me do it! There was a great view over Kathmandu from up here.

AlanStock-1090028

Around the yard there were some Nepali mountain bikers milling around and pulling wheelies. We got chatting to one of them who told us he and his friends go out riding every Saturday exploring the area around Kathmandu. He gave us some recommendations for places to visit too.

View from the temple

View from the temple

We left the temple and said goodbye to Kamal, we figured the cost of a normal lunch each plus a bit more was a fair price to pay him. He thanked us and invited us to visit him for the upcoming Diwali festival. We walked down the hill, passing the political event where an man was shouting animatedly, I guess they got to the meat of the proceedings. A line of riot police had blockaded one end of the street but let us pass. Blacked-out jeeps were waiting nearby, presumably to ferry off the politicians in a hurry afterwards before any trouble could start. The audience were clapping and nodding to the energetic speech.

Skipping game

Skipping game

We twisted our way down the hill through the old streets until the main road, passing some nice views of the Kathmandu valley, until we reached the bus stop. We hopped on a mini bus back to Kathmandu and on arrival tucked into some momos from a street stall. As is quite common here they were served in bowls made from leaves, an eco-friendly way to do fast food! They were really tasty and covered in a tomato and chili sauce. The girls were heading off to a Nepali friend’s house so I said goodbye and went down to the restaurant to write this diary entry, and chatted to Ashman who I’ve got to know the past few days, before turning in early.

AlanStock-1090048

Kirtipur “rest station”

AlanStock-1090046

Streets of Kathmandu

AlanStock-1080094Day 63 – Location: Chitwan > Kathmandu; Nepal

02/11/13

Me and Reznas had a leisurely breakfast and were given a lift to the bus park, where we got on a tourist bus. It was the poshest one I’d seen in Nepal with padded seats and full size windows you could actually get a view from. The journey took about 8 hours with a lunch stop. It’s supposed to take about 5. Once we got on the road to Kathmandu I saw what I’d missed on the previous journeys along here, some impressive views of the big, rocky, turquoise river alongside the road, surrounded by steep forested hills. Occasionally you’d see big rubber rafts with tourists paddling along, or stopped at the side for a break. I’ll have to try it someday. On one rocky beach trucks had pulled into the water and men were loading stones into them, presumably for building.

AlanStock-1070991

Another interesting sight I’d missed before was the occasional set of steel cables passing over the ravines – usually with a metal basket attached. They are used to transport goods and people above the river as there are few bridges. In one place I saw a woman and kid getting winched along in a tiny basket. It didn’t look very safe, but I guess they make a similar trip daily.

A few hours from Kathmandu we hit a mighty traffic jam. With only a 2-lane road packed with trucks and buses, whenever something goes wrong it becomes a nightmare. A truck was broken down and a policeman was ushering traffic past. You could see the traffic jam backed up all the way up the hill winding up the zig zags. Eventually we reached Kathmandu and I said goodbye to Reznas, who was leaving for India the next day.

Traffic nightmare

Traffic nightmare

We got into Thamel around 5pm and I went to a hotel called Silver Home which was ranked number 8 on trip advisor, and I’d booked online the night before. In typical Nepali fashion though, when I arrived they didn’t have any rooms as no one had checked out. What’s the point in having a booking system if it doesn’t work? Even if you are already staying in the hotel and you ask if you can stay the next day, they tell you that you need to check after 12pm in case they have any bookings – so the two systems are at complete odds with each other! After a while in Asia you get used to this kind of unpredictability and you just shrug and find anywhere with a bed. Anyway, they still had beds in their dormitory (one of only three in Kathmandu), so I thought why not give it a try, it’s cheap after all.

The dorm was at the very top of the building and had a wee terrace outside. It was the first dorm I’ve stayed in since my travels. The attached bathroom was a bit grotty but the bedroom was clean and I took a bed in an adjacent room with a door so I could get some quiet at night. I’m a light sleeper so dorms aren’t a good idea for me with all the noise. There were only a few beds taken and out on the terrace I met a nice French girl who was also travelling alone. She was off trekking tomorrow. We went out for dinner at a local restaurant and had quite an early night, meeting the other dorm residents when we came in. Only one guy wasn’t leaving the next day, who was a weird middle aged French chap.

AlanStock-1070993

Day 62 – Location: Kathmandu; Nepal

03/11/12

I didn’t sleep too badly in my little side room and I got up early. I wanted to have a photo day and get more pictures of life around Kathmandu. The view from the balcony was nice, but up on the rooftop I found what must have been a dog or goat skin drying on a solar panel. That’s Nepal for you.

AlanStock-1080003

 

Local artist doing t-shirt designs

Local artist doing t-shirt designs

I grabbed breakfast at a local joint and then started a walking tour North of the Durbar Square which was in the Lonely Planet. It led me to a few places I hadn’t been and I explored other side streets. It was nice to get some info from the book about the little temples and places I’d seen before. It was. nice to have as much time as I wanted to take photos. In one of the nice temple squares a boy was racing around on a bike scaring all the pidgeons which was great for pictures.

AlanStock-1080014 AlanStock-1080030 AlanStock-1080026 AlanStock-1080015

I tried to take more pictures of shops and people this time and asked plenty of shopkeepers and locals for permission to photograph them. Nearly everyone agrees, Nepal is a friendly place for photographers.

Tailors shops in Kathmandu are very colourful

Tailors shops in Kathmandu are very colourful

Traditional Nepali hats

Traditional Nepali hats

The one guy I was disappointed in not getting a photo of was a sergeant at the Durbar square who looked impressive with his uniform, hat and gun holster. I even took a photo of a “holy man” for a tip, which I normally avoid – they’re basically beggars, the real holy men don’t go around asking people for photos and money.

A holy man/beggar

A holy man/beggar

The tooth shrine - when you lose a tooth a coin is nailed to this shrine

The tooth shrine – when you lose a tooth a coin is nailed to this shrine

Here the kids sometimes ask you to take photos of them. They love to see the results on the screen!

Here the kids sometimes ask you to take photos of them. They love to see the results on the screen!

AlanStock-1080067

One of the many little courtyards I explored

From the Durbar square I took the south walking tour from the book taking in lots of little temples and nice old streets. I deviated to check out a local sight, Bimsen Tower, a tall, lighthouse-like building which you could pay to go up. It had over 200 steps to go up a narrow spiral staircase, and at the top was a very narrow ring walkway with a wire fence offering views over Kathmandu. It was packed up there, with barely room to squeeze past the people at the fence, but the view was pretty nice. At the very top was a little shrine. The tower had been rebuilt at a lower height following the big earthquake in the 1930’s.

AlanStock-1080263 AlanStock-1080295 AlanStock-1080294

Don't look down!

Don’t look down!

View from the top of the tower - you can see the Monkey Temple on the hill

View from the top of the tower – you can see the Monkey Temple on the hill

I sauntered back to the hotel and spent some time in the communal garden which a few of the hotels share, using the wi-fi. I got a phone call from a British guy called Oli. I’d sent him my contact details on a trekking forum as he’d said he was in Kathmandu with free time, looking to hang out, which I was too. I went to meet him at a cool bar called Sams. The place had plants and the walls were covered in writing. Oli is in his late 30s or early 40s, lives in Wales and is a Nepal veteran, having visited for extended trips 8 times already. He works online and saves all his holidays to come to Nepal. He was a top chap and a wealth of knowledge and stories on Nepal. He’d been there during the revolution, he’d seen how the place has changed over the past 8 years, and he’s done most of the treks, some of them two or three times! Every time he comes back he has somewhere new to visit or activity to do. Also joining us was a Croatian guy who Oli had met trekking. He had done one of the lake treks up by Everest solo and had a great time. Him and Oli said it’s better than the Everest Base Camp trek as it’s quieter for tourists and you still get a great view of Everest from there, plus the beauty of the lakes. I’ll have to look into it.

Oli drinking Tungba (warm millet beer)

Oli drinking Tungba (warm millet beer)

We hung out for a few hours at the bar and then the Croatian guy left. We went to a Tibetan restaurant I’d visited before, which was Oli’s favourite eatery in Thamel. We drank warm millet beer (Tungba), and I tried Tendtuk, which is flat noodle Tibetan soup. It was great. We chatted away till late and I thanked Oli for the company. He even paid for the meal, top bloke. By the time I got into the dorm everyone was asleep and the place was nearly full.

Kathmandu street gallery – click a photo to see the gallery