Kathmandu, Nepal July 2017 - Part II
Swayambhunath, locally known as the Monkey Temple (due to the many monkeys that hang around), is another stupa that’s really amazing to behold. This one is located on top of a hill that allows for a view of the Kathmandu valley below. This stupa is more tranquil than Boudhanath but there are still plenty of people around.
P.S. you should be cautious of how close you are to the monkeys, especially if they are babies. It’s smart to mind your distance.
One of the things that I found to be interesting about Nepal is its religious beliefs. The religious demographic is split between those who practice Buddhism and Hinduism. Pashupatinath Temple is one of the only temples that I encountered in Nepal, and I was unable to go inside because I do not practice Hinduism. The temple is located on the banks of the Bagmati River, one of the main rivers that runs through Kathmandu, and can be likened to a smaller version of the Ganges in India. Along the Bagmati through the area of Pashupatanath, crematory services are performed, in which the bodies of the dead are burned on pyres near the river.
Street vendor near Pashupathinath.
Walking back from the temple.
You can now ride cable cars through the Chandragiri Hills and up to one of the peaks. Probably one of the steepest cable car tracks that I’ve seen, it is a silent and almost otherworldly nine minute ride to the top. The day that I rode it was a bit cloudy, so rather than having a view of the valley the entire time, we were shrouded in mist once we reached the low-hanging fog. It was dense, everything around was a white-gray, and you could only see the cable extend in front of or behind the cable car by so many feet. It was almost like being suspended in nothingness. But I did get a view of the valley on the way back down, which was quite impressive.
*All photos are mine, please give credit. Photos of and around Pashupatinath shot on 35mm Portra 400 film.*
