Kathmandu - Day 2

We went into the hotel breakfast room at around 8 and stayed there for more than an hour. I wish I had all day to taste all that was on the menu. It was just as well, because we did not get much time for a proper lunch. We started with the Pashupathinath temple. It was like any other Hindu temples, barring the pagoda styled architecture. But for travellers from India, the monkeys and cows milling about will be a familiar sight. The temple is spread across a huge area. We offered a small puja and that took the best of the morning to finish. If someone is planning to pay a visit to the Pashupathinath temple, I would suggest an early start.

Next on the list was the Boudhanath stupa. The Buddish stupa is equally popular with tibetan pilgrims and tourists. After rolling the prayer bells lining the stupa walls, we walked around the dome.The all white structure contrasts starkly with the crowded backdrop of the Kathmandu city. The great eyes seem to be eyeing the bustling city life with passive indifference. If you wish to sample some authentic Nepalese food, there are plenty of shops around the Boudhanath stupa. We chose a small rooftop restaurant which provided an extensive view of the Kathmandu city. What facinated me was the number of water tanks perched on each house. It emphasized the persistent water problem most Himalayan cities face these days.

Out next stop Shayambhunath, is situated on a hilltop overlooking the city. If we had some breath left after climbing 365 stairs, the view took it all away. The sky was dominated a two great eyes painted on a snow white stupa and below us lay the Kathmandu valley, bustling with life.

Earlier we had decided to give Darbar square a miss for a visit to the old Nepalese city of Patan. It took us around an hour to reach Patan. We visited the Durbar square in Patan, which still serves as a square for the locals. The wooden carvings on the columns and rooftops will transport you to a different time. Inspite of being a very busy city sqaure,it was easy to imagine the ancient princess taking a bath in the central pool with her attendants. The square still serves the locals as a leisure area where mothers could keep a keen eye on the children playing hide and seek around the numerous columns, while catching up with the gossip; young people can meet one another for a serious session of 'adda' and the old can bask in the setting rays of the sun. As the sun rays cast a pink spell on the snow-capped tips craning their necks over the clouds, we headed back to Kathmandu.