GoBackpacking

My first digital camera was a Christmas gift from my parents in 2006. I had been receiving compliments on the Canon PowerShot SD700 IS Digital Elph all along my trip, and had been very happy with the photo quality. I was a quick draw as Gela and others who spent any length of time with me could attest. Unfortunately, the camera started to go haywire toward the end of my trek. I took the opportunity to have it looked at via a camera shop in Thamel (tourist enclave in Kathmandu). There was no charge to investigate the problem and I was assured it’d be looked at by the best technician in the city (what a line!).

For a guy averaging 1,000 photos a month, sightseeing without a camera is tantamount to torture. I figured Patan’s Durbar Square would be nothing to write home about, and therefore a great place to go without a camera.

I was wrong!

Patan is a few kilometers south of Kathmandu, and home to the oldest pagodas of the three big Durbar Squares. Time after time, I find myself in awe at the sights in Nepal. The woordworking on the pagodas seemed a clear step above those of the ones in Kathmandu, and I started to become aware of the Kama Sutra scenes etched into the lower ends of the wooden brackets. If the normal stuff didn’t float your boat, there was a carving of a woman with a horse!

I ate lunch in the palace restaurant and toured Patan’s museum (also within a renovated section of the palace), which was filled with Buddhist and Hindu artwork. The collection on display was fairly small, however the experience of walking through the little doorways and peering out the windows toward the square and palace courtyard were well worth the cost of entry.

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From the restaurant rooftop in Durbar Square, I could see Swayambhunath Stupa as it was up on a hill to the west. I grabbed a taxi for yet another kamikaze ride through narrow streets filled with buzzing motorcycles and pedestrians.

For most of my taxi rides around the city and valley, I’ve paid about 150-200 rupees ($2-3), which is probably 30% more than the locals.  I’ve found the best strategy for landing a lower rate is to ask Nepali shopkeepers for their estimation, be confident with your negotiation, and make an agreement before getting in the taxi (I learned that last one in Bali).

Sometimes I hit the target, and sometimes I can’t be bothered about an extra dollar. There’s a fuel shortage right now and the taxi drivers are keen to point out the gas lines as you drive around. At any rate, I’ve always gotten where I’ve needed to go, alive.

To climb up the monkey temple, you walk past a steady stream of stupas and religious statues. Where there are tourists, there are locals selling souvenirs. It was a perfect gauntlet. As I approached the top, a few teenagers started chatting with me which is always a sign that you’re about to solicited for money, food, or a tour. I was up front with them about not giving any money even if they walked around with me. I don’t think they got the message, as an hour passed with them slowly guiding me around before they asked for cash. Unlike the adult tour guides, they were rather relaxed and low key, so I gave them $1.50 for their time.

There was much more to the hilltop then I expected - a monastery, trees draped with prayer flags, restaurants, souvenir shops, and a fantastic view of the Kathmandu Valley. In addition to a bunch of monkeys running around, I saw a pair of snakes about two meters long slither through some dry grass on the way down to Buddha Park (a new park of Buddha statues…duh!).

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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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Upon my return to Kathmandu, I dedicated a full day to thangka shopping. Thangkas are traditional Tibetan Buddhist paintings made on cloth. They are often framed with a brocade and depict one of five different topics: Deities (like Buddha, Tara, etc.), Life of Buddha, Wheel of Life, and two types of Mandalas. I’ve wanted one for years, however at the one Himalayan store in Washington, DC I found, they were around $500. The selection was also quite limited.

Thangka shops and schools are as numerous in Kathmandu as fake t-shirt shops are in Bali. If I had any hope of making a decision by day’s end, I needed to narrow the field by picking a subject. I went with the Wheel of Life which depicts the psychological states associated with an unenlightened mind. All thangkas are steeped in religious symbolism and while I learned quite a bit during my shopping experience about the iconography, I’m not even going to attempt to explain it.

After looking at enough thangkas, you learn what to look for when determining quality and value (even before you ask the price). The fineness of lines, harmony of colors, and use of 24k gold are big differentiators. In general, the student quality is the lowest, followed by a middle ground, and lastly the “master” quality. Once I found the finest quality thangka of the day, I could hardly bear to look at the lesser ones in other shops (even if they were cheaper).

So I negotiated a 30% discount, and still spent almost three times the initial figure I had in my head. Money seemed to matter a little less when I reflected on my opportunity to own a piece of art so beautiful, let alone the three months it took to create it. I chose the color and design of the brocading and picked it up a few days later. I only had a quick glimpse of the framed painting before it was rolled up and packed in a large cardboard cylinder for shipment home.

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Dares

I know it has been awhile since I completed a dare, however they are always in the back of my mind. To recap what is outstanding:

• For $100, my friend Bob wants me to get a photo with a topless girl.
• For $50, get my photo taken with a ladyboy in Thailand.
• For $30, Tim wants me to eat a scorpion.
• For $25, Dan wants me to ride a motorcycle in an obscene amount of traffic.
• For $200, my brother Jon wants me to get a tattoo.

It’s quite possible that I can make a run at all of these once I arrive in Thailand come June! Keep ‘em coming. Every time I talk about the dares, the eyes of other backpackers seem to light up. By far, the most discussed (and profitable) dare has been the one about the woman’s arm around my shoulder.
Polls

Thank you to everyone who votes in the polls I set up in the right sidebar. I look at the results every few days to see what you think I should be doing.

In regard to the activity I should do after trekking, you now know I went with paragliding and rafting. By the time I got back to Kathmandu, base of Everest scenic flights, I was ready to stop big expenditures on activities and focus on local sights and souvenir-buying. Besides, I got a great view of Everest from my flight to Nepal!

As for your desire to see me head to India via bus, I know it’d be an adventure, however based on the stories I’ve heard, I’m taking a plane. No need to spend 2 days in transit and risk theft, vomiting, and bladder discomfort when I can get a 1-hour flight for about $150.

India

Once I get a new 3-month visa for India in Kathmandu, I’ll immediately fly to Varanasi, India. A guy who just came from there said it was running about 105 degrees a day, so I expect to hang around just long enough to tour the ghats (to satisfy my morbid curiosity about public cremations) and take a cruise on the Ganges.

From Varanasi, I intend to take a train west to Agrah to see the Taj Mahal, before heading north to Delhi for a few days. From Delhi, I’ll head further north to Rishikesh, ground zero for yoga and meditation in India (so I hear). Perhaps I’ll join an ashram for a few days and try to learn some new yoga poses. And then it is up to Dharamsala, and the slightly higher McLeod Ganj, which is home to the Tibetan government in exile and His Holiness The Dalai Lama. Depending on how I’m feeling, the weather, and money, I may push further north to Manali. And if I’m really up for an adventure, bus it up to Leh (elev. 3,500 meters / 11,500 feet) near the Indian Himalaya!

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