Himalayan Odyssey(23)

27th October, 2008
After arriving back at the Bhaktapur Guest House yesterday, thankfully now mostly free of the UTI that kept me in the city, today we are going to visit the old royal city of Bhaktapur itself. Dominic has already seen most of it of course on the day that I was obliged to return to the guest house in sorry state.

The walk into Bhaktapur city from the guest house is not long, taking about 15 minutes. On the way we stop to watch rice harvesting and threshing in a field using a treadle driven thresher.

Rice being harvested near Bhaktapur

The city, like Durbar Square in Kathmandu, is a 'pay to enter' proposition but the cost is low. There are many old buildings in the city and many of them are under restoration. Even though tourists have to pay a fee to enter the city, it is still very much a 'working' place and there is a grammar school just inside the gates.

Backstreets of old Bhaktapur

When buying our tickets we talk to the very friendly student manning the ticket booth. When he finds out that we are from Australia he tells us that he is learning to play the digeridoo.

Walking on into the city we are accosted by another young man whom I manage to offend with ease. As he comes alongside us I tell him that we do not need a guide thankyou, thinking that he is one of the usual touts who annoy tourists. In a slightly huffy voice he says that he is a student and just wishes to talk to us and be of whatever assistance he can. I am suitably chastened and he leads us through some interesting back streets before taking his leave - we wishing him well in his studies.

Rice spread out to dry in a square in old Bhaktapur

In Peacock Alley I buy a small wooden carving of 'Garuda' which will look good on the wall at home.

The eponymous Peacock Window, Peacock Lane, Bhaktapur

Then we visit a shop selling handmade paper that Dominic and the others visited the previous Saturday. After buying a small package of greeting cards the owner Mr Prajapati offers to give us a guided tour of the paper-making factory out the back. He then takes us up through the four-storey building explaining the contents of each floor until we arrive in his son's study on the top floor. We partake in a very welcome cup of tea with father and son while discussing the son's book publishing - he has written a guide book to Bhaktapur which will be published in paper form. There is also an explanatory book which will be printed locally on hand-made paper. Our suggestion to him is to also publish it electronically.

Following lunch after walking back we spend a lazy afternoon mostly just watching the rice-harvesting going on in the valley.

Himalayan Odyssey(22)

Thursday 25th October, 2008

Today starts off rather dull in content - pick up the CT scan and take it to the clinic. The urine culture has showed up a very nasty (Nepali) bacterium which caused the prostate infection. Antibiotics for another two weeks should make sure it is gone for good (I hope).

Afterwards we check in again with Thai Air to see if a flight change has come thorugh for him. No luck yet so check back on Tuesday 30th.

In the late afternoon we take a taxi to see the giant Stupa at Bhoudanath. Apparently both locals and visitors take the opportunity to make clockwise circuits around the Stupa at the end of the day. As they go they turn the many prayer wheels set into the lower walls. They can also go up onto the Stupa and make their circuits on to of the immense building. Dominic and I also take a turn around but this is most definitely non-religious on my part and more just a look at the local culture. Along the way their are some fine examples of carved wooden doors as well as a huge prayer wheel inside a building.

The Stupa at Bhoudanath from the main entrance

Local colour at Bhoudanath as people circle the Stupa

Beautiful carved doors at Bhoudanath

During the latter part, as the sun is setting, Dominic and I go up onto the rooftop area to have an early dinner while watching the spectacle.

View of Bhoudanath Stupa from our rooftop restaurant

As the sun is setting many Buddhist monks enter the Stupa for their evening prayers and leave about half an hour or so later.

Himalayan Odyssey(21)

Tuesday 23rd October, 2007

Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me ...
I'm feeling so much better this morning following yesterday's big hit of antibiotics plus the follow up ones I have to take. While not completely 'healed up' its just so much better and since today is my birthday I think that is a pretty good present!

I'm back at the clinic at 11am for a quick check on progress. At 105/65 my blood pressure is a bit low but nothing to get too concerned about. Tomorrow I have to go for a CT scan for an anomaly which showed up on the XRay.

Later in the day the hotel sent up a birthday cake and Dominic and I had some of it as desert after dinner.

Birthday cake kindly provided by Radisson Hotel, Kathmandu

On this day last year I was at the Radisson in St Petersburg, Russia and they also provided a birthday cake and a bottle of bubbly which I shared with Mike and Sandra. Maybe this is to become a tradition for me? I wonder where I'll be next year - hopefully somewhere exotic.

Wednesday 24th October, 2007

Feeling so much better every day now so after breakfast, at Dominic's suggestion, we walk to Hanuman Durbar Square. This is an old imperial and religious area and even though it is a significant tourist attraction parts of it are still in use for religious purposes. On the way there we traverse back streets which I find quite interesting with normal everyday business going on.

Kathmandu street scene on the way to Hanuman
Durbar Square

There is a lot of reconstruction and renovation going on. Many buildings date back as far as the sixteenth century.

Pagoda, Hanuman Durbar Square, Kathmandu

Statue of Garuda, Hanuman Durbar Square, Kathmandu

Leaving the area we are again in among the back streets and alleyways and the older architecture is quite fascinating - particular the upper storey overhangs which are reminiscent of parts of some of the older towns in the UK where they built out over the street to gain more space in the building.

Residential architecture, Kathmandu

At 5pm the CT scan is over quite quickly although it takes a bit longer to get the bill paid as they have to go to another building to do the credit-card transaction. Afterwards we walk back looking for an Italian Restaurant but finding none we arrive back at the hotel and have a very pleasant dinner at their Italian Restaurant and are serenaded by a live group of local musicians. Now that I can eat again the Minestrone soup and Spaghetti Carbonara is delicious.