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April 2008 Katmandu, Nepal Review
With places of interest and general information

Written & Posted in May, 2008 by, Michael Smith
(Updated Jan 20th, 2009)

After leaving the interesting, but smog and traffic congested city of China's industrial might, Guangzhou, we boarded a China Southern Airplane for the 5 hour flight to Katmandu, the capital of this mysterious Himalayan mountain country. Nepal had been ruled by Kings for the last 250 years, approximate, but have now, as of April 10th 2008, held their first-ever free election. It is apparent that the Maoist Party has won both the Presidency and the majority of parliament seats. In June, 2001 King Dipendra and most of the royal family had been slain, shot down, by a discontented son and as a result the country was pretty much thrown into war with the then ever increasing strength of the Maoist Party. The war lasted approximately 10 years and was eventually quelled, or should I say, sidelined by the Royal military. There were major causalities on both sides. The opportunity to actually now have a vote, was for these poor, but hearty, people a real chance to move forward.

Landing in the capital's small international airport just before dark, we breezed through immigration and headed outside to find a taxi to our pre-booked Hotel Florid. The lot was packed with shifty eyed and pushy men fighting for passengers and like most people tired from travel, we grabbed the most aggressive, not wise, but wanting only to get settled in we succumbed after agreeing on a reasonable fare. The city was pitch black in one of it's daily/nightly blackouts, and with only a few flickering candles from various windows, the city was bathed in mystic. A new adventure had began.

Our taxi driver and his male partner had stated they knew where the Hotel Florid was, but seemed reluctant to take us there, consistently pushing us to check into other hotels, where they would obviously receive compensation. After a few stops I became somewhat agitated and demanded they take us to our booked hotel. Finally arriving we proceeded to carry our bags to our 3rd floor room, as there was no elevator. During that time the two men became impatient and left without any payment. Somewhat of a poetic justice, I assume?

We stayed one sleepless night in the small and very uncomfortable hotel and set out the next morning to find a better one. Across the small cluttered alleyway, too small to be called a street, we checked into the Nature Hotel. A great name as with the city's daily 16 scattered hours of total power blackouts, we might as well had been camping. For reasons unknown to me the power companies, influenced or not by government, actually shut down the power-grids to the heart of Katmandu's tourist region, known as Thamel.

After traveling across Nepal I soon realized that this was common throughout the country. Intentionally putting the country in the dark and shutting down the hotels, stores and eateries for several hours 3 times a day and night, seems, at least to me, archaic and extremely counter productive. It is also not a good impression for the 1000s of tourists, not to mention, the inconvenience. While most would dread strolling around  late at night in absolute blackness in the cramped alleyways of a poor, ancient, and mysterious city with strange men lurking in every cranny and doorway, but I, personally, found it extremely invigorating and exciting. With heart pounding and senses heighten it was most definitely an intense cure for complacency...

During our second morning in the city I met, and befriended, a local taxi driver and in the 10 following days was driven to some of the most inspiring places, such as; Mtn Dakshinakali Temple. The drive from Katmandu had taken about 70 minutes and pulling into the large poorly maintained gravel lot there were literally hundreds of men, women and children mingling about with their various livestock of chickens, pigs and goats. With our driver we strolled through the long line of vendors selling everything under the sun. We had yet been made aware that we were just minutes away from experiencing a most bizarre  and heart wrenching animal sacrificial ritual. (below pic. hill top Vendors)

(below pic. people waiting to get to the sacrificial temple)

(Below pic. A headless goat in the dirt waiting to be butchered)

We worked our way through the crowds to eventual decline several winding stairways with numerous crippled beggars. Giving each a few Nepal Rupees we continued and in crossing a short narrow bridge. I saw a covered concrete slab with an open fire with several men butchering the sacrificed animals for food and believe me...I was immediately assured of remaining a vegetarian...there is no way I could eat the flesh of another species. Watching the callousness of these men just long enough to remind me of the world's cruelty I walked on and in a few brief moments arrived in front of a small partially covered altar. The line of people seemed with-out end and the smell of blood and death hung heavy in the smoke filled air. Asking my guide I learned that this was almost a daily ritual. Oddly I wasn't surprised to see that everyone was walking barefooted in the thick animal blood; it was believed to enhance their religious experience.

(below pic, sacrificial beheading of goat. Shot 03-30-08 )

 

(above pic. of a beheaded young buffalo, before falling)

We spent three hours walking, amidst the crowds of pushy, smelly and  possessed people and with my ears ringing from the screams of the dying animals and my lungs on fire from the intense smoke and cumulous smell of burning animal flesh...we left. We rode back in silence, still trying to comprehend what drives people to be so enthralled in religion and it's bizarre and bloody rituals.

On the 1st of April, 2008, we were driven to a very popular tourist temple just a few minute drive from the heart of Katmandu, the Swayambhu Monkey Temple. With my adoration of animals, especially monkeys, I was thrilled to mingle and at times even step around these most entertaining of human ancestors. The temple wasn't much in itself, but the hundreds of monkeys make it a definite must-see. We strolled around the temple and the surrounding woods for around an hour and were then off to a mountain top Buddhist Temple. We arrived just as a major thunder and rain storm blew in from the Himalayas, but I went ahead and walked around for a brief period, as I had visited hundreds of such temples in SE Asia.

With the rain storm cutting short our day we headed back to our recently checked in Hotel, The Manang. We had checked out of the Nature Hotel after 3 days, as being on the top floor with the daily black-outs, it was frustrating climbing the darken steps every time we went in and out. The new hotel room was on the 1st floor, which is actually the second floor, as the ground floor is neutral. It was better and had a generator, but it was seldom turned on.

In our 2 1/2 week stay in Katmandu we explored every street, bi-way and narrow alley. We visited every village, temple and place of interest within 200 kilometers. While disappointed in the disparity, the pollution and lack of services, I found the region of Katmandu, stimulating and very humbling. The people of Nepal deserve a government that will unite them, cease the constant power blackouts, install much needed services, such as clean water, sewer systems, and instill equal justice and provide opportunities for a more fulfilling life. It's a beautiful country, but so deeply buried under the smog its impossible to embrace it. Consumerism, greed and ever increasing populations are literally destroying our planet, but even so, people deserve to have clean water, unpolluted lakes and rivers and definitely deserve to breath clean air.

Places to visit in and around Kathmandu;

Must see; Pashupati Temple. (above pic.) This large complex of very old temples, worship huts in the sides of stone canyons, a hospice where the very old are housed until death and a most eye opening ritual of human cremation, is definitely one place not to miss. The Hindu religion is one of the world's most complex and ritualistic and even continued holding human sacrifices right up to the 1960's, when a 12 year old virgin boy was killed in a religious ritual at this same temple. (below pic. preparing a body for cremation)

The Pashupati temple is the holiest place in Nepal. The river Bagmati is mythological and believed to flow from the Goddess's Shiva's head, uniting life, death and water. This is the most preferable and auspicious place to die and be cremated for a Hindu in Nepal. In the year 2000 there were 4575 people cremated at Pashupati, in 2001 there were 4909 people cremated at these ghats, and in 2002 there were 6185 bodies burnt along Bagmati River in front of the temple. The number increases yearly. (Below Pic. the burning of the body)

(Below Photo; Hindu Holy Men at Pashupati Temple)

Another most interesting place is The City of Temples, Bhaktapur
(below Pic.)

Bhaktapur is 12 Kilometers east of Katmandu and is called "the city of Devotees." It is locally known as "Khwopa and Bhadgaon" which is world renowned for its elegant art, fabulous culture, colourful festivals, traditional dances and indigenous lifestyle of many different people and of many different religions. For its majestic monuments, temples and the typical native newar lifestyle was and is best known for their long history of craftsmanship. The ancient city is also variously known as the "City of Culture & Living Heritage, as well as "Nepal's Cultural Gem and open museum." Given such unequaled opulence in ancient art and culture. Bhaktapur is, as described, an open museum in that it's ambiance is such that it transports visitors back by centuries. This conch shaped historic city is spread over an area of 6.88 square KM and is 1,401 meters above sea level. It was founded in the 12th century by King Anand Dev Malla. It was also the capital city of the Greater Malla Kingdom till the 15th century AD. Many of Bhaktapur's greatest monuments were built by the then Malla rulers. (Mike with Holy Men)

(Below photo; The Streets of Thamel in central Katmandu)

Below is a list of Temples in and around Bhaktapur;

The National Art Gallery :
Contains ancient and medieval paintings belonging to Hindu and Buddhist schools depicting Tantrism of various periods and descriptions.

Nyatapola Temple :
This five-storey pagoda was built in 1702 A.D. by King Bhupatindra Malla. It stands on a five-terraced platform. On each of the terraces squat a pair of figures. This is one of the tallest pagodas and is famous for its massive structure and subtle workmanship. (pic on rt)

Bhairavnath Temple :
This temple was first built as a one-storey pagoda but was later changed into a three storey temple in 1718 A.D. by King Bhupatindra Malla. The temple is noted for its artistic grandeur and is dedicated to Lord Bhairav, the god of terror.

Dattatraya Temple :
Built in 1427 A.D., this temple is said to have been built from the trunk of a single tree. Nearby is a monastery with exquisitely carved peacock windows.

Changu Narayan:
The spectacular and ancient temple of Changunarayan sits high on a hill, just 4 kilometers north, and is said to be the oldest   existing Pagoda temple in the Katmandu Valley. It is a very scenic spot situated at the altitude of about 1700m and is 22 KM east of Katmandu. One of the temples most authentic inscriptions is dated 464 AD. It is accredited to and dedicated to the  Lord Vishnu by the Lichhavi King, Mandeva in the Fifth Century. It was listed in the UNESCO World Heritage Monument List in 1979.

More places to visit;

The Bagmati River, near The Teku Temple. While this small temple is somewhat isolated it is still interesting and is nestled on the banks of the country's most polluted river, the Bagmati. (Pic. on rt. of river scavengers) Strolling down the river banks the acidy stench was quite overwhelming, but it was and is not enough to keep the locals from bathing and washing their cloths. While we were there we saw numerous kids and women on the banks and in the water amidst dead animal carcasses and trash thick enough to almost walk on. When will people learn to cherish the waterways and realize that by polluting them they create a breeding ground for life threatening microbes and viruses? (below Pic. of kids on the Bagmati River, 04-08-08)

The Bagmati River was a north-south flowing river, but is now being forced by encroachment to flow east-west. The river, as an object,. is basically a physical feature in the landscape of the Katmandu Valley, and plays a major part in the townscape of Katmandu. In the valley the river is utilized for irrigation and supply of drinking water, but also as a dumping ground for dead animals, as well as a sewer for domestic and industrial waste. In addition Bagmati together with its tributaries is the main source for sand utilized in concrete construction. For the last 40 years the physical condition of the river has gradually changed, becoming more deteriorated in every passing year. The other major dimension is the religious and social importance of the river. The Bagmati River is worshipped by millions of Hindus in Nepal and India. In Hindu cosmos water is a life giving substance, and many devotees conduct daily rituals and take baths in the river to purify the mind. (Or, more precisely, this is what it used to be only 10-15 years ago.) The contradiction of a holy, ritual pure and a physical dirty river is my thematic starting point. From this basis, how do people still perceive the river holy, as it has become so extremely physically polluted? What happens to the concept of holiness in a dead river? And what happens to people's ritual practices in the river?

Places outside of Kathmandu

Royal Chitwan National Park is at the foot of the Himalayas and is one of the few remaining undisturbed vestiges of the Terai region, which formerly extended over the foothills of Nepal. The park is endowed with particularly rich flora and fauna. The local resorts provide guided adventures on the back of elephants and if fortunate one might still view one of the few remaining Bengal Tigers. The park is also home to some of the last populations of single-horned Indian Rhinoceros. (Rhinoceros unicorn) Poachers are still a big threat to the few remaining rhinos.  Fortunately there are quite a few elephants that reside in the one of Nepal's easily reachable wild-life reserves.

My trip to Katmandu, Nepal was an overwhelming, but disheartening experience and to say the very least, a real disappointment in most categories. Contributing to this was the poor choices of good food and the immense smog causing my energy level to drop rapidly after just a few days in the city. Regardless, there was no way I was going to just hang around the hotel so I pulled myself together and when not touring near and far I wandered aimlessly around the central district of Katmandu, named Thamel. Walking the crowded and narrow nameless streets in a country of gods with thousands of names, while somewhat belittling, added to my exhalations and stimulated my will-power to continue.

Along with the inflated prices for tourists, beeping cars and motor bikes, constant power black outs, and the horrific air pollution, the tour was, needless to say, quite challenging. Even under these conditions I proceeded to explore the land and managed overall to enjoy the immense cultural shocks. I had been looking forward to touring Nepal for a long time and though it may not have been exactly what I expected, due mostly to the 24 hour a day smog, I did, however, remain in awe of being in the Himalayan mountain kingdom. Before coming here I had planned on touring Tibet, but due to the riots and Chinese head-cracking, the borders were closed. Another time...another adventure!

People planning on visiting should be aware of these existing conditions and I highly recommend they have somewhat of an agenda before immersing in the cultural crossroads of a country lost in time. Tours and/or excursions are not easy in Nepal, but can be the experience of a lifetime if mentally and physically prepared. Visiting the world's mightiest mountain, Mt. Everest, is also quite difficult, as there are no roads or landing zones and requires a 12+ day trek from Katmandu across some of the toughest and roughest terrain on Earth. Come prepared and with the thick smog, don't expect to have a clear view of anything, much less Mt. Everest. The air does, however, clear the further you get from the cities.

General Information

Lodging

Lodging is plentiful and fairly inexpensive throughout the country, but if you want any comfort, such as a decent room, air-con and an elevator, be prepared to pay a very inflated price. Both Katmandu and Pokhara have numerous shady to basic hostels ranging from just 300 Rupees, $5 US dollars, and up. The decent to good hotels range from 2500 up to 12,000+ Rupees, per night. The April 2008 exchange was about 62 Rupees per US dollar. Sadly, most hotels, etc. are not listed on the web and have to be booked upon arrival, but you can find some listed hostels and a few at a reasonable price on www.hostelworld.com, which is an affiliate of our company, Travelers Digest. When checking into any hostel or hotel be sure to ask for several candles from the desk, as due to the long blackouts...you will need them!

Dining

There are hundreds of vendors selling a multitude of mostly non edibles, as well as small cafes and larger restaurants in Katmandu, and in most other cities, and in general are quite cheap. Keep in mind that this is not Europe or the USA and there are no health guidelines relating to the slaughter, transportation and care of meat products, so I personally recommend eating fresh vegetables and pastas. We witness the callousness in which the animals were treated and butchered on filthy concrete and even dirt floors, so I suggest being a strict vegetarian while traveling in this part of the world. Fruits, pastas, eggs and toast were my main daily diet.

CRIME

Previous to April 10th, 2008, election, when the Maoist were swept into power, there were almost daily incidences of Maoist extortions of money from trekkers and climbers, occurring on all main trekking routes.  There were reports that tourists had faced demands for "so called taxes" upwards of thousands of Nepalese rupees. Although there is no evidence that violence had been used during these incidents, this could not be ruled out if trekkers declined to pay.

There have also been reports of trekkers being robbed where violence or the direct threat of violence had been used.  These incidents were not necessarily thought to have been carried out by Maoists, but perhaps by others using the deteriorating security situation to their own ends.  Nonetheless, you should be aware of the real risk of robbery. I also recommend not walking the darken streets of Katmandu late at night and to always remain alert. Never carry your passport, only a copy, and definitely never more cash than you immediately require. Dress down, Nepal is not a formal country.

If trekking, you are strongly advised to remain on established routes, and to walk in groups with reputable trekking agencies.  I also strongly recommend that you do not trek alone and avoid becoming separated from your group. When shopping expect the highest prices, but never pay more than you feel its worth...

LOCAL TRAVEL

Countrywide strikes (bandhs) had, previous to the recent elections,  been regularly called by the Maoists, and had resulted in widespread disruption, including transport. Bandhs were major disruptions to all walks of life in Nepal (including local transport, road travel, shops etc) and can be violent. Prior to the election tourists had been temporarily stranded, but things will hopefully improve.

Traffic in Katmandu normally flows well though there are sometimes major jams during rush-hour in the city.  Access to the valley from the Pokhara direction has improved with the widening of the road at the major checkpoint entering Katmandu, but all of the country's roads are narrow, winding and extremely hazardous. Every car, truck, motor cycle, bike, bus,  vendor cart and buffalo are in a constant battle for passage resulting in most awkward conditions, as well as many daily fatalities. It is quite common to learn of a bus going off the highways into the rivers and deep canyons and needless to say...with no survivors. I witnessed 3 such wrecks on my one day trip to Pokhara. Take taxis and stay off the buses.

ROAD SAFETY

Road travel in general carries risk. Traffic in Nepal drives on the left, as in the UK.  The general standard of driving throughout the country is poor and badly regulated, if at all.  Roads in Katmandu are very congested and most drivers are not properly licensed, trained or insured and vehicles are poorly maintained.  There are few pavements outside central Katmandu and motorists do not yield right of way to pedestrians or anything...except livestock.

Nepalese roads are like American Ford cars...Fix Or Repair Daily!

Bus travel is particularly hazardous and multiple-fatality accidents are common.  You should avoid travel on overnight buses. Unless suicidal, I really don't suggest renting or driving a car, bike or motorbike anywhere in the country.

Road conditions are generally poor and difficult even in the best of conditions.  During the monsoon season (June to September) many roads outside the Katmandu valley are prone to landslides and become impassable. Always expect...the unexpected.

While riding in a taxi from Katmandu through the winding and poorly maintained roads on our way to Pokhara we were stranded behind a kilometer long line of vehicles for hours. I grabbed my Nikon camera and proceeded to the front of the line and tried blending in with hundreds of people hanging on the side of the road all starring down at the river. There was a huge crane directly in the middle of the road and some police, as well as soldiers in the midst of trying to hook a truck that had rolled down the steep rocky embankment into the raging river. As that there are many people in Nepal that can speak English I was told that a white open back truck with 2 men were in the river and due to the lengthy period of time...were most likely, if not certainly...dead. That, unfortunately...was the case.

Smog, trash and general pollution

Nepal in general is highly polluted in most cities and even small valley towns where the air is consistently filled with heavy smoke due to the local burning of farm land and tons of trash. Most of the lakes and rivers are filthy with bodies of animals, millions of tons of debris and sewer waste, but still the local adults and children drank, swim and bath in the diseased waters. Personally, I highly suggest not to drink or even brush your teeth in the tap water. During my stay I was constantly congested with a bad cough, stomach problems and a general lack of energy from the food and air pollution.

I might add that air and water pollution are nothing uncommon in most of Asia, including the major cities of India, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, as well as the mega cities of Hong Kong and Singapore. China is definitely not excluded, as it is horrifically polluted. While I adore Asia, I am quite displeased with their government's lack of  control and their peoples lack of concern. Sadly, pollution generated here or there ends up everywhere.

Power Black Outs

As of the end of April 2008 there were daily power outages lasting several hours at a time and on most days there were an average of 12 to 16 hours without electricity. After some research I discovered that there was no real issue with production, as they have many river driven power stations...the real problem is their selling of power to neighboring India, and for much less that the Nepalese pay. Applying even a minimum of logic it seems quite puzzling why they would shut off the power to their own industry, stores, cafes and hotels, as well as to their own people to power to India? It is much more than just an inconvenience and contributes to lack of growth, to crime and is especially detrimental to their tourism industry. During our extensive Nepal tour we traveled by car, plane and foot, as well as hiked, trekked and even flew over the Himalayans to view Mt. Everest. We were quite dishearten and aggravated when we couldn't see the much glorified mountains, or much of anything, due to the thick smoke. I must reiterate that in regard to the power blackouts it begins to get quite warm in March and progresses to very hot by June, continuing to the end of September, and paying more, a lot more, for an air conditioned hotel room, really isn't helpful without electricity. I, personally condemn the country's politicians and  hope that with their newly elected Maoist Party the blackouts, as well as the suffering of the Nepalese with end, but I really doubt it.

Looking back, as it is now in late Jan. 2009, the problems in Nepal have not gotten better, but are getting worst with all the political infighting, riots, police brutality and general chaos.

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