Having left Bandipur after just one night I hoped the city of Gorkha would hold more promise. Another action packed local bus ride took me to another hillside town where one of Nepal's oldest palaces resides. Despite receiving lots of federal funding to spruce up the town, it remains a somewhat unappealing destination with limited guesthouses and not very much tourist information. Most people visit it easily from Kathmandu as the road from the main highway is recently paved and smooth (smoother than the highway itself). But I preferred an entire day to see it. The Gorkha Empire was one of Nepal's strongest and most unified fronts in controlling the biggest area of modern day Nepal. When the British attempted to rule these lands in the early 1800s they were so impressed by the their fighting skill they actually recruited regiments of Nepalese Gurkhas to serve under the British. Thus, this palace was the origins of those soldiers.
Way high up on the ridge behind the town is the palace itself. But it takes about an hour of typical Nepalese-style steps to sweat your way to the top. A big attraction of this town is the vistas similar to those offered by Bandipur. But, once again, the visibility was next to nothing and only a few distant hills and smog awaited me at the top. The small palace with it's intricate wooden carvings and temple (with a trail of blood from animal sacrifices to lead you there) are very impressive perched so high up with a 360 degree panorama of the surrounding valleys. A museum in town with similar architecture also holds artifacts and murals depicting the origins and wars that created the Gurkhas Empire.
After visiting these two towns I returned to Kathmandu with a couple sights to see on my to-do list. I should have taken the time to see them when I arrived initially, but the mountains took priority and I now returned to catch up on what I missed. Taxis are expensive, bicycles dangerous, and on foot is not the way to get around this sprawling city. So I decided to dance with the devil and rent a motorbike in Kathmandu.
I would not recommend this.
I had driven a motorbike in Indonesia and Thailand before, but this was different. There are no right of ways, no passing lanes, and no insurance that comes along with the bike. But, I really wanted to give it a try. There's just too much to see in Kathmandu. I made sure my helmet had no cracks in it and bought a mask for the dust. With a semi-reliable map and my compass I managed to stay on the main ring-road. Buses swerve and pass one another with no rhyme or reason, only to inject more black-as-tar smoke into the surrounding traffic lanes. People cross the street in herds, and honking is as common as the sound of engines rattling next to you. The biggest priority I had was not to be distracted, which is IMPOSSIBLE driving around Kathmandu! Everything is new and interesting. There's so much going on in it nearly killed me! But I kept my bike tuned and under 60 kph the whole time. Intersections aren't popular in Nepal, instead people and vehicles just merge aggressively from one side to the other and everyone slows down around them. As I mentioned before, there is no "right of way."
Despite all the trials and tribulations of driving through the city I did manage to mark all the famous landmarks off my list. I won't bore you with all of them, but I'll quickly mention a few. The old city of Bhaktapur (20km East) was a particular highlight. People walk through the square freely, but the moment a tourist official sees you, BAM! 1000 Rupiahs for an entrance fee. They also provide you with a big white card that might as well say "tourist" on it for you to wear around your neck. Thanks, but no thanks. The city is very old and fascinating with a quarter of the congestion you'll get in Kathmandu and Patan's old city squares (which I also visited). City guides spot you a mile away and are already fighting over the right to sell you their knowledge by the time you greet them. They sometimes even go far enough to say it's a "tragedy" if you don't enlist their services seeing as how you'll only see this place once in your lifetime perhaps. Once again; thanks, but no thanks. As for the guides who say they won't charge you anything, they usually lead you right into their friends souvenir shop hoping to make a quick commission on a sale.
Two large Buddhist Pagodas also grabbed my attention in the city. Without having to worry about an admission fee they are far more welcoming and peaceful to visit anytime of the day. The one however, Swayabhunath, is known as the monkey temple for obvious reasons and not the place to enjoy a picnic or even water for that matter. The views over the city are smog covered, but give you a good perspective of the surrounding terrain. The other, Boudhanath, is Nepal's biggest and most impressive. Although it sits surrounded by guesthouses and vendors crammed into the Eastern corner of the city.
The most intriguing place visited I in Kathmandu for me was Pasputinath, the first holy site on what becomes the Ganges (Varanasi being the second). Many Indians travel here to worship and cremate their dead. The complex is enormous, and although you're allowed to wander freely, a small section of the temple is closed off to Hindu's only. To get a slightly better glimpse from behind the gate you can pay a 1000 Rupiahs (11 USD) but it's not really worth it. Once again, guides here are persistent and despite telling my guide-to-be I was a broke backpacker, he took his chances with me and showed me around anyways. No a smart move on my behalf. He did take me all over the complex explaining all the sections, including houses were the ill come to die. During my tour I saw two funeral processions going on complete with wailing women and wood being prepared to cremate the bodies. The small trickles of water below the ghat (cremation pad) is barely moving this time of year. As a result much of the leftover debris from these cremations is swept off the ghat, but doesn't flow downstream and simply piles up on the riverbank. Graphic.
Lunch is recommended before taking in such a tour.
By the second full day in Kathmandu I was ready for a change in scenery. I managed to rent my motorbike with no incidences and even surprised my hotel manager returning both myself and the bike in one piece. Don't worry mom, it's not actually that dangerous, I'm just trying to look like a badass for doing it. Just being aware of your surroundings and not going too fast was the trick. I had completely adapted to the rules of the Nepalese road, but felt I didn't need to learn anymore through trial and error.
From Kathmandu I departed for Chitwan National Park in the Southern Plains of Nepal bordering India, where the heat and humidity awaited me. I was excited for the opportunity to see some wildlife and hike in the jungle once again. The temperature when I arrived, however, had been grossly underestimated.
Tim
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