Kathmandu

More photos from Kathmandu!
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We came to Nepal to trek to the Base Camp of Mount Everest, an eleven day journey through the Khumbu region of Nepal. In order to prep for the trek and catch international flights into and out of Nepal safely, we gave ourselves some time before and after the trek in Kathmandu, the capital and gateway to trekking in Nepal.

With a total of three days in Kathmandu, we got to see quite a bit of the city. Admittedly, we did spend about half that time in our hotel to prepare for and de-stress from the trek, and also to get away from the chaos of Kathmandu for a bit. What we saw, though, of Kathmandu was very impressive.

The first day, before leaving for the Everest Region the next morning, we went to Thamel to gather last minute supplies for the trek. Thamel is an old neighborhood in Central Kathmandu lined with shops selling outdoor gear, travel agencies, and cafes catering to tourists eagerly awaiting or refueling from their treks. Within an hour, we got everything we were looking for - gloves, hat, socks, water purification tablets, sunscreen, and had a satisfying breakfast of pancakes and eggs.

A street in Thamel

We’re off to exploring historic Kathmandu. Before you know it, we were being shown around by a local guide who was scouting the streets. We saw temples after temples, each dedicated to a different Hindu or Buddhist deity. We ended in Durbar Square, a UNESCO World Heritage Site filled with temples and palaces, including the old royal palace of the Kathmandu Kingdom.

A roadside temple in Kathmandu

Durbar Square, Kathmandu

At night, we headed to Boudhanath for dinner. The Stupa is one of the largest in the world, and at sunset, many locals and tourists are leisurely walking around the giant monument. We found a great international cafe and devoured a giant meal of burger, fries, pasta, beer, milkshake, and banana split. We’re ready for the big trek!

Boudhanath. We had meals in several of the restaurants surrounding the Stupa. A bunch of them had rooftop terraces overlooking the Stupa. 

The Everest Base Camp Trek was a huge success (I'll blog about it separately). After we returned, we spent another two days in Kathmandu - it’s hard to guarantee flights out of the Everest region because of unpredictable weather, so we built in a two-day leeway in Nepal just in case. The highlight was seeing the historic city of Patan, a short taxi ride from Kathmandu. It's Durbar Square was even bigger than the one in Kathamdu. The view of it from above (rooftop restaurant where we had lunch) is magnificent - you can see so much of the architectural details without the chaos of the streets. The Patan Museum there highly exceeded expectations.

Durbar Square, Patan

Inside the museum at Patan Durbar Square, which has an impressive collection of Hindu and Buddhist artwork, all beautifully displayed in this traditional house

As much as we enjoyed the trek and Kathmand, we are ready to head to the next stop on our trip - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. We'll be spending the next three weeks hopping around Malaysia, Hong King, China, and Japan.

Dinner at our hotel, which may one of the few places in Kathmandu with a pool, air conditioning, and reliable electricity.