It was with no little regret that we said goodbye to Tibet this morning, retracing our steps through the countryside, crossing the river which comes from Mt. Kailash and flying on to Kathmandu. It had snowed overnight in the higher mountains, lending brightness to the drive. We will miss our Chinese and Tibetan guides, and are so glad we got the opportunity to meet and spend time with them.
Nearing Kathmandu, first glimpse of the Himalaya!
And Everest! The mountain peeking through the second layer of clouds, just right of the wing.
After figuring out how to use the touch screen visa application process in the arrivals area, we cleared immigration and met our guide for the rest off the trip, Sanjay Nepal. He specializes in religions and cultures of the Indian subcontinent, and provided an overview of introductory information as we drove in our wonderfully (for it is humid and hot in Kathmandu in June) air conditioned and spacious bus.
Due to the peculiarity of China's single time zone, Kathmandu is 2:15 hours earlier than Lhasa.
Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet are 3 of the 5 countries most impacted by global warming. Glaciers disappear and some rivers are running low. For now, Nepal remains rich in water resources (second only to Brazil) with 6000 rivers running from the Himalayas. Speaking of water...by the calendar, the monsoon season has arrived so the tourist season is over. It is the season of 100 days of rain, with a total expected accumulation of 120-240 inches.
Population of Nepal, 28 million. The Newar are the native population of Kathmandu and the surrounding area.
The country is 56000 sq miles, 19% mountains in the north, 64% hills in the middle, and 17% terri (agrarian) in the south, which is the breadbasket of Nepal.
Until 2006 (when the king was deposed), Nepal was the only Hindu kingdom on earth. All Hindus considered him their king.
Religion is primarily Hindu, then Buddhist, Christian and Muslim.
Although I've never been to India, Kathmandu, from the moment we hit baggage claim, felt like the India I've seen in films and documentaries, but a little less crowded. The sense was affirmed throughout the day. Roads are largely unpaved, traffic determined, small market stands selling produce, a lot of trash, cows in the road.
We asked about the cows. Hindus, of course, abstain from beef (including yak) which are considered sacred. As Sanjay says, Holy Cow! (He had a wry and quick sense of humor, though I expect this one is an old chestnut). The female cows belong to families and are a source of milk. The males are brought to towns and left to roam until they are picked up and brought to monasteries where they are cared for. When they die, they are buried.
We had a short walk through a neighborhood to lunch in a new hotel. The contrast between the neighborhood and upscale hotel was striking and disquieting.
We passed several neighborhood shrines in the street. Animals hang around the shrines because people leave offerings of food. There is a bell to ring as you pass, so your prayers rise with the sound of the bell. Many shrines include a snake. There are three worlds: the sky is for the gods, the earth for humans and below is the water works for snakes. The life-giving monsoons come from the water world, hence the reverence for snakes.
Kathmandu experienced a devastating earthquake in April 2015, and the effects are seen everywhere. Ancient buildings near collapse are braced with ironwood beams until a permanent solution can be implemented. Because there were over 4000 aftershocks over an extended period of time (not to mention the poverty in this part of the world), recovery and restoration is proceeding slowly. Construction dust and noise are everywhere.
A camp for people made homeless by the earthquake. The gray tarp is labeled USAID.
We visited the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Bhaktapur. The site of the Nepali capital during the Malla kingdom until the latter 1400s, it is known for its rich culture and temples, and its wood, stone and metal artwork. (The movie "Little Buddha" was filmed here, if you'd like to see it's beautiful architecture.) It was badly damaged in the earthquake and much of what we saw was in the process of renovation, using all original techniques and materials. But one can still get a sense of the grandeur and beauty of this Dukhar (palace) area.
There are three styles of temples here. Below are Muslim and Nepalese.
The golden gate. Palace entrance.
Palace wall
If you zoom in, the sign, middle right below, shows what this temple will look like when restored.
The king, facing his palace, sits on a tall pillar. Note the cobra circling below the platform
We left the Kathmandu valley, crawling up and up the Friendship Road which runs to Tibet. The road was heavily damaged during the earthquake and following mudslides, and has been closed since then. China repaired the Tibet side of the road, but when they found Free Tibet pamphlets among the rubble, they announced they would not reopen that border crossing. Nepal is still working on their side of the road, and traveling on it is quite harrowing as the road is heavily potholed and traffic must crawl slowly through the ruts, lurching along the narrow dirt road with no shoulder and no guardrail. This photo shows a stretch of cleared road, with a huge amount of cleared rubble cascading down the steep hill below. The people who live in the valley below have been cut off and must walk all the way up to the highway to catch a bus. The devastating effects go far beyond the short term impact of collapsing and cracking buildings.
We are staying in the Dhulikhel mountain resort, which is under renovation from the earthquake. It was built in the early 1980s as one of the first ecotourism resorts in Nepal. The location is peaceful and beautiful with small buildings perched on the mountains, calling birds and lovely mature gardens. They grow much of the produce (herbs, fruits, vegetables) for the restaurant here. It's a wonderful place to settle into our Nepal adventure. I saw an amazing red billed blue magpie on the railing outside our room and hope it returns for a photo op!
View from our room.
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