Namaste! (Hello in Nepalese)
We finally arrived to Kathmandu smelly, tired and covered in dirt after the 5-hour-drive from the Tibetan border. Traffic here seemed insane (even crazier than in mainland China) - with a flow of cars, bikes, motorcycles, buses, tuk-tuk's, rickshaws, animals and beggars all around.
Lying in a valley, a thick layer of smog and dust covers the entire town. It took us some time to get used to the smog after the clean air and clear views of Tibet, but it was a good prep for us before going to India...
However, after refreshing ourselves in the pool of our hotel, which interestingly was in a small area of the city completely closed off with guards and security checkpoints offering a safe oasis to relax...
...we headed to explore the old city.
Despite being a dirty, loud and chaotic place, Kathmandu still has its charms! The Durbar square area is really impressive, no wonder it's a Unesco World Heritage site.
One of the most impressive squares we have seen in the world, a cluster of ancient temples, courtyards, palaces and streets dating back to the 12th and 18th centuries. Its apparently the social and religious center of the city.
There are lots of temples scattered all over the place dedicated to the various Hindi gods; and apparently there are temples where both Hindis and Buddhists worship their gods/buddhas and both religions can fit together in one place without tension.
Inside the complex we visited the Palace which used to be the royal Nepalese residence until the 19th century and is still the site of important ceremonies. It is decorated with impressive wood carvings, extremely elaborate and fine work:
Surprisingly, in all the dirt and chaos around, the ladies were very nicely dressed in traditional clothing even when washing clothes on the side of the road or walking in the city center.
In the evening we had dinner at one of the many rooftop restaurants overlooking the square. It was nice to have a moment of relaxation and watch the crowd and chaos of the bazaar from a distance:
All our photos from Nepal
We finally arrived to Kathmandu smelly, tired and covered in dirt after the 5-hour-drive from the Tibetan border. Traffic here seemed insane (even crazier than in mainland China) - with a flow of cars, bikes, motorcycles, buses, tuk-tuk's, rickshaws, animals and beggars all around.
 |
| From ASIA - NEPAL |
Lying in a valley, a thick layer of smog and dust covers the entire town. It took us some time to get used to the smog after the clean air and clear views of Tibet, but it was a good prep for us before going to India...
However, after refreshing ourselves in the pool of our hotel, which interestingly was in a small area of the city completely closed off with guards and security checkpoints offering a safe oasis to relax...
 |
| From ASIA - NEPAL |
Despite being a dirty, loud and chaotic place, Kathmandu still has its charms! The Durbar square area is really impressive, no wonder it's a Unesco World Heritage site.
 |
| From ASIA - NEPAL |
One of the most impressive squares we have seen in the world, a cluster of ancient temples, courtyards, palaces and streets dating back to the 12th and 18th centuries. Its apparently the social and religious center of the city.
 |
| From ASIA - NEPAL |
There are lots of temples scattered all over the place dedicated to the various Hindi gods; and apparently there are temples where both Hindis and Buddhists worship their gods/buddhas and both religions can fit together in one place without tension.
 |
| From ASIA - NEPAL |
Inside the complex we visited the Palace which used to be the royal Nepalese residence until the 19th century and is still the site of important ceremonies. It is decorated with impressive wood carvings, extremely elaborate and fine work:
 |
| From ASIA - NEPAL |
Surprisingly, in all the dirt and chaos around, the ladies were very nicely dressed in traditional clothing even when washing clothes on the side of the road or walking in the city center.
 |
| From ASIA - NEPAL |
In the evening we had dinner at one of the many rooftop restaurants overlooking the square. It was nice to have a moment of relaxation and watch the crowd and chaos of the bazaar from a distance:
 |
| From ASIA - NEPAL |
All our photos from Nepal
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