Kathmandu part II: 'one amazing week later'

Dearest reader!

4Stories my safe place to have breakfast. Long live the good barista! Enjoy, a good coffee shot before heading into town on Sunday. Once again I walked with a smile through the streets of Kathmandu towards the Boudhanath Stupa! While I strolled through the streets enjoying myself, the Nepalese looked at me kindly and astonished.

Finally, after walking eleven kilometers, I arrived at the Boudhanath Stupa, the largest stupa in Asia. I was blown away by this fantastic building, the square was just as phenomenal! I was drawn into the clockwise direction of walking between pilgrims who walked around praying and turning the prayer wheels under the protective eyes of Buddha. The stupa is surrounded by authentic beautiful shops where you can find cafes & restaurants on the rooftop. During a lunch at a rooftop restaurant I enjoyed this magical showpiece. And just like that, I got tears of joy!

Boudhanath Stupa

That week I visited the Pashupatinath Temple! This Shiva temple is the most important and largest Hindu temple on the subcontinent. Which is only accessible to Hindus. I was allowed to walk along the holy Bagmati river. There I saw how a family ritually washed the body of a deceased family member with the 'holy water'. On the other side of the bridge several cremations were taking place. To be allowed to see those customs was unique. It gave me goosebumps and at the same time I found it peaceful! That confronting age-old tradition with the transience of life is a must see in Kathmandu.

Pashupatinath Temple

On the way back I passed Durbar Square or literally translated the Palace of the Square. The square is located in front of the Hanuman Dhoka (the former palace) where the kings ruled the country. It was busy there, it was crawling with people, street children, tourists, souvenir sellers... Curiously I looked at the fuss where thousands of pigeons also gathered. What an overwhelmingly beautiful day this was again!

Day six in Kathmandu I wanted to get out of the city. The further I walked to the edge of the city the quieter it became. Heavenly, just disappearing from the hustle and bustle. Everywhere I saw color, stalls with fruit, houses in pink, orange or blue... Instant happiness!

Of course I wanted to plan a trek. Which turned out to be not so obvious when you are alone, want to join a group and want to book on the spot. Paula van Wanderworld.nl was the only one out of ten mails that could offer me a trek with a small group. She organizes all her treks herself, she treats you personally and she also goes into the mountains with you. Fantastic, she made my day even better!

Towards the end of that week I woke up feeling sick. I needed to stay in bed a bit longer. Luckily I felt better in the afternoon. The Indra Jatra festival on Durbar Square was not to be missed! Indra is the name of the Hindu god of rain and sky, Jatra means procession. Indra Jatra is a procession held in honour of the Hindu god Indra. Indra as thanks for the rain! It was packed on the square! Despite the madness it was still pleasant to be with the Nepalese.

Enough blogging, time for a new destination!

Love & kisses, Helena 💖🦩