Well we finally thought after trying to resolve our tech problems and resting up for a few days that we would actually do some sight seeing!
Firstly after finding out we did not need a cab, we set off to the monkey temple (no prizes for guessing why it was called this), and after a minor detour down some off the beaten track roads and some help from the locals we finally arrive at the Monkey Temple (No guide book in hand so cannot tell you its official name). Yet again it was a steep climb up quite a number of steps to the top (the gods like you to work hard!). Along the way you were treated to loads of monkeys (some of which were procreating on Buddha statues). Once at the top you reached the main temple to Buddha in Kathmandu that was surrounded all the way round by prayer wheels and people worshiping. The view from the top was fantastic and you could see the whole of Kathmandu from this vantage point. Well worth the climb!
After, we decided to visit Durbar Square, the main temple area of Kathmandu. Along the way we aquired an unofficial guide (Raj) at a road junction, who for the price of some food for his family would give us a tour of the area, he seemed like a nice chap with very good English so Ok, we were happy to give it a go. He took us through the markets and to some obscure temples that you would not have found by just wandering around. We also found out what the word Kathmandu actually meant, Kath = Wooden, Mandhu = City. Anyway after a brief 20 minute tour and Raj informing us because he was an unofficial guide he could not go into Durbar Square, so we headed off to the food shop to get his food, as the counter mounted up we now had a bill for around 20 pounds, unfortunately we had to wind his budget back a bit and got him to a reasonable level of 10 pounds (first scam - tick?). We hope that his story was true and he didn't just go back to the shop after we left him to get his cash back!
We then entered Durbar square which was amazing with all the Pagoda type temples. It was here though that we could see first hand the devastation of the recent earthquake with many of these magnificent temples having been reduced to rubble, a lot of which had before and after pictures. These squares must have been even more impressive 9 months ago - which is a shame and a real loss!. After wandering around for a bit we went for some liquid refreshment in a rooftop bar overlooking the square, which gave us great views and the chance to people watch.
At this point we witnessed something comical, three school children scrambled to the top of one of the fallen temples that still had some offerings to the gods place on top of it, after a quick check of the offering a banana was then pocketed by one of them and then consumed quickly before returning to the bottom. Shortly after another trio tried the same trick, however when finding the cupboard bare, the remaining flower garland was thrown onto the side of the temple, either in disgust or as Shelley suspected as a marker to other would-be temple raiders that there we no goodies to be had anymore.
We then decided to head off, after a quick Mo Mo pit-stop (My new favorite food), and went to Freak Street (Which was named after the transient/hippy types that frequented the area in the 60s/70s), which I guess is where my brother and his wife would have stayed back in the day. The area was a lot quieter than where we were staying in Thamel and retained a lot more charm. We found a lovely multilevel bar overlooking the street, all the rooms, nooks & crannies were about 5 foot high and had low level seating and played decent music (for my taste anyway), so we stayed here and had a couple of dishes of food a and a beer before heading home for the night. The only downer was when Shelley, after going to the loo, nearly wandered off the roof!, it was pitch black and no barriers, that's H&S in Kathmandu :) We intend to come back here when we return to Kathmandu as I really must get a photo of me under a Freak Street road sign!!
Firstly after finding out we did not need a cab, we set off to the monkey temple (no prizes for guessing why it was called this), and after a minor detour down some off the beaten track roads and some help from the locals we finally arrive at the Monkey Temple (No guide book in hand so cannot tell you its official name). Yet again it was a steep climb up quite a number of steps to the top (the gods like you to work hard!). Along the way you were treated to loads of monkeys (some of which were procreating on Buddha statues). Once at the top you reached the main temple to Buddha in Kathmandu that was surrounded all the way round by prayer wheels and people worshiping. The view from the top was fantastic and you could see the whole of Kathmandu from this vantage point. Well worth the climb!
After, we decided to visit Durbar Square, the main temple area of Kathmandu. Along the way we aquired an unofficial guide (Raj) at a road junction, who for the price of some food for his family would give us a tour of the area, he seemed like a nice chap with very good English so Ok, we were happy to give it a go. He took us through the markets and to some obscure temples that you would not have found by just wandering around. We also found out what the word Kathmandu actually meant, Kath = Wooden, Mandhu = City. Anyway after a brief 20 minute tour and Raj informing us because he was an unofficial guide he could not go into Durbar Square, so we headed off to the food shop to get his food, as the counter mounted up we now had a bill for around 20 pounds, unfortunately we had to wind his budget back a bit and got him to a reasonable level of 10 pounds (first scam - tick?). We hope that his story was true and he didn't just go back to the shop after we left him to get his cash back!
We then entered Durbar square which was amazing with all the Pagoda type temples. It was here though that we could see first hand the devastation of the recent earthquake with many of these magnificent temples having been reduced to rubble, a lot of which had before and after pictures. These squares must have been even more impressive 9 months ago - which is a shame and a real loss!. After wandering around for a bit we went for some liquid refreshment in a rooftop bar overlooking the square, which gave us great views and the chance to people watch.
At this point we witnessed something comical, three school children scrambled to the top of one of the fallen temples that still had some offerings to the gods place on top of it, after a quick check of the offering a banana was then pocketed by one of them and then consumed quickly before returning to the bottom. Shortly after another trio tried the same trick, however when finding the cupboard bare, the remaining flower garland was thrown onto the side of the temple, either in disgust or as Shelley suspected as a marker to other would-be temple raiders that there we no goodies to be had anymore.
We then decided to head off, after a quick Mo Mo pit-stop (My new favorite food), and went to Freak Street (Which was named after the transient/hippy types that frequented the area in the 60s/70s), which I guess is where my brother and his wife would have stayed back in the day. The area was a lot quieter than where we were staying in Thamel and retained a lot more charm. We found a lovely multilevel bar overlooking the street, all the rooms, nooks & crannies were about 5 foot high and had low level seating and played decent music (for my taste anyway), so we stayed here and had a couple of dishes of food a and a beer before heading home for the night. The only downer was when Shelley, after going to the loo, nearly wandered off the roof!, it was pitch black and no barriers, that's H&S in Kathmandu :) We intend to come back here when we return to Kathmandu as I really must get a photo of me under a Freak Street road sign!!
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