Kathmandu

November 4, 2019

Since you have changed time at home, we are now eleven hours and 45 minutes ahead of St. Louis.

Before heading out for the day, I made a visit to the ATM Lounge down the street from our hotel. There were about seven machines that I could use choose from, as well as a very kind woman who helped me.

Today was our first day of sightseeing and we spent it in Kathmandu. Let me begin with a bit of general information. Nepal has a population of about 30 million, with Kathmandu having about 3 million people. About 80 percent of the population is Hindu, about ten percent are Buddhist and about 5 percent are Muslim.

We were met at 9:30 by our guide, Suman, and our driver, Deepak. Our first stop was at Durbar Square. Durbar means palace and this is the area where the kings were crowned and from where they ruled. The area dates from the 16th/17th centuries This part of the city suffered serious damage during the 2015 earthquake making our visit as much a tour of restoration projects as anything. I would say that “square” isn’t a very good description, while there is an actual square, it is really better described as an historical section of the city. The area is filled with temples, each is dedicated to a different god.

Many countries are assisting with the restoration of the buildings in the square. China’s presence was quite notable.

One of our stops was at the Kumari Palace, home of Nepal’s living goddess. The Kumari is a girl who is selected to fill the role and serves from about age 3 or 4 until puberty. She must have black hair and black eyes and there is quite a process to choose her. She shows her face periodically for the tourists and she did appear for us, but we were not allowed to photograph her. She only goes outside the palace to participate in festivals. She is cared for by nannies, she has tutors for her education, and priests and her family visit.

Suman shared some interesting information about the country:

-Farming here is changing quite rapidly. What used to be family farms are becoming more commercialized. Greenhouses have been built. He mentioned that they grow tomatoes, spinach, and mushrooms to name a few.

-Many people are leaving the country and moving to the Middle East to get jobs. Those people send $8-9 billion in remittances back to Nepal each year.

-There has been great western influence in the country and the culture is changing.

-Housing is expensive. It is possible to spend about $150,000 to get an apartment in a suburban area but the average cost for one is about $200,000. In the city it can cost several million. Rental apartments are becoming more common as real estate investors buy property.

-Life expectancy in the rural areas is 58-59 years and in the city is is 70-75. This difference is due primarily to better medical care in the urban areas. Basic medical care is provided by the government but people who can afford it pay extra for better care. The hospitals are required to give 10 percent of their care to the poor.

-The Kathmandu Valley is over populated and water is becoming a big issue here.

-Nepal was never occupied and never colonized by another country. It does sit in a very strategic area even though it is landlocked.

Our second stop was Swayambhunath , better known as the “monkey temple”; we did see a number of monkeys in the area. It is one of the most revered sites in Nepalese Buddhism and sits on a hill overlooking the valley. The four sides of the stupa have the eyes of Buddha on them.

Other things we saw along the way:

We left Suman and our driver early in the afternoon. We asked to be dropped off in the Thamel section of town, which is where there are many shops and restaurants. I have to say that it seemed to me to be a giant market. I’m glad I saw it, but don’t feel a need to go back. We did have a nice lunch in the “Garden of Dreams”, a lovely garden area right in the middle of town.

After wandering through a bit of the area, we made our way by taxi back to the hotel. The traffic is really insane. They drive on the left hand side of the road here. At one point, our driver simply pulled to the other side of the street and drove against traffic.

When we arrived back at the hotel, we were greeted by this man who salutes whenever people enter!

We had a bit of down time before experiencing a traditional Nepali meal at the hotel. We had our choice of 6-22 courses! The concierge suggested we try 9; I think I could have done with only six! That said, it really was an amazing meal. When we arrived at the restaurant we had to take off our shoes and had our hands washed by the server pouring water over them. We were seated on cushions at low tables and given an apron to wear. A personalized menu spelled out everything we ate. We had buffalo meat (a staple here)

As we left the restaurant, there were pictures of celebrities who had dined there…Prince Charles, Jimmy Carter, Demi Moore, and Hillary Clinton to name a few.

It has been a very full and interesting day, it is now time to go to bed!