Adventure Chronicles™

03.26.01 - Hanging out in the Himalayas
Kathmandu, Nepal - Kathmandu Valley

We arrived in Nepal on March 22nd. It was a long day of travel from Nairobi, and the cold I (Lisa) felt coming on hit in a big way. Nothing I couldn't deal with, but walking through two Saudi Arabian airports with plugged ears was an interesting experience.

We decided on a hotel (the Peace Night Hotel) just outside of Thamel, an area of Kathmandu that although very tourist focused, is a great place to get lost in shops, book stores and great restaurants. The Peace Night only had one room available with its own bathroom - a two room suite meant for four people with its own private dining table and sitting area. They promised us a regular double room the following day, so we decided to take the suite for one night only for the bargain price of $8.00. The staff at the hotel have been taking excellent care of us ever since.

The Kathmandu Valley is a beautiful area, although clouded by dust and pollution most of the time. This dust and pollution turned my head cold into a mild case of asthma, so I had to break down and visit a medical clinic. But, an inhaler and a few allergy pills later and I was on my way. We've enjoyed just hanging out here for the past few days. We both feel very comfortable and at ease, and now that Jay has found good pizza again, he may never want to leave. It is also a relief to be in a place much safer than Africa.

The local people make and sell beautiful woolen goods, and Jay has turned into quite the shopper. The deals are amazing - I almost feel guilty. Jay bought a great wool sweater for about $5.00, which is not at all uncommon.

We spent one day visiting the Pashnupati area of Kathmandu - the site of one of the holiest Hindu shrines in all of Nepal. Non-hindus are not allowed to enter the main temple, but there is a place to sit, just across the river, that allows good viewing of what goes on inside. The Hindu religion is a fascinating set of rituals and ceremonies. One of the primary happenings at this particular temple is the ongoing cremation of Hindus. There are several platforms located around the temple where almost all Hindus in Kathmandu are brought when they die. There are areas for common and poor people, and areas for the rich and royalty. When we arrived, there were several cremations in process. The Nepali man we met took us to view the platforms, and told us it was okay to take pictures. Jay did take one quick shot, but we both agreed that anything more would have been disrespectful. It was fascinating, but also eerie to see, because the bodies were burned on platforms of logs, and only covered by a layer of hay-like material. The ashes run into the nearby river, which is considered incredibly holy by the Hindu people. Also in the area was a series of many small shrines (or shuptas) which the man told us were used by Hindu women who wanted to have a baby. A prayer for fertility, if you will. Again, Jay decided that we didn't need to send any prayers there. :)

Yesterday, we visited a Buddhist temple who's name I can't begin to pronounce or spell, but which is known as "The Monkey Temple". It is located at the top of a hill that overlooks the whole Kathmandu valley. We decided to skip the taxi and walk to it, and imagine our joy as we arrived to find that we had to climb 265 steps to reach the temple. I had to take a break halfway up for a few puffs on my inhaler. Man, I am getting old. But, the view of the valley and peacefulness of the temple were well worth the stairs. We were able to watch some Hindu people create an elaborate peace offering in front of one of the shrines, and again I was fascinated by the many steps they went through. True to its name, the temple is home to many monkeys, which although cute, seem to be pretty pesky to the locals.

We leave for Pokhara on Wednesday, and will be heading into the Annapurna region of the Himalayas for a 7-10 day trek (see photo below). One of our routes is to Ghorepani pass, which promises an amazing view, but also requires the climbing of over 3000 consecutive stairs. Ask me how excited I am for that. Oh well, we said we wanted to drop a few pounds, didn't we?

Want to contact Jay and Lisa?

william.gibson@airtreks.com