September 19, 2019 from the itinerary: this morning after breakfast, embark on tour of Bhaktapur. Bhaktapur known as the 'City of Devotees', the 'City of Culture', the 'Living Heritage', and 'Nepal's Cultural Gem'. It is one of the 3 royal cities in the Kathmandu Valley. Bhaktapur is filled with monuments, most terra-cotta with carved wood columns, palaces and temples with elaborate carvings, gilded roofs, and open courtyards. The city is dotted with pagodas and religious shrines. Lying along the ancient trade route between India and Tibet, Bhaktapur is surrounded by mountains and provides a magnificent view of the Himalayas. Later in the afternoon, visit Pashupatinath Temple and Bodhnath Stupa. Pashupatinath Temple is one of the most significant Hindu Temples of Lord Shiva in the world, located on the banks of the holy Bagmati river in the eastern part of Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. The temple serves as the seat of the national deity, Lord Pashupatinath (Lord Shiva). The temple is listed in UNESCO World Heritage site. Boudhanath Stupa (or Bodhnath Stupa) is the largest stupa in Nepal and the holiest Tibetan Buddhist temple outside Tibet. It is the centre of Tibetan culture in and rich Kathmandu in Buddhist symbolism. The stupa is located in the town of Boudhnath, on the eastern outskirts of Kathmandu.
I enjoyed seeing Kathmandu. I hadn't realized it was a magnet for many of the hippies and occasionally you can see marijuana plants from those times.
Bhaktapur had some amazing temples. The first I saw had a sunken area with a number of Hindu-like sculptures of snakes. I believe it was an area for sacrifices.
The carving work and temples were beautiful
We stopped at a workshop where master craftsman painted works of art using traditional methods and subject matter
We stopped for lunch next to the Boudhanath Stupa. I had a hands on lesson in making traditional momos and had them for lunch.
After lunch we went to visit the Pashupatinath Temple and saw some evidence of the last big earthquake
Then we stopped for a nice glass of local iced tea
Towards the end of the afternoon we ended up at the main crematorium. It was a holy day and several groups were throwing statues of Shiva into the Bagmati River. I was also able to witness a funeral cremation.
These three nights were all spent in the Hyatt Regency and my last luxury for awhile.
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