Patan (aka Lalitpur)

Having experienced a taste of the monsoon yesterday afternoon, we decided to repeat our early start in case the afternoon was wet and gloomy. We taxied to Patan (Lalitpur) which we didn’t visit last time. The taxi dropped us at the north end of Durbar square and where the ticket kiosk wasn’t (it just happened that way). We walked around till we found a cafe so we could get brekkie and read the map to orientate.

Having had our morning cuppa tea (or milk flavoured with tea, Nepali style) and an omelette, we set out to explore guided by the walking tour in the guidebook. First up, we explored the area southwest of Durbar square. There was nothing too spectacular compared to the main square but it gave a feel for real life and how history and present mingle together. Perhaps the best part was going through contiguous buildings that were interconnected on the ground with little tunnel-like walkways and courtyards.

Back to Durbar square, the ticket kiosk was nowhere to be seen. We walked around the various temples and admired carefully the detail on them. We then sat by the outside wall of the Museum to admire the bigger picture and people watch. We popped our head into the courtyards of the museum (the second of which was a garden with restaurant); we couldn’t be tempted into the museum itself as I’m not a great fan of statues, carvings, pots, pans that have been removed from its original location etc.

We continued the walk northwards taking in some minor sights until we got to the spectacular Buddhist Golden Temple officially known as Bhaskerdev Samskarita Hiranyabarna Mahavihar. That more or less ended our Lalitpur explorations.

We stopped for a lime soda before taking a taxi back to Thamel where we grabbed lunch. I spent the afternoon doing admin while Kim walked in the rain to his reflexology appointment. We didn’t feel like dinner in the hotel again so ventured out with umbrellas to a nearby garden cafe, sitting on the inside of course!