We left early so as to avoid as much of the morning traffic as possible but even getting out of Thamel was difficult. Nepali drivers must be the most inconsiderate in the world. More than once we were held up because a mini-bus or taxi had stopped at the kerb with its tail stuck out in the traffic, making it impossible for anyone to pass. And, again, more than once, the traffic was jammed by a motorist who had pushed his nose into a gap, locking everybody up, unable to move. The motor-cyclists are horrendous. They ignore all common sense and consideration, honking their horns to demand right of way, whether they deserve it or not. I couldn’t drive here; I would resort to direct action and would probably find myself arrested.
It’s not much fun walking around Thamel. You have to be on your guard at all times because of the irritating honking and dangerous driving of the idiot motor-cyclists, who seem to spend their whole lives zooming around the streets harassing the tourists.
Anyway, off to Bhaktapur, a much quieter little city and very interesting. It has its own Durbar Square but without the distressing beggars of Kathmandu.There were some lovely little streets and, right in the middle were working farms, with haystacks, rice being dried in the sun and so on. Some new buildings were being erected, in the traditional Newar style –very nice!
We were given time off for a coffee break and found a Rotary poster in the coffee shop. It turned out that the proprietor is a Rotarian and was pleased to talk to us and give us some information about his club. He also has a guest house and hoped we would come back to stay with him in the future.
One of the main attractions of Durbar Square is the Art School where artists are trained in traditional skills. We watched a master artist completing a mandala. It seems there are seven stages in the process, with only the final stage being carried out by the master, using gold and a 1- or 2-hair brush. It takes about 47 hours to complete one mandala.
Marilyn watched the artist, amazed, and commented, ‘I feel an art purchase coming on.’ So, these two grey nomads who already have a collection of modern works and no house to hang them in, now have a beautiful mandala as well, and nowhere to hang it.
Bakhtapur’s Durbar Square was a welcoming place and we would recommend it to anyone.
Sue and Martin had invited us to join them in a visit to an orphanage supported by some Australian friends so we diverted the bus a few kilometers so we could all go together. What a delightful place. The rest of the party had brought gifts from Australia for the children but Marilyn and I bought ice-creams and gave a donation to the director to buy anything particularly needed.
It was a great place to visit and a pleasure to see the children, from infants up to young adults, getting such a good start in life, in a loving, supportive environment.
We were running a bit late by the time we arrived at Bodhnath. This is a place of prayer, and people flock there to be part of it. Many walk clockwise around the stupa to pray (only ignorant tourists walk anti-clockwise). There are prayer wheels, and people chanting. Of course, there are innumerable shops and stalls, selling everything imaginable.
For a concentrated look at what Nepal is all about, you could do worse than spend an hour at Bodhnath.
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