Upon arrival at Kathamandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport, I
immediately noticed those posters highlighting Nepal’s richness in culture and
biodiversity. It prides itself for
having four UNESCO World Heritage Sites, which includes the six monuments in
Kathmandu Valley that we visited: three historical palaces (Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur Durbar Squares), Hindu temple
(Pashupatinath) and two Buddhist
stupas (Swayambunath and Boudhanath).
During our stay in Kathmandu we’d walk to the Durbar Square from our
hotel and watch people go about with their daily lives. It is a public place where tourists, touts,
locals and expats perched on temple steps idle away the day; where the vibrant
colors of marigolds, peppers and oranges spread out for sale on the pavements
stand out against muted tones of the temples; and where cars and power lines
look incongruous amid the square’s medieval look.
Swayambunath

The golden shrine of Swayambunath,
which sits on a solitary hill in the western edge of Kathmandu, afforded us a spectacular
view of Kathmandu Valley:
Bhaktapur Durbar Square
We almost did not enter the site for fear that it would be no different from Kathmandu Durbar Square, but I’m happy that we did. According to the leaflet given to us at the gate, “the cultural capital of Nepal, Bhaktapur’s history goes back to the early 8th century.” To be in a place that old is simply overwhelming.
Patan Durbar Square
Worn out from gazing at historic buildings that all looked the same after
several days, we had to pass up on Patan
Durbar Square. After taking a few photos
of the palace square, we proceeded to explore the surrounding area, instead. Walking without any direction, we ended up in
the local market where I was able to buy spices that are priced four times less
than those sold in Thamel. Exploring the
market gave us an authentic view of today’s Patan,
not something frozen in time.
Pashupatinath
We went to Pashupatinath to
witness a cremation, and what I saw left me awed and humbled:
The great stupa of Boudhanath is the largest stupa in Nepal and dates back to the 14th century. They say that “in the past, when the trade routes to central and western Tibet were fully open, traders, pilgrims and travelers sought blessing at the stupa for safe passage over the mountain passes and gave thanksgiving to it upon arrival in the Kathmandu Valley.” While turning the prayer wheels, I realized that we were doing the same thing.