Swayambunath Stupa

ABOUT SWAYAMBUNATH

Swayambunath is a Buddhist temple (stupa) in Kathmandu. It is one of the seven monumental zones that make up the Kathmandu Valley World Heritage Site. It is also called "Monkey Temple" because there are a lot of monkeys in the temple.

ENTRANCE FEE

The entrance fee for foreigners from non-SAARC countries is NPR200.

GOING THERE

We took a cab from Thamel and the same driver drove us back to our hostel for NPR700. I'm not sure if there are buses that go to Swayambunath.

Vajra

Kathmandu as seen from Swayambunath

That baby monkey suddenly crept up the balcony where I was leaning... I was so surprised!

My last sunset in Nepal

Now, this concludes my series of posts regarding my trip to Nepal last April-May 2013.

Shivapuri-Nagarjun and My Bumpiest Ride Ever

After the Everest flight, I went back to the B&B and had breakfast. A couple of hours later, one of my travel companions asked me if I wanted to go with them to Shivapuri-Nagarjun National Park. The original plan for that day was to go to Swayambunath and Bouddhanath stupas and therefore going to Shivapuri-Nagarjun meant not going to one of the aforementioned stupas. I had wanted to go to both stupas but eventually decided to tag along (to Shivapuri-Nagarjun) as I didn't want to take the taxi alone in Kathmandu or be left in the B&B alone lol.

We hired a 4WD (a Toyota Land Cruiser) from the travel agency in front of the B&B for NPR 7500. Expensive, yes. However, I think the price would be more manageable if more people ride this big vehicle.

We also paid NPR250 (rate for foreigners) to enter the national park.

That's our ride, yo!

There were no paved roads, just a forest trail (that's why a 4WD was needed). It was the bumpiest ride I've ever experienced! It was impossible to take a nap during the more-than-one-hour-ride as we were practically thrown around inside the car haha. 

Finally, we arrived at the top. It was so windy! The sun was high up as it was almost noon but it was cold.

The stupa in Shivapuri-Nagarjun

We relaxed a little, enjoyed the view and waited for the clouds to part even just a bit.

Eventually, we got a little peek of the snow-capped mountains. Try to look between the clouds.

Of course the ride back down was another [bumpy] story. I say, if you're going to Nepal and will be going to Nagarkot or Pokhara, I don't think going to Shivapuri-Nagarjun for the view is required especially since it's very expensive to take the 4WD (our taxi ride to Nagarkot and back only cost 5500 for four people). Unless, of course, you're going to take a hike (which, I think, Shivapuri-Nagarjun is also known for). However, if you're stuck in Kathmandu but you want to see the mountains, since the ride to Shivapuri-Nagarjun only takes an hour or so from Kathmandu, it could be an option.

Flying to the Top of the World

Last May, when I was in Nepal, I paid USD182 for a flight that took off and landed on the same airport. I'm not kidding, there's really such a thing! And being a cheapskate, it's probably one of my biggest splurges. 

Since we were not able to see the Himalayan mountain ranges during our trip to Nagarkot (and I really wanted to), I made a decision of taking that famous flight across the Himalayas. Well, it doesn't really fly across the mountains. It kind of just flies at the side of the mountain ranges from a distance such that the people seated on the left-hand side of the plane sees the mountains then the plane turns around and then it's the passengers on the right-hand side's turn to see them. 

All my three companions during the Nepal trip passed on the activity but I was so determined to do it so I went alone. The afternoon before, I went to a travel agency across our B&B and booked a flight. 

That day, I woke up really early because my flight was scheduled at 6am. I was taken to the domestic terminal of the Tribuvhan Airport. Check in was fast and the flight was a little delayed so I had a lot of time to kill (to read a book and to observe random people) at the gate.

At the start of the flight, we were given brochures with panoramic photos of the mountains and their names as reference.

The highest peak in the world

Guess from where did I take that photo of Mt. Everest above? Actually I did not take it, the airplane's first officer took it for me while I was inside the cockpit! Yes, you read that right, I went inside the plane cockpit! (See, that USD182 is soooo expensive but soooo worth it!)

I was seated on the right-hand side of the plane so while everyone on the left-hand side was enjoying the view from their windows, we, the passengers on the right-hand side get called to visit the cockpit and the opposite happens when the plane turns around. The first officer was really friendly. He asked where I'm from and when I told him that I'm from the Philippines, he said happily and with an accent, "Magandang umaga! Kamusta ka?" I was just surprised! Aside from the two Filipina flight attendants whom we met during our arrival at the airport, I've never heard anyone else outside my group speak Filipino in Nepal as there aren't many. Turns out, the first officer did his pilot training in Manila!

Did I ever mention about how, when I was in high school, I kind of wanted to be a pilot? However, I dismissed the thought because I knew that my family cannot afford to send me to flying school.

Come to think of it, it's my first time to SEE snow!

Countless people have asked me before and after I took the flight, "isn't that dangerous?" Well, I have to admit that I was scared at first but that's only because it's my first time to take a plane this small:

10 rows, 3 columns (only the window seats are occupied for maximum enjoyment, of course)!

Indeed it was expensive but to me, the experience was worth it and is something that I will always treasure.

The City of Patan

ABOUT PATAN CITY

The City of Patan, also called Lalitpur: The City of Fine Arts, is an ancient city in Nepal located eight kilometers south of Kathmandu City. It's also one of the seven monumental zones that comprise the Kathmandu Valley World Heritage Site.

ENTRANCE FEE

We paid NPR500 (around PhP250) to enter. It's cheaper compared to Bhaktapur (though to me that's for good reason.) Those who come from countries that are SAARC members pay a lot less.

GOING THERE

From Thamel, we took the taxi to Patan which cost us around NPR500. It didn't take long despite the traffic because Patan is pretty close. The driver dropped us off at the ticket entrance where we were given maps and then we simply walked inside the city. I believe you can also take the bus from Kathmandu City to Patan (which is a lot cheaper).

GETTING AROUND

Unlike Bhaktapur which is closed to most vehicles with four or more wheels, Patan is open to traffic. It's quite a challenge to walk around the city with many vehicles honking around but I think it's manageable. Also, compared to Bhaktapur, Patan is much more crowded (not just with foreigners but also locals).

Anyway, I'll let these photos do the talking.

The following photos are from the Hiranya Varna Mahavihar also known as The Golden Temple:

Here's Patan Durbar Square

I took a photo of this shop because I was amused that they sell solar panels in local hardware shops! Nepal has energy problems and as a result, they get frequent power cuts. I think their main source of power is hydropower, which is not very reliable because droughts or simply lack of water in the rivers would mean less power production. That's why they compensate with solar power. Actually, I saw a lot of houses in Kathmandu equipped with solar panels so that they have electricity and hot water even during power cuts. (And this is me being an Energy Engineering major... on indefinite leave lol.)

This is Mahabouddha temple where thousands of images of the Lord Buddha are engraved:

After all the walking, everyone was tired (plus, we just came back from Nagarkot that morning) so we decided to go back to the B&B.

Unfortunately, we had a bad experience with the taxi driver who drove us back to Thamel. He suddenly shot up our fare to NPR1000 and we were like "What? But we only paid 500 to come here by taxi." We were foreigners who didn't know much about the ins and outs of the country and I'm not gonna say any more but it was quite scary for us. In the end, we decided that we didn't want to stress ourselves out so we just paid him the NPR1000.

Durbar Marg lined with trees with purple flowers as seen from the taxi

Patan was a good experience albeit a little stressful because of the crowds and that taxi driver. Like what most people say, if you're not a huge fan of temples, it becomes quite redundant after you've gone to Bhaktapur. However, because I like temples and architecture, I didn't really mind. I kind of wish I listened more to our History classes in high school, though. Haha

Cafe Mitra in Kathmandu

While researching about Kathmandu, I chanced upon Cafe Mitra. Seeing that it's one of the highly-recommended restaurants on Tripadvisor, I decided that I will eat there when I got to Kathmandu.

After the trip to Nagarkot, my friends and I decided to eat lunch at Cafe Mitra in Thamel. The entrance is small and we actually passed by it without noticing and had to turn back to find it. The interior is quite big though. The place is tastefully-decorated and cozy.

They offer both outdoor and indoor dining but because it was noon, we opted to eat indoors. I would say it has a different feel from the other restaurants I've been to in Thamel as most of them are not this modern-looking.

There's an iPod classic and a speaker if you want to hear music.

The menu was limited and the food was kinda pricey compared to other restaurants in Thamel (from NPR500 to above NPR1000 or ~USD12 to above~USD24).

We were the only customers that time.

Surprised by the price range and being the cheapskate that I am, I ordered one of the cheapest items in the menu: goat cheese with mashed potatoes and vegetables (NPR550).

The goat cheese was quite strong and sour to me at first but eventually, I got the hang of it. It was really good. 

This photo makes me really hungry.

My food may not look like much but it was very filling and super tasty. Even my friends who tasted it loved it. It may also be one of my most expensive meals in Nepal but I think it's really worth it! At first, I even felt a bit guilty about dragging my friends to an expensive place (not that I'm aware of it) but even my friends said the food is worth it!

If you have money to spare, I say you should try Cafe Mitra at least once during your stay in Kathmandu.

Relaxing in Nagarkot, Nepal

With the hustle, bustle and pollution in Kathmandu, being able to stay overnight in Nagarkot was really refreshing. 

ABOUT NAGARKOT

Nagarkot is a village around 32 kilometers away from Kathmandu. It is said to be a great viewing deck of the Himalayan ranges (Mt. Everest included).

GOING THERE

It is possible to take the bus from Kathmandu (which is a lot cheaper) but my friends and I opted to take the taxi. It cost us NPR 2500 (~PhP1250 or ~USD30) one-way. It wasn't a huge pain in the pocket though because we divided the fare among the four of us. The [scenic and super bumpy] ride took less than 2 hours. For our way back, the taxi driver offered to pick us up the next day and charged us NPR 3000 (~PhP1500 or ~USD36).

GOING AROUND

I don't think there's much to do around Nagarkot except to relax and to enjoy the view. You can go around the village though (which is very interesting) by walking.

WHERE TO STAY

There are a bunch of hotels in Nagarkot. We stayed at Peaceful Cottage and Cafe du Mont. They have a deck which offers a 360-degree view. When I went there, they had two buildings (one of which is still under construction but some rooms can already be occupied). We stayed in the new rooms in the building under construction. They were big and fabulous for the price though still smelled of fresh paint. The toilet and bath was big and the fixtures were the expensive kind (trust me, I know these things haha). There's also a big terrace though there's nothing to see except trees and crows. However, the only problem I had with Peaceful Cottage was the comforters. The comforter on my bed smelled bad as if they weren't dried properly after washing. I ended up wearing my thick jogging pants, thick jacket and scarf to bed because it's really cold in Nagarkot. Phew.

A view from the deck

I shared the room with my friend (it was a double room) and I paid only around PhP600. I wasn't able to ask my friend (who used a credit card to pay for our rooms) how much it was exactly but I would guess it's around USD25 per night.

The wi-fi in Peaceful Cottage performed great. However, wi-fi didn't reach our rooms so we had to go to the restaurant (the common area) each time we wanted to surf the net. The difference in elevation of our rooms and the restaurant is around 60 feet (around six floors) so imagine having to climb up six floors each time you need to go to the restaurant to eat or to surf the net. Added to that, the air is very thin due to the altitude so I always end up panting whenever I go up the restaurant. It wasn't bad, though. I mean, it's still exercise. :)

I don't know about the other hotels in Nagarkot but I would definitely recommend Peaceful Cottage to anyone who will stay in Nagarkot. Just make sure to ask for fresh-smelling comforters.

Sunset

MY EXPERIENCE

April is totally not the best time to go to Nagarkot (it was proven by the lack of guests in the area) as the clouds cover the view of the mountains. When we went there, we saw no snow-capped mountains. The best time to go, according to the staff, is around winter when it snows but the view is really great.

Twilight

Solar water heaters are very common in Nepal

Sunrise

A postcard of Nagarkot

Bhaktapur City left me at a loss for words

Bhaktapur City. It's one of the places that I was truly excited to see while I was planning our trip to Nepal so when I finally saw the place in person, I was lost for words. I don't know how to describe the place. Beautiful? Breath-taking? To me, those words are understatements. 

I don't know if it's because of my fascination with architecture/engineering that I feel this way about Bhaktapur City. Not everyone probably feels the same way as I did. 

ABOUT BHAKTAPUR CITY

The Ancient City of Bhaktapur is one of the seven monument zones that comprise the Kathmandu Valley World Heritage Site. It is located around 12 kilometers away from Kathmandu City.

ENTRANCE FEE

We paid NPR1100 (around PhP550) to enter. It's quite a lot but I think it's worth it. Those who come from countries that are SAARC members pay a lot less.

GOING THERE

From Thamel, we took the taxi to Bhaktapur which cost us NPR1200. It took around an hour to reach Bhaktapur (the traffic was a bit bad in Kathmandu.) While going down the taxi, the driver offered to wait for us and bring us back to Thamel for the same price and we took his offer. (We could have bargained but we just didn't.) He said we can pay him when we get back to Thamel. We're totally not used to that kind of arrangement in the Philippines. I mean, come on, a dishonest person could have gotten away from Bhaktapur (as there are other exits) and not pay the driver but I guess that's not the way things run in Nepal. It was probably the other way around. He didn't take our fare immediately because he wanted to make sure we'd come back to him to drive us back to Kathmandu. Coming from the Philippines, I'm truly amazed at how strangers can trust others and be trusted as well.

You can also take the bus from Kathmandu City to Bhaktapur (which is a lot cheaper).

GETTING AROUND

Aside from motorcycles and some vehicles, there aren't many vehicles around Bhaktapur. It's easy to walk around as the city is not too big and there is less pollution and less honking.

Anyway, I'll let these photos do the talking.

Bhaktapur Durbar Square

Vatsala Durga Temple

Golden Gate which leads to the Taleju Temple (which is only accessible to Hindus)

Pashupatinath Temple

Siddhi Laxmi Temple

Nyatapola Temple in Taumadhi Square

Taumadhi Square as seen from the Nyatapola Temple

Dattetraya Square (quite underwhelming compared to the Durbar and Taumadhi Squares)

Despite the heat that we had to bear (which is a lot more bearable compared to the humid Manila heat), I think Bhaktapur is my favorite place in Nepal. :)