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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Mar 14, 2014 08:00 PM Royal Bhaktapur
There were 3 royal cities in the Valley of Kathmandu: Kathmandu, Bakhtapur and Patan. I decided to go today to Bakhtapur, to see the chanhges after 27 years...
There is junk public bus going when full but first you have to find in KTM what they call Bakhtapur Bus Park. Go south Kantipath until you will see in all distance a clock tower. Bus park is in the back street behind the tower. Ticket for 20 km journey costs only 25 rs - a quarter of dollar, but you have to be patient -due to the traffic congestions it can take even 1,5 h.
They will show you whwre to get off. Then you can climb up to the old part of the town and again if you fill rich you will be catched and pressed to buy the ticket for 1500 rs. Budget travellers schould go left and take the second alley to the righgt. It will take you through the maze of old passages to the heart of the old city - the Durbar Square.
Listed on the Unesco World Heritage List it is great place to spend few hours. Do not rush! Enjoy the beauty of tallest Nepal pagoda Nyatapola, 55 Windows Royal Palace, the biggest Nepal Siwa lingam is also here!
But on the Bhaktapur Durbar there is less real life then in KTM. More lively is located bit south Pottery Square, where they produce the ceramics - really worth to see...
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Mar 13, 2014 08:00 PM Avoid the beaten path - it costs money!
The most interesting area of Kathmandu is around Durbar Square. It was declared The World Heritage Monument by Unesco. Go south along Thamel Marg and you will see at the end a statue of the king or general on the little roundabout. If you will turn right here you will see first Pagoda of Durbar in front of you. Locals took this way free, but you-the foreigner - will be stopped and asked to pay 750 rs entry fee. Sure, you can pay if you feel rich enough. But if you are on the budget it is better to continue straight at the statue and then take second lane to the right. Through the maze of back alleys you will come to the same Durbar and nobody will bother you except vendors and guides.
The temples of Durbar are exceptional - also due to their perfect woodcarving. Daily life goes around so it is worth to spend there hours enjoying the theatrum...
If you will come early (am) you will have a chance to see Kumari - the living goddess of Nepal. Just enter the beautifully carved Kumari house (free) and wait. I have been in Kathmandu 3 times but now for the first time I was lucky to see Kumari in the window. Cameras are not allowed and this pretty little girl was rather bored... Anyway -I saw the goddess!
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Mar 12, 2014 08:00 PM The dark side of Kathmandu
Today's Nepal has a great shortage of electric power. They are forced to cut off the supply for many hours each day. I expected that it applies only to the province, but now I know that also the capital is affected. Most of the people here do not know the schedule, but I investigated the problem and here is valuable info for you:
On Sunday you can expect the power till 8am and then18 to 23h
Mon till 6am and then13-17 and after 22
Tue till 5am and 12-15 and after 21h
Wed till 4am and 10-14 and after19h
Thu 9-13 and after 18h
Fri till 10am and 17-19h
Sat till 9am and 15-18h also after 23h
But this is only the theory... just a guideline.
In Kathmandu I stay in Potala Tourist Home in side alley from Tridevi Marg - just 100 m from lengendary Thamel. It is very good location and they charge only 10 USD per room with bath. Book via booking.com -
After arrival it is still possible to negociate the price and to make the choice of the most convenient room. Beds here are hard like in China, but it could be good for your backbone after elephant riding :)
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Mar 11, 2014 08:00 PM Elephant bath for just 1 dollar!
Sauraha town on the edge of Chitwan National Park has one more attraction for the foreign tourists: elephant can make your bath for just 100 rs -1$. If you like such an experience you have to come to the Rapti river beach around 10 am. Elephants with their guides are waiting. They are coming to make their daily bath. But tourists are welcome to jump on their neck , animal walk into the water and then you will be sprayed many times from its tube. All for rs 100!
Today I go to Kathmandu by bus. Tipical price is 650 rs for 6-hours journey. Do not expext luxury but itbis worth to take a seat on the left side for the great views of the rivers and green mountains...
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Mar 10, 2014 08:00 PM Riding the elephant in Chitwan
As far as I remember last time I was ridinng the elephant in 1975 going to the fortress of Amber in India. But here they offer jungle walk on the bach of elephant - quite a new experiance for only 1250 rs = 13 $ per 2 hours. So why not? They offer two options in the park or outside the park. Second is longer -2 hours and you are not pressed to pay extra for the park permit (1500 rs). I signed for the second and they pick me by van at 8 am. After 20 min ride on the outskirts of Sauraha we boarded elephants (4 persons and a guide per animal) and started the jungle walk. Not many animals on the route: just deers, monkeys, peacocks - I did not expect that they fly!
Streams, little hills and holes - The all-terrain elephant experience was quite bumpy so must tell you that I was happy to dissembark this vehicle after 2 hours... It is worth to try anyway -once in the lifetime!
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Mar 09, 2014 08:00 PM Tracking rhinos in Nepal
Chitwan national Park is famous for the rhinos -about 500 of them live in the park. In Sauraha you will find many agencies offering safari tours to the park. Tipical prices at the cheapest ones are: 1250 rs for one hour canoe trip plus 3h jungle wallk back to Sauraha, 1350 for half day jeep safari departing in the afternoon. They pay 95 rs per dollar at the moment. You have to add 1500 rs for your park permit - per day. So it is worth to combine two tours in one day to awoid another permit payment.
It was quite cold at 7am when I jumped into dugout canoe. There were picturesque fogg on the river. During one hour sailing I saw one crocodile and a lot of water birds. Then we disembarked on the park side(river Rapti forms the park boundary) with two obligatory guides and started our jungle walk. First I saw a nice dead deer hunted during the night by tiger (120 tigers live in the park). Sorry it was partly eaten...Then we had a chance to see big rhino.
After lunch I crossed the river again in the canoe and with 10 other travellers boarded comfy, open jeep to drive some 20 kms to the park HQ and back. On the way we were lucky to see another rhino, bears, monkeys and crocs. At the park quarters there is a crocodile nursery - paying extra 100 rs you can see them of different ages - adults are up to 6 m long. Great, sunny day!
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Mar 08, 2014 08:00 PM Where elephants walk the street...
Kathmandu and Pokhara are two main tourist destinations in Nepal. But thre is also the third - less popular: Chitwan National Park. Due to the demand they established special "tourist" bus services between them. Paying 3 dollars more you can expect slightly more comfort. Since I have long legs I thought it will be worth...
Bus departed from Pokhara on time. After some 3 hours we changed the bus at the roadside motel in Mugling. Then we turned south and I had a chance to enjoy the great views of the Kali Gandaki valley.
After 6 hours drive we landed in the little town of Sauraha - just at the gate of the park. I was surprised seeing elephants walking along the main street. I hope to ride them tomorrow or the day after...
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Mar 07, 2014 08:00 PM World Peace Pagoda
First of best wishes to all our ladies on the ocassion of their International Day! :)
After a harsh days in the high Himalaya I am already clean and relaxed. So it was a time to take a little climbing to the World Peace Pagoda overlooking Pokhara and Fewa Lake.
Big white stupa on the green ridge is easy visible from almost every place in the town. Inaugurated in 1999 was built by Japanese Buddhist.
There are two ways to get there. Taxi round trip will cost you around 1500 rs. I took the boat for rs 410 - it took me to the other side of the lake and then there was about an hour climbing the stone path through the forest. Beware of the brave monkeys and enjoy the views of all Annapurnas Range! It is important to start as early as possible because already around 11 am the highest mountains became covered by clouds - even on sunny day!
Once on the ridge you can visit the white stupa and to enjoy great panoramic views. I returned to Pokhara by road on the other side of the ridge - this takes even more then an hour...
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Mar 06, 2014 08:00 PM Back from the Upper Mustang...
Little settlement of Jomsom at 2800 m above sea is the only gateway to the Upper Mustang. Yesterrday I was walking 7 hours from Muktinath (last few hours in the snow) to reach Jomsom in the late afternoon. I spend there a night. In the morning there was no water to wash in the "Mountain view" due to frozen pipes.
But for me the main question was: will be there a flight from the tiny mountain airstrip in Jomsom to take me down from 2800 m to Pokhara at 800 m??
I was lucky today. The small 16-seater - twin otter operating this dangerous route due to the good weather turned 4-times to collect all waiting passengers. On the 20-min flight I enjoyed the view of majestic Daulaghiri.
Now, at the guest house tired, stinky, dirty but happy I am waiting for the warm water to wash... It will probably appears when they switch on the power... Welcome back to the civilised world!
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Feb 28, 2014 08:00 PM From Mustang - via satellite...
Dear Friends, on March 1st at around 1 pm my next traveller's dream came true - after several days of climbing and walking the Himalaya in the snow, low temperatures and strong winds I reached almost empty Lo Manthang - the capital of legendary Kingdom of Mustang. Great views and wonderful nature! I am so happy!...
But now it is new problem - how to come back through the snowy passes and mountain rivers. I hope I will be lucky!
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