Gail South
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Depart Newark on Continental CO82A at 8:25 PM, terminal C, We were an hour late taking off, but the flight was only 13 hours so we arrived in Delhi on time. Very comfortable reclining seats and delicious lobster. We both slept five or six hours. The drive from the airport was terrifying. Indians drive by horn, not accelerator and brakes. It's smoggy, hot and dirty, but everything is decorated very festively—bright Christmas lights on all the buildings and brilliantly decorated vehicles. It is the festival of Dwali, festival of lights, on the day of 'Amavasyaa', when the moon does not rise and there is darkness all around. Light, being symbol of hope and positive energy, indicates the victory of good over evil. By spreading light in every corner of our premises, they try to destroy the reign of darkness. The Madonna Hotel is fair, rather seedy, but the bed seems comfortable, even though it's early afternoon, our body time. Repacked everything for Nepal. Slept only a little and fitfully. I spent the time looking out the window at territorial dogs eluding honking cars and scooters. Across from the hotel is what appears to be an office under construction, but it is full of squatters, and the hose on the corner is their communal dishwasher and shower. By 6:30, every body is hustling.
Tuesday, October 20
Transfer to airport for flight to Katmandu. Our driver was at the hotel two hours early: 6:30!! We had breakfast in our room at 7:30 then left for the airport. The plane didn't leave until noon (Air India IC414. Depart 13:40, Arrive (KTM) 15:25), so we had a boring wait. Beautiful flight with the snow-capped Himalayas getting ever closer. Our driver and a guide took us on another terrifying drive through dirty slums. The hotel, Vaishali, is quite nice and we have a back room on the top floor with a view of the mountains. Jerry raided the maid's cart for soap, TP, and towels, apparently in very short supply in Nepal (as in India). Went out walking in a vast meandering warren of shops and sidewalk vendors. Got a beautiful green yak jacket and a flute for Devin. My knee started to ache so we came back. Went to the Thamel House Restaurant for dinner. Very nice, all tourists, but it was a 19-course sampling of Nepali and Newari dishes: appetizers, soup, mutton, chicken, wild boar, veggies and dessert. All accompanied by "cultural events", Nepalese dances. We won't go back, but it was lots of fun and well worth an evening, about $12.50 per person. The streets seemed dark when we got home only to find that the electricity goes off for an hour or tow every night. Guess that's why there was a candle in the room.
Wednesday, October 21: Katmandu – Chitwan
Breakfast at hotel. Left at 8 for five-hour drive over very rough and bumpy roads to Baghmara Wildlife Resort. Saw one accident, one wreck, and numerous breakdowns.
The Royal Chitwan National Park is one of the finest wildlife parks in Asia and known for its rich and diverse wildlife which includes tigers, leopard, rhinos, crocodiles, deer, boar, monkeys and more than 400 species of rare and exotic birds. It covers an area of 932 square km in the subtropical lowlands of the inner Terai. Established in 1973 this was Nepal's first national park. The park has gained much wider recognition in the world since UNESCO included it on the list of World Heritage Sites in 1984.The name Chitwan has several possible meanings, but the most literal translation of two Nepali words that make it up Chit (Heart) and Wan (Jungle) Chitwan is thus the heart of Jungle. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, cultivation in the valley was deliberately prohibited by the government of Nepal in order to maintain a barrier of disease- ridden forest as a defense against the invasion of disease from the South. Then for the century between 1846 and 1950, Rana prime ministers were de facto rulers of Nepal, Chitwan was declared to private hunting reserve, maintained exclusively for the privilege classes. Penalties for poaching were severe - capital punishment for killing rhino - and the wildlife in the area thus received a measure of protection. From time to time great hunts for rhino were held during the cool, mosquito-free winter months from December to February. The Ranas invited royalty from Europe and the Princely States of India, as well as other foreign dignitaries, to take part in these grand maneuvers, which were organized on a magnificent scale, often with several hundred leopards. In 1996, an area of 750 square km surrounding the park was declared a buffer zone which consists of forests and private lands. The park and the local people jointly initiate community development activities and manage natural resources in the buffer zone. His Majesty’s Government has made a provision of plowing back 30-50 percent of the park revenue for community development in the buffer zone.
The resort is just outside the park. Buffet lunch. Very basic, but clean. Oscar, a young Swedish man, arrived also today and will be with us for the next two days. Unpacked (on the floor, as there is no dresser), birdwatched for an hour from the deck of the dining room, and went for a dusty 1.5 hour walk guided by Ram. We saw some village houses and people. Little girls loved Jerry. Saw a few more birds. Back for a bit of native dancing, then a buffet dinner. (We both may lose weight). Tomorrow up at 6:30.
Thursday, October 22
Didn't need a wakeup call and were o the porch at the dining hall by 6:30, looking at birds. It was very foggy till the sun came up. Right after breakfast we walked down to the river and took a dugout canoe ride to see crocodiles. Then walked through the jungle for a couple of hours and saw lots of birds, but no animals. Visited the elephant breeding center. We went back to the river to see them give elephants a bath. Just before lunch 125 Nepalese teenagers arrived for two nights. After lunch we went on our elephant safari for two hours through the jungle. Three of us climbed a ladder to a platform and got into an open-sided box with our legs hanging over at a corner. The driver was on the elephant's head. We rode for two hours through the jungle (literally, we were not on paths) with the elephant knocking down trees as directed by the driver. My arms will be heavily bruised from hanging on. We saw a few birds, lots of spotted deer, barking deer, sambar deer, rhesus macaque monkeys and a mother and "baby" one-horned Indian rhinoceros (sleeping in the mud). We were given dinner at 6:30—the teenagers dine at 7. A wonderful shower and we're ready to turn in, but they had the cultural program (dancing in the center court of our lodge) so we watched from our balcony
Friday, October 23
Walked by the river before breakfast. Several new birds and lots of prickers. Went to the Wildlife Museum: formaldehyde and eggs. I sat on the deck and photographed birds. Oscar and Jerry took a walk and got chased out of the park by a ranger. After lunch, we went on a wonderful jeep safari to Bishazari Tal where we saw many birds (including the rare Collared Falconet), spotted deer, monkeys and two rhinos. Dusty and tired we ate, cleaned up and packed.
Saturday, October 24
Chitwan - KathmanduAfter breakfast we had Naran drive us to the carver shop at the river and got two rhinos, one for me and one for Devin. Naran had asked Oscar to ride back with us. We stopped at Thamel and I got a Ganesha and Oscar got a rhino. Then a very long and dusty trip back to Katmandu on unbelievably pitted, washed-out roads for six hours.Although Nepal has over 8000 mountains, only eight keep snow year round and are called "Mountains". The rest are "Hills".Found we had been upgraded to the Shankar Hotel which is very nice. We walked back to Katmandu's Thamel market area and found a green and brown hat for Devin, then went to the Kaiser Mahal, Garden of Dreams, a neo-classical historic garden and had dinner at the restaurant there (Western food—pork chops, mashed potatoes and pasta alfredo). Watched CNN for our first news in a week. The electricity goes our for an hour or two every night.Katmandu is situated in a bowl shaped valley within central of Nepal, The territory is about 19.6 square miles and holds over one million people.. The city was built by king Gunakamdev in 723AD. It is said that it was a lake in the past and was made habitable by Manjushree, who cut open the hill to south to allow the water to flow out. Katmandu boasts one of the largest congregation of magnificent historical shrines ever built, duly recognized as a world heritage side by UNESCO.
Sunday, October 25
Met the driver and guide at 8 am only to find we had been scheduled for only one night at Shankar. We had sent laundry out and now had to pack up and leave. Jerry got angry. Off to the tour program. The guide (licensed) was not as good as Naran. He couldn't understand us and we couldn't understand him. There are three districts here: Bhaktapur, Patan, and Katmandu itself. We visited them in that order.
Bhaktapur: (population 74,200): Durbar Square has many beautiful palaces and temples. The Palace of 55 Windows built in 1754 is situated on the left through the city gate. The palace entrance, the Golden Gate, is a masterpiece in repousse art. In front of the palace building is a medley of temples of various designs. Among the three Durbar Squares in the Valley, the Durbar Square in Bhaktapur is the best preserved one. There is an entrance fee of 500 for foreign visitors.
Taumadhi Square lies to the east of Durbar Square reached by a narrow brick-paved lane. The towering five-roofed Nyatapol temple presides over the square. The stairway leading up to the temple is flanked by stone figures of deities and mythical beasts, each 10 times more powerful than the one immediately below.
Dattatreya Square takes its name from the Dattatreya temple dedicated to a three-headed combination of the Hindu deities Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. If you want to experience the feel of the traditional urban layout of Bhaktapur, Dattatreya Square is it. Set in a maze of streets lined with richly ornamented houses, the square is famed for its many ornate Hindu monasteries known as Math.
Potter’s Square. A two-minute walk south of Durbar Square brings you to Bolachhen, also known as Potter’s Square because of the many potters seen here moulding wet clay into different kinds of earthen ware. This place can be approached from Taumadhi Square. The elephant-headed Lord Ganesh is the patron of potters, thus the Jeth Ganesh temple in the square.
Patan (population 160,000), the city of fine arts, lies at about 8 km south of central Kathmandu situated on a plateau across the Bagmati River. A substantial portion of its population is engaged in traditional handicraft and cottage industries. Durbar Square is an enchanting mélange of palace buildings, artistic courtyards and graceful pagoda temples. Listed as a World Heritage Site, the former royal palace complex is the center of Patan’s religious and social life, and houses a museum containing an array of bronze statues and religious objects. There is an entrance fee of Rs. 200 per foreign visitor. One remarkable monument here is a 17th century temple dedicated to the Hindu God Krishna – Krishna Mandir built entirely of stone with rare stone carvings on its walls depicting the epic wars from Ramayana and Mahabharata.
Iba Bahi is one of the oldest Buddhist monasteries in Kathmandu Valley and reflects the sophisticated architecture of the Malla period. A two-step platform leads to the courtyard with a hall called Dalan. There is a shrine dedicated to Shakyamuni right across the entrance.
Kwa Bahal, also known as the Golden Temple, is a Buddhist monastery courtyard dating to the 12th century. The monastery building is embellished with exceptionally fine wood-carvings and repousse work. Artistic images are scattered around the courtyard, and devotees can be seen offering worship at the many shrines here. Entrance fee Rs. 25.
Mahabouddha is a Buddhist monument and an excellent example of terra cotta art form which points to the skill of Patan’s ancient craftsmen with a variety of building styles. The 14th century monument’s obelisk-like design is also unusual in a city of pagoda roofs.
Oku Bahal is one of the best known Buddhist places of worship in Patan. The stone-paved courtyard is enclosed by a two-story building with gilded roofs. The wood-carvings on the roof struts are especially attractive. The place is peppered with sacred images and other small shrines.
Pashupatinath temple is located 3 km northwest of Kathmandu, it is a Hindu temple dedicated to a manifestation of Shiva called Pashupati. Everyday thousands of Hindus go to the temple. This temple was built in the 6th Century. Non–Hindus are not allowed inside the main temple. We had a good view of the temple complex from the other side of the Bagmati River. There are many Ghats (a series of steps leading down to a body of water) on the bank. There are also many small houses where people go to die, as dying beside the river is almost a guarantee for betterment in the next life. After death, the ritual of cremation is started immediately.
Back to Katmandu and Durbar Square: On the right is a red gate, inside which lies to Nepal National Treasury. All the gold and silver belonging to the temples of Nepal are kept in this treasury. Two stone lions on either side guard the entrance. On the right side is the palace with its beautiful wooden carved windows. There are different kinds of intricately carved windows on the south side of the nine-storied palace. There are flying birds carved in the windows. In the left corner is a wooden strut which has the face of man, horn of a ram and the wings of a bird- a combination of man, beast and bird. The strut supports the roof and guards the temple.
Kumari(The Living Goddess): Long ago King Jaya Prakash Malla used to play dice with the goddess Teleju. Since the goddess was very beautiful, one day the king tried to touch her. She got angry and disappeared. The king then heard a voice that told him he would never again see her in her original form. The voice also told him that if he wanted forgiveness, he should build the temple for the goddess where she would take the form of a virgin girl. The living girl (now aged three) lives in the three storied Kumari Bahal, which was built by jaya prakash malla. The entrance is fully of carefully detailed wooden windows with horses, lion and birds carved on them. The topmost middle window is glided because that is the window from where the kumari sometimes looks out. We were fortunate and actually saw the goddess! A young girl is chosen from a sakya family to be the living goddess. She has to go through several difficult tests before she is chosen as the kumari.
Kasthamandap: ‘Kasthamandap” literally means “The wooden pavilion” The word "Kathmandu" is derived from kasthamandap. It is the oldest and biggest building of its kind, believed to be built from the wood of a single tree. Long ago, it was used as a resting place for a traders going to Tibet. Long wooden pillars support the roof and it is vary airy with balconies on each story.
Monday, October 26
Checked out and packed up. First we stopped to see a new (2002) Buddhist monastery, then drove to Swyambhunath, a holy memorial site stoup representing typical Buddhist architecture. Its main feature, a white dome, symbolizes the spotless pure jewel of Nirvana. A thirteen-tiered golden spiral in a conical shape tops the dome. Underneath the towering structure, a pair of all-seeing eyes of Buddha is painted on all four sides. We climbed 360 steps to the top, where heavy smog hid most of the a magnificent view of the Kathmandu valley and the breathtaking panorama of the north eastern Himalayan range.
Boudhanath, one of the oldest and the biggest Buddhists monuments ever built in Nepal, this is an imposing structure standing some 36meters. The stupa stands on the massive three level mandala style platforms surrounded by colorful private family houses. This stupa was built in the 5th century AD. The site is considered very much like Mecca for the Tibetan Buddhist and every year tens of thousand pilgrims from all over the Himalayan region visit it.
Arrived at the airport at 1:15 after a horrendous traffic jam. Check in is extremely disorganized and slow. After many suitcase searches and pat downs we finally got to our gate about 2:30. No air conditioning and many bodies. They called our flight but then, after we had gone all through the line, sent us back. When we finally got off the bus to the plane, they went through our bags and patted us down yet again. Rana met us with our new driver, Mr. Singh, and we got to the Hotel Madonna without incident. Our room this time is much nicer, in the back and quiet.