Raj and SuAs offer to show me around today. SuAs is a friend of a friend I know from Batase village and Raj is his friend. SuAs has limited English while Raj is reasonably easy to talk to. They arrive around 3pm and we catch a taxi to Buddanath. Buddanath is a World Herutage listed stupa in Kathmandu. Unfortunately it suffered from the earthquake last year but it is being repaired. As well as being a significant place of worship for Buddhists, it’s also a beautiful peaceful refuge from the craziness of Kathmandu. It has a very special atmosphere that easily satisfies many visits. You don’t go there just once.
While there a Hindu wedding procession came in. To my surprise the musicians were playing bagpipes! Not sure how bagpipes crept into the Hindu culture. It works though. They were great. Raju tells me they are Mongolian.
We catch a bus from here to Pashupatinath, the huge Hindu place if worship. I’ve been before but not in the late afternoon light. It has potential for photos but we have to pay the equivalent of $13 to get in. I decide not to so we don’t get access. We walk around the markets there then catch a taxi to the edge of Thamel. We walk through lane ways and streets that are just outside of the tourist strip so are genuine Nepalese markets. The colour and atmosphere of these crowded busy markets have no parallel in the western world I don’t think. It’s fascinating witnessing it all. Here, as an outsider, you don’t even get noticed. Unlike the tourist strip, you’re not approached and pestered by pushy street vendors.
angusmccoll 