Bhaktapur & Swayambunath

We woke at 0630 and were slow to get ourselves ready. After yesterday’s slow service at breakfast in the hotel, we decided to eat out. We found a garden courtyard not far away which served up the morning spread slightly more promptly. Nevertheless it was about 0830 by the time we set off for Bhaktapur.

We were lucky to get a taxi for only INR700 (INR100-200 less than suggested by the hotel receptionist). The route to Bhaktapur was completely built up; it was like a suburb of Kathmandu. Rewind 21 years ago, it was all countryside. I remember the trolley buses running between the two places which was quite unusual for an intercity route.

The ticket to enter Bhaktapur was pricey at NPR1500 but only NPR500 for SAARC/Chinese. I was unsuccessful pretending to be Chinese as they required a passport. A “guide” cum “student artist” presented himself to us an offered to take us around for NPR500 but we negotiated it down slightly.

It proved to be a good decision as parts of Bhaktapur (mainly residential) had been wiped out completely. He was able to show us the standing sights, ruined sights and the destruction. It was a lot more than what we saw (or remember from) 21 years ago on our own.

We started in Durbar Square, walked out to the other areas where people still live their lives and make craft like pottery, then finished in the very impressive Taumadhi square only a short distance from Durbar. We finished around 1100 and grabbed a light lunch but made it long and leisurely.

We wrapped up Bhaktapur with a short walk to revisit the best areas before catching a taxi (minivan) back to Thamel. We tried to get some more money from ATMs but didn’t have much luck. It appears that money, like electricity (or charge in one’s cellphone and other devices), one has to always has to stock-up when in Nepal. You can’t be sure of your next available top-up.

Text continues after this gallery.

It was around 1500 by the time we returned to the room for a rest. It was a brief rest as I wanted to get to Swayambhunath around 1600 as I recall from the last trip, the monks chanting around that time. It is a 30 minute uphill hike from our hotel and the roads are pretty dusty.

So, we took a taxi for NPR300 which dropped us on the back side of the stupa. We wandered in expecting to find the ticket booth but it wasn’t in sight. We later realised that we had saved NPR200 x2 because the booth was on the city side where the steps came up. Wow! We saved NPR100 by taking the taxi!

The sweet chanting and drumming was absent. Likewise with the clashing of the cymbals. I asked and we were told the monastery was damaged and the monks have shifted. We saw some of the damage walking around but the main stupa was untouched; it must have been built to last or perhaps it had divine protection!

The road back to town was very dusty so we took a taxi back to the hotel. It was far too early for dinner so we shared a beer on the rooftop. At 1840, we saw the Etihad Airways plane climb out, just like it did yesterday. That’s our flight in a few days time on Sunday. It was must have been early as it was mean to depart at 1840. Fortunately, the very mild aftershock of yesterday wasn’t repeated (it was very mild and we would have missed it if we had been walking).

We grabbed a late dinner in town and retired soon after. We were grateful for the good weather so far, considering it is the wet season. The forecast is for a wet change so we are trying to do as much as possible before that hits us. Businesses apart from food do shut down quite early which surprises me for a backpacker area.

Incidentally, one night when we were walking back, we got chatting to a rather large NGO guy whose t-shirt said “UN World Food Programme”.  LOL!  Looks like we found where all the food ended up!