It was a fine summer afternoon in Manila when Bey, my usual travel buddy, messaged me about the catastrophic disaster that struck Nepal that day. My heart sank upon seeing the aftermath photos of the devastating earthquake that took the lives of over 8,000 people and injured more than 21,000. In addition to that, a number of important temples, historic monuments and heritage sites were severely damaged, leaving Nepal into a totally devastated state.
So, what's left to see in Nepal? Anxious about our upcoming trip in Kathmandu and Nagarkot, Bey consulted her Indian-Nepali friend, Nicket, who will be joining us in our trip. "Let's sort it out in a few months", he said.
Lo and behold, the Gods made a way for us to reach the highlight of our Malaysia-Nepal-Myanmar tour. However, we had to tweak our itinerary due to limited time and some other factors beyond our control.
Nepal Blockade
Our trip fell in the middle of Nepal Blockade, a humanitarian and economic crisis that precluded Nepal from obtaining access to essential goods and commodities. The main border crossing with India, which accounts for majority of Nepal's foreign trade has been blocked by protesters in opposition to the new Nepal constitution. This halt resulted in shortages of important supplies such as food, medicine and fuel across the country.
Despite this adversity, we managed to follow our final itinerary- thanks to Nicket who drove us around and willingly served as our tour guide. Lol. Seriously though, I couldn't imagine how we could have wandered around the city without him.
Kathmandu
Nicket picked us up at the Tribhuvan International airport and drove us to our guest house -
Hotel Mums Home. After checking in, we just grabbed a quick dinner and slept early to recharge and to prepare ourselves for the next four days of adventures and new discoveries.
Here are the places we visited:
Swayambhunath
Also known as the
Monkey Temple, the history of this UNESCO World Heritage Site dates back to 5th century AD, making it the most ancient temple in Kathmandu Valley.
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The Holy Monkeys of Swayambhunath
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| Photo op with Shiva (for a small fee) |
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| Swayambhunath Stupa |
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| Prayer wheels |
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| Buddhist prayer flags |
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| Kathmandu Valley |
Patan Durbar Square
Another UNESCO World Heritage Site, Patan is one of the three Durbar Squares in Kathmandu Valley. It is referred to as one of the oldest Buddhist cities in the world.
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| Patan Musuem exterior |
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| Nepal doors have the most intricate details. |
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| Krishna Temple |
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| Travel Buddies - Bey, Me and Nicket |
Boudhanath
This temple is home to the largest Stupa in Nepal. I only got to take a photo of the facade because the shrine hasn't been fully rehabilitated yet during the time of our visit. Apparently, the heritage site had been severely damaged by the earthquake which is really, really sad.
Streets of Kathmandu
Garden of Dreams
The moment I stepped inside this neoclassical garden, I instantly fell in love with the vibe it exudes. Tranquil and peaceful, it is a nice place to go to if you want to take a break from the chaotic streets of Kathmandu.
Nagarkot
One does not leave the soils of Nepal without seeing the iconic Himalayan Mountain views. We, too, didn't want to miss out the Himalayan experience.
The original plan was to travel all the way to Pokhara; But to save time and costs, we opted to stay in Nagarkot instead. Just about an hour away from Kathmandu, the village also promises breathtaking views of the Himalayas. Regrettably, the elusive mountain didn't show up during our stay. Still, I enjoyed the cold weather and the serenity of
Club Himalaya where we stayed for a night.
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| Sunrise view from our room's balcony |
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| The Himalayan view covered with fog :( |
