Rarely am I keen to follow the city walking tours in the Lonely Planet guides, however I had a feeling the one from Thamel to Durbar Square in Kathmandu would be interesting.
As I left the tourist area, I soon found myself passing Buddhist monasteries, stupas, and Hindu temples left and right. Walking through the older part of the city, you felt as though little had changed over the centuries. Daily life was on display, up close and personal, whether it was the butchering of goats, sale of vegetables, or praying of Hindus.
Every now and then I'd spot a tourist having as much trouble taking photos as me. There was simply too much going on…to many amazing shots. Eventually, I just gave up. It didn't help that my camera had been having technical problems since the end of my trek, making quick shots more difficult.
After about an hour of winding my way south, I arrived at Durbar Square. Durbar means palace so there are actually several Durbar Squares in the Kathmandu Valley. Sometimes it pays to be completely unaware of the sights you're going to see because it means you leave yourself open to be completely surprised (usually in a good way, though not always).
I studied a bit of architecture in college, though mostly Medieval and Modern. I was blown away by the pagodas in the square – their shapes, intricate woodwork, everything! After saying “no” to about five guys who wanted to be my guide, I sought food on a rooftop restaurant overlooking the square. The midday sun was intense, so I had some fruit with yogurt (known as curd over here).
Then it was off to Swayambhunath Stupa (aka the monkey temple) because in the Kathmandu Valley, one World Heritage Site per day is child's play!
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darcy says
May 9, 2008 at 8:30 amdude…your subscribers just dropped from 335 to 208 O___o oh well.
don’t give up on getting the right shots! Sorry to hear about your camera conking out, but it’s always worth it to get the right shot, however hard you have to try.
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Dave says
May 10, 2008 at 1:43 amDarcy – the # of subscribers didn’t drop, it’s just something to do with the way the statistics are kept. Thankfully! :)
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lissie says
May 9, 2008 at 8:52 amdarcy rss figures tend to be a bit random at time! Durbar square doesnt look like its changed much since 89 when I was there! Except u dont have to wait until the end of the trip to find out whether the photos came out :-)
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Dave says
May 10, 2008 at 1:50 amThat’s good to hear….from photos I’ve seen, it doesn’t seem to have changed much in the past 100 years either. Seeing live seafood in China in restaurant windows wasn’t quite the preparation needed for watching livestock being butchered in store windows along your average Kathmandu street.
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darcy says
May 9, 2008 at 1:30 pmdude…your subscribers just dropped from 335 to 208 O___o oh well.
don’t give up on getting the right shots! Sorry to hear about your camera conking out, but it’s always worth it to get the right shot, however hard you have to try.
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Dave says
May 10, 2008 at 6:43 amDarcy – the # of subscribers didn’t drop, it’s just something to do with the way the statistics are kept. Thankfully! :)
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lissie says
May 9, 2008 at 1:52 pmdarcy rss figures tend to be a bit random at time! Durbar square doesnt look like its changed much since 89 when I was there! Except u dont have to wait until the end of the trip to find out whether the photos came out :-)
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Dave says
May 10, 2008 at 6:50 amThat’s good to hear….from photos I’ve seen, it doesn’t seem to have changed much in the past 100 years either. Seeing live seafood in China in restaurant windows wasn’t quite the preparation needed for watching livestock being butchered in store windows along your average Kathmandu street.
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Nomadic Matt says
May 10, 2008 at 12:07 amNepal is just totally amazing.
excellent photos….
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Nomadic Matt says
May 9, 2008 at 7:07 pmNepal is just totally amazing.
excellent photos….
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Christine Gilbert says
May 9, 2008 at 8:23 pmI agree with Matt, excellent pics.
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Dave says
May 10, 2008 at 1:47 amThanks! Sometimes I get a little self-conscious about all the time I spend snapping photos versus being fully present. Then I remember how much I enjoy looking at them down the line and I get to snapping again. :)
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Christine Gilbert says
May 10, 2008 at 1:23 amI agree with Matt, excellent pics.
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Dave says
May 10, 2008 at 6:47 amThanks! Sometimes I get a little self-conscious about all the time I spend snapping photos versus being fully present. Then I remember how much I enjoy looking at them down the line and I get to snapping again. :)
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Michele says
May 11, 2008 at 2:25 amDave, You are a GREAT picture taker… it is obvious to me that you have an artistic eye… GREAT JOB!
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Dave says
May 12, 2008 at 5:03 amThanks Michele! I’m having a lot of fun with the photo taking, and now that I’m in India where internet speeds are faster, I should get some of my amateur videos up on YouTube.
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Michele says
May 10, 2008 at 9:25 pmDave, You are a GREAT picture taker… it is obvious to me that you have an artistic eye… GREAT JOB!
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Dave says
May 12, 2008 at 12:03 amThanks Michele! I’m having a lot of fun with the photo taking, and now that I’m in India where internet speeds are faster, I should get some of my amateur videos up on YouTube.
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ChinaMatt says
May 13, 2008 at 8:12 amYour photos from Nepal are amazing. I’m hoping my wife and I get to take a trip there in the next year (maybe we’ll have some extra time this summer).
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ChinaMatt says
May 13, 2008 at 3:12 amYour photos from Nepal are amazing. I’m hoping my wife and I get to take a trip there in the next year (maybe we’ll have some extra time this summer).