DAY 27 : NEPAL : Pokhara - Kathmandu - 35 minute flight

We left Pokhara on a 9.15 am flight. Again spectacular views throughout the journey.

Satish, not wanting us to miss any possible adventures, organised a guide to take us to Bhaktapur, half an hour from Kathmandu - a medieval town - 'a living museum'.

It is listed with UNESCO and has been renovated and maintained by a German- sponsored urban renewal program. The town's signature architecture is red narrow brick with teak carved windows and doorways.

The town/kingdom was established by the Emperor Ashoka in the 12th century and remained a kingdom in its own right until the 18th century when it was amalgamated with Kathmandu. Here is the original palace in the main Durbar Square.

Some old statues in the palace.

Religious carvings in teak a specialty of the town.

This is the goddess, Kali, a symbol of power and the patron of this town.

The king had shelters erected throughout the town for shade and for communal points for elderly residents.

A Newari ornamental doorway. This town is Newari - one of the original groups (now castes).

Some of the residents speak their own dialect and can't speak Nepalese.

Bit of slap and tickle never goes amiss.

Gathering the last drops of well water before the monsoon rains.

More efforts to get water from another well in the town.

This medieval structure is wheeled around the district every March at a special festival with a statue of a god for rain and welfare -Macchindranath. Our guide told us that there is much drinking and bravado as it is wheeled around with many helpers - this year 4 men died attempting to pull the unwieldy chariot - and that is not uncommon.

Spinning thread for handicrafts.

Women knitting.

Hindu temple dedicated to Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu.

The two guards of the temple are wrestlers, unique to this area.

Definitely our last meal together. Glenis has flown home, Satish and Tunka have set off on another trek with 2 Japanese couples on the Manaslu Circuit and we leave tonight on a midnight flight. Satish has won a position on a Search and Rescue course in Alaska in May and in September will attempt to summit Mt Manaslu with a Japanese team of climbers.

M&M

mm_smith@bigpond.net.au