Nepal is the land of The Buddha.
Kathmandu valley is not only the political but also the cultural capital of Nepal. Seven of the ten UNESCO World Heritage sites of Nepal are in Kathmandu valley, and we saw six of them. The city is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world. It was founded in the 2nd century CE and is the home of the Newar people. We spent a couple of days here on our way to Bhutan and a few on our way back.
Kathmandu is at an altitude of 4,600 ft. it is surrounded by four major 9,000 ft. mountains. It is a crowded, chaotic city that suffered extensive destruction in the 2015 earthquake.
We were in Kathmandu five years after their devastating earthquake, and the destruction was still depressing. Where we walked around in the old town, people just sat in doorways with ruins all around them. I could not see how they could live that way.
However there were bright spots.
The small, boutique family-run inn we stayed in was lovely. The people were friendly and helpful. Every morning at breakfast I received a cappuccino with a lovely design on it. The young man seemed to enjoy making the cappuccinos as much as I did drinking them. We met an interesting man from Oregon who had been going there annually for years and they referred to him as “grandpa.”
Situated in the Thamel area of Kathmandu, Apsara Hotel was close to several of the World Heritage sites. It is named after the Goddess of dancing and has a true Nepalese flavor. The streets around the hotel are filled with shops and restaurants. Prayer flags hung everywhere.
Our first day, we woke up early and strolled down the streets of Thamel close to the hotel to get a feel of the place. We passed shops and restaurants, and prayer flags swayed on the wires above us. Nothing was open yet.
Walking distance across from the hotel is the Narayanhiti Palace Museum. The last king of Nepal was overthrown in 2006. When he vacated the palace, it was turned into a Museum housing the Crown Jewels among many other things.
We were without a guide our first day, so we ventured out on our own in a taxi. We chose the Boudhanath Temple because it was not too far from the hotel. That will be the next post.