Bhaktapur, Nepal

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Full of interesting temples and living culture. Traffic is like hell. Bicycle is the best way to explore the city if your nerves can cope the traffic...

Pashupatinath is supposedly one of the most sacred hindu temples in the world. Or so our unofficial guide told us.

He also had vivid stories about how the 'holy men' come to the temple area to smoke weed because it helps in meditation and connecting with gods.

If you decide to go here, decend from the "hotels" and befriend the locals. Talk to them for a while and you might find yourself spending your days in their homes and hiking on unknown trails. They are there for the tourists but find fiends among the travellers. Nothing much to see here, but for a night or two it´s a trip worth taking. Also, hitch a ride back to kathmandu, the locals get you one easily and the ride is much more interesting than in the touristbus.

Remember to barter in Nepal. No prices are set, so don't expect to pay the asking price. The key is for both parties to leave happy: for both the buyer and seller to feel like they have made a good deal.

If you are loooking for a budget accommodation in a heart of Thamel (Kathmandu) try Deutsch Home. When you'll have problems to find it ask for New Orleans Cafe - is next door. You will find in the hotel also great trekking agency (ask for Chiran - he is very helpful and friendly guy). If you'll go with them, you may have an accommodation for free.

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Banepa is just rows of building on either side of the "highway". Busy, noisy, dirty and nothing to see. We had a rather good lunch in one of the small restaurants in the centre!

Kathmandu Durbar Square is nice, Patan Durbar Square is more interesting and "real", but Bhaktapur Durbar square is the best of the three. Very beautiful place.

Every tourist visiting Nepal goes through Kathmandu and you'll see it on the streets. In some parts of the city there are more tourists than locals. E.g. Thamel is full of trekking agencies, rickshaws and small shops that sell to tourists (with tourist prices so remember to barter).

Nepalese hindus burn their dead in Pashupatinath. The platforms by the river are categorized by caste. The higher caste platforms are upriver, which is practical:

the remainings are swept off to the Bagmati river and every now and then some valuables end up to the river with the ashes. Entrepreneurial guys downstream try to find gold and jewellery using a net. (see the photo! this guy is working downstream by a lower caste platform.)

Luckily we had hired a porter. It was a rough and fast-paced hike through the national park to Chisapani but the views were definitely worth the effort. There was only one tea room along the way and the paths were quiet (as in: there were no other people, lots of sound by birds and insects though).

Chisapani was the first stop on our hike around Kathmandu Valley. The tiny village is a good hike from any decent road (although we saw a few people on motorcycles struggling their way through the bumpy paths). The air was very clean and crisp up there.

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