It is another cloudy, rain predicted day – although the morning doesn’t look too terrible in terms of rain, we can at least see some of the mountains encircling the city from our hotel windows. After breakfast, we head off today to Swayambhunath – or the Monkey Temple (or more accurately, the Monkey Stupa – so nick-named because there are hordes of monkeys living on the property)! I’m so excited to visit the stupa, having listed it as one of the places we could visit in our free time (before realizing it was included in our tour). The Monkey Stupa (because I am NOT going to write out Swayambhunath every time I talk about it) is through to be more than 2000 years old, created at the same time the Kathmandu valley was created from a primordial lake. Legend has it that the stupa grew out of a lotus flower that bloomed in the lake, thus reinforcing the reason why all Buddhist temples have lotus flower shapes (also because the lotus symbolizes fortune, enlightenment and self-awareness). It is the oldest and holiest Buddhist places in all of Nepal, all other stupas have a replica of this temple, and many monasteries are clustered around the foot of the stupa area.
We won’t be climbing up the 365 steps to get to the stupa, but instead, using the access road that brings us almost to the top of the hill where the stupa sits, so there goes our morning exercise. Haha. Deposited in the lower courtyard, we are immediately immersed in all things Buddhist. Here we enter into the World Peace Pond, a more modern structure (1998) with an enlightened Buddha in the middle. It is here where we get our first glimpse of the monkey population, a small rhesus playing in the pond. We also get a lesson on the 5 Buddha poses, or mudras, that are depicted on the stupas: Touching the ground (basically grounded in enlightenment), Meditating (necessary step to enlightenment), Charity (granting blessings), Fearlessness (in the face of adversity) and Reasoning (giving instruction/education to others). There are also colors associated with each mudra, but I can’t recall which color goes with which gesture, so that’s the end of this Buddha lesson.
Taking the side stairs up to the actual stupa is a lot less taxing than the 365 stairs in front, plus you get an excellent view of the city spread out in the valley below. Our first glimpse of the stupa comes between shrines and mini-stupas, those huge all-seeing eyes staring down at us. It’s and impressive sight, the white-washed circular stupa with prayer flags flying high, juxtaposed with the surrounding shrines (most a deep brick red color) and the little mini-stupas with their own sets of eyes. It’s a busy place, with lots of adherents lighting candles and offering prayer. Oh, and of course, the monkeys! As Lonely Planet quite accurately describes it, the stupa is “mobbed with monkeys.” They are everywhere, and make for great photos – even as the mobs are stealing food offerings from shrines and then moving toward us in some instances!
Circumnavigating the stupa, we come across this huge black Buddha, carved from a single piece of stone in the 7th century. And further on, more mini-stupas and monkeys strategically placed for the perfect photos (which one day will be loaded to a website for all to see…just apparently not this blog/website any longer!). It truly is a very spiritual place, functioning, it is said, to provide peace and joy, like meeting the Buddha in person, and you can definitely feel that here (even with all the prowling monkeys about).
Continuing our clockwise walk, we come across a huge bin of Lime, both white and colored, which is how the stupa remains so clean and white. Every two weeks (I think) the monks throw the lime onto the stupa to retain its “purity.” After the lime pit, we finally reach the main entrance with the 365 steps and the huge Vajra, a five pronged object found in all Buddhist temples and stupas here, which symbolizes the diamond for indestructibility and the thunderbolt that strikes through ignorance, in the front of the stupa. Everything is fascinating, and we still have more free time to explore which we would happily spend up here wandering about, but the rain is beginning to fall again, plus there are some tremendous thunderclaps around, and being up at the peak of the highest hill surrounding Kathmandu suddenly doesn’t seem like a very good idea. So rather safe than sorry, we head back down the cobblestone stairs to the lower level to await the rest of the group and the bus.
Onward to Kathmandu’s Durbar Square we go, arriving quickly through the rain sodden streets. We are guided through old city streets, passing a huge public water well, various 3 and 4 tiered buildings of brick and wood, women in colorful sarees pumping water at a smaller well and visiting with a canine shop proprietor (whom Bhanu says to just look at from afar because he can be very protective and snaps!). Of course the cows are back, just meandering down the middle of the crowded street, knowing everyone will make way for them. We finally reach the entrance to the square and get our first glimpse of earthquake destruction here. Kathmandu’s Durbar square didn’t fare quite as well as Bhaktapur, with many buildings in complete ruins. The Kathmandap, in particular, once a public building believed to be built by a single tree, is in complete ruins as well as other temples and buildings reduced to rubble. Most everywhere we turn there are scaffolding and wooden beams holding buildings up, which is a real shame because the architecture here, constructed either entirely of wood or red brick with exquisite wood carved windows, is gorgeous.
Our first stop here is the Kumari-ghar building is an ornate 3 story building of red brick and carved wood built in the mid-1700s to house the “living goddess.” Yes, a living goddess. This is a little child who is chosen from either the Goldsmith or Silversmith family when she is 3 to 5 years old and considered to be the incarnation of the goddess Taleju. A group of children are tested by: 1) comparing their horoscope to match the president (or ruler), 2) ensuring there are no marks on her body, 3) being able to recognize the symbols of a goddess, 4) making them watch animal sacrifices and show no fear, and finally, 5) taking the child into a dark room with dead animals. The little girls who is the last to stay in room is the goddess. Once chosen, she is made up and dressed, and carried to the temple where she will live until she is of puberty age. She lives in the temple with a care giver, her family is allowed to visit, but I’m not sure how often, and the only children she can play with are those chosen for her. She can't walk on the ground, she must be carried everywhere. She can only go out/leave the temple, 13 times per year, mostly for festivals in her honor where she is taken in a gold chariot. Once she reaches puberty (she can no longer be the goddess if she sheds blood – any blood, even a cut), she goes back to her family and goes to school. Then, sadly, after school, no man wants to be married to someone more powerful than themselves so they end up living life as a spinster.
So incredibly amazing! What a culture! And we are hopeful that we will be lucky enough to see her. As we tour the inside of the temple, Sangeeta calls out to the caretaker asking to see the Kumari. She has already made her appearance for the day, but we are hopeful she will show herself again for us. After some cajoling on Sangeeta’s part, the curtains on the 2nd floor part, and there is the Kumari – a little 5 year old princess dressed in red (always in red) with dark black eyeliner and make up. We aren’t allowed to take any pictures of her, so we just stand and gaze up at her pouting little face, trying to imagine what it must be like to be brought up in this fashion. Mind-boggling. After the “visit,” we buy postcards from a woman at the gate to the temple so at least we can have some physical reminder of the living goddess.
Circling back around the square, we pass more temple ruins on one side of the street, intact buildings with gorgeous wood carvings on the other. We pass the Kal Bhairav, a huge cool looking statue that symbolizes Shiva in his destructive phase. As awesome as it looks, it was used as sort of court in Nepal for years, because legend has it that you will die if you tell a lie in front of the statue. Past the Bhairav is the Jagannath Temple, the oldest structure of the square. I love the visual – it is covered in pigeons! And while I really can’t stand those flying winged-rats, the sight is pretty amazing. More temples (there are 10 or 20 here), more earthquake damage, more erotic carvings on roof supports (these little explicit carvings are everywhere! Sangeeta gave us some explanation which I didn’t really grasp – and something to do with the gods or royalty not being able to look up at the statues? I don’t remember now – but this type of adornment is prevalent in Nepal), more exquisite wood carved balustrades and windows. We traipse on through the raindrops and damp streets, until we come to some building courtyard, with possible a museum inside, where we are treated to two adorable guards who have a good time posing for us (they are so proud of themselves!). There is a statue of Shiva in an alcove at the entrance that is representative of death with a woman being eviscerated on the lap of what looks like a lion. It has something to do with someone who is afraid to die, so they give Shiva all these parameters within which they will acquiesce to die, thinking there is no way Shiva can accomplish all these things. But of course, he is Shiva, so he manages to kill the person in the exact manner that avoids all the stated criteria.
This is our last official stop, and we are now set free to roam about the square. There is a huge boxing tournament set up near our meeting spot, and we spend a few moments there, watching a bout. Then we meander through a little market set up on the plaza outside the Himalyan Java Coffee shop in front of which we are to meet. We barter with some of the vendors, but there isn’t anything that really strikes our fancy – except a pair of earrings that I think are neat, but the vendor won’t negotiate to what I want to pay. Oh well. Maggi does pick up a few red bead bracelets – and sweetly gives one to me so we can both show we are married/taken. At this point we’re ready for a break, so we climb the stairs to the coffee cafe and order some great coffees! I get an iced mocha latte which looks like an ice cream sundae, and is the best thing I’ve had in a long time. Richard orders the hot chocolate and it comes out looking like a dessert too, piled high with whipped cream and chocolate sauce. Sugar and caffeine (at least for me!) – I’m good to go for the rest of the afternoon!
Out in the square again, I see the same vendor, who finally comes down in price so I do end up with the earrings, then we all troop back to the bus, heading for the hotel. We ask to be dropped off at Thamel, for a little last minute shopping, and are deposited on the main street about a couple of blocks from the Fire and Ice restaurant. Today we are on a mission to find prayer flags, t-shirts, hats, and possibly another Ganesh statue for us. We start our trek first at Big Belly’s – the restaurant Charlie told us about yesterday. Here we order a pretty decent lunch of vegetable cakes for Maggi, French fries for Richard and fried momo’s for Ed and me to share. Then we are back out on the street in a shopping mode. We end up walking all the way to Asole Tole (the big intersection at the end of Thamel) and back, picking up our purchases on the way. We are actually quite successful and end up with everything we set out to buy – except a Ganesh for us. But that’s ok – we are good!
Back at the hotel, we go upstairs for a drink – and to take pictures of the infinity pool in the daylight. It is pretty impressive. Then we freshen up and head back downstairs for the start of our special evening. The Hotel Shambala is celebrating it’s 5 year anniversary tonight with a party for tour guides and tour agents. They have invited Bhanu, but he declined saying he couldn’t go because he has a whole group here and it wouldn’t be right. So the hotel has graciously invited all of us to the party. And of course everyone’s ears perked up at the words “free” and “drinks” and “food.” We are some of the first to arrive, so we get a good look at the huge buffet they have set up for everyone – complete with all the Indian and Nepalese specialties, plus grilled vegetables, grilled meat and chicken shwarma! Seating is limited to chairs placed all around the perimeter of the dining room, and a few outside across from the buffet. Half of our group has commandeered the outside, so we set up in the back corner of the dining room where we have a great view of the entire party.
Thus begins a 4 hour bacchanal of awesome food, far too much drink (thank you Bhanu for making sure we NEVER had an empty glass) and lots and lots of dancing, partying and overall fun making. It was one of the best nights of the trip – just such fun, a great band, Bhanu dancing with Cindy and Pam, Pam dancing with Bill, Maggi dancing with Richard, everyone dancing with everyone. We all had a wonderful time, so wonderful in fact, all of us woke up with full glasses of our chosen adult beverages still on the hotel room dresser the next morning. Ugh. Flat coke and aspirin please! LOL. But celebrating our last night in Nepal, and our 2nd to last night on the tour, made it all worth it!
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