Did I say I was expecting to have 3 days of R&R in Kathamandu? I lied. This city is alive and kicking, but in a chilled out sort of way. It is busy with hippy travellers and serious trekkers. The shops are friendly and welcoming and there is not the pressure of constant negotiation we had in India, where sometimes just to walk past a row of shops was like running the gauntlet. Nonetheless, in Kathmandu there are bargains to be had if you are prepared to challenge the fixed price. And I do love a challenge. The bars and clubs are lively but the prices of drinks in a capital city mean we are all budget conscious. Most of them close at midnight, which helps.
A city tour has been organised and, even though I am 'excursioned out' I cannot resist the simplicity of it.. The Monkey Temple means a steep climb up a hill, The Boudhanath Stupa offers the perfect opportunity for a proper coffee and a piece of the fantastic carrot cake that is the speciality of Nepal (alongside the aforementioned momos), and a wander round the old Patan Durbar Square with its abundance of stupas and temples offers another opportunity for more coffee and cake in the afternoon. It's a lovely, hot day and, as we wander around the old buildings, we are drawn in by the sight of a small crowd, just visible in the central courtyard of one of the buildings. Inside, there is a small ritualistic performance and behind a screen they have already started the butchering of the bull they have just killed as part of the Desain celebrations. Tethered in the courtyard, a calf and a sheep await their fate. I don't wait around and exit stage right.
Tour over, we head back to the hotel, followed by a bit more shopping and more cake and coffee. In the evening we while a way a few more hours, with a few beers watching the sun set over the mountains from our hotel's rooftop bar before heading out to the restaurants and clubs.
For our last day in Kathmandu I have nothing planned at all. It's a delicious feeling. A lie in. A leisurely shower. A relaxed breakfast watching the world go by below from the rooftop. Unfortunately, the American group sharing our accommodation have other ideas. Up at the crack of dawn. Clattering up and down the stairs. Chattering up and down the stairs. Chairs scraping. Even prayers and a sermon over breakfast, which is just above my room. It's impossible and at 7.00 a.m. I am wide awake. Jaime sleeps peacefully through it all. Poor love. She's not been well and needs the rest. By the time I'm showered and at breakfast though, our American friends have left the building. I offer my own small small prayer of thanks and enjoy my breakfast in relative peace. A lie in has also eluded a few of the others and we decide to go for a wander to Kathmandu's Durbar Square. It's very similar to the Patan Durbar Square and before long it's time for a coffee and a cake in one of the rooftop cafes. It's an effort to climb the 6 flights of stairs to the rooftop but it will be worth it when we get there. From the top, the views over the old town are beautiful. We can see birds of prey flying at our level, and there are kites flying high above the rooftops. In the distance we can see the Monkey Temple and the mountains beyond. But there is no real coffee or, worse still, cake in this cafe. Disappointed, we head back down the 6 flights of stairs.
On the final evening, a party is planned. There are multiple events to celebrate. Our new Ozbussers have arrived (Christina, Maartje, Jennifer and Nat). It's Lana's birthday, and Barry's last night with us (not that Barry leaving is a reason to celebrate!). To top the evening off we head to the Reggae Bar for a few cocktails before we leave. I love Kathmandu.
A city tour has been organised and, even though I am 'excursioned out' I cannot resist the simplicity of it.. The Monkey Temple means a steep climb up a hill, The Boudhanath Stupa offers the perfect opportunity for a proper coffee and a piece of the fantastic carrot cake that is the speciality of Nepal (alongside the aforementioned momos), and a wander round the old Patan Durbar Square with its abundance of stupas and temples offers another opportunity for more coffee and cake in the afternoon. It's a lovely, hot day and, as we wander around the old buildings, we are drawn in by the sight of a small crowd, just visible in the central courtyard of one of the buildings. Inside, there is a small ritualistic performance and behind a screen they have already started the butchering of the bull they have just killed as part of the Desain celebrations. Tethered in the courtyard, a calf and a sheep await their fate. I don't wait around and exit stage right.
Tour over, we head back to the hotel, followed by a bit more shopping and more cake and coffee. In the evening we while a way a few more hours, with a few beers watching the sun set over the mountains from our hotel's rooftop bar before heading out to the restaurants and clubs.
For our last day in Kathmandu I have nothing planned at all. It's a delicious feeling. A lie in. A leisurely shower. A relaxed breakfast watching the world go by below from the rooftop. Unfortunately, the American group sharing our accommodation have other ideas. Up at the crack of dawn. Clattering up and down the stairs. Chattering up and down the stairs. Chairs scraping. Even prayers and a sermon over breakfast, which is just above my room. It's impossible and at 7.00 a.m. I am wide awake. Jaime sleeps peacefully through it all. Poor love. She's not been well and needs the rest. By the time I'm showered and at breakfast though, our American friends have left the building. I offer my own small small prayer of thanks and enjoy my breakfast in relative peace. A lie in has also eluded a few of the others and we decide to go for a wander to Kathmandu's Durbar Square. It's very similar to the Patan Durbar Square and before long it's time for a coffee and a cake in one of the rooftop cafes. It's an effort to climb the 6 flights of stairs to the rooftop but it will be worth it when we get there. From the top, the views over the old town are beautiful. We can see birds of prey flying at our level, and there are kites flying high above the rooftops. In the distance we can see the Monkey Temple and the mountains beyond. But there is no real coffee or, worse still, cake in this cafe. Disappointed, we head back down the 6 flights of stairs.
On the final evening, a party is planned. There are multiple events to celebrate. Our new Ozbussers have arrived (Christina, Maartje, Jennifer and Nat). It's Lana's birthday, and Barry's last night with us (not that Barry leaving is a reason to celebrate!). To top the evening off we head to the Reggae Bar for a few cocktails before we leave. I love Kathmandu.
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