Lost in Asia: Feb 13th - 20th Kathmandu - Swayambhu, Durbar Square and Boudhanath -

So back in Kathmandu I spent a few days post-trek resting up and hanging out in an area called Thamel, which is a popular tourist haunt. I did make a trip to the Swayambhu temple with a fellow traveller, Nele. It is one of the most sacred and important Buddhist temples in Nepal, with a stupa that dates back to the 5th century. It is a very beautiful place as you climb a number of steps with statues of the Buddha dotted around on either side. I arrived fairly early in the morning, and it was fascinating to see pilgrims spinning the huge prayer wheels and making offerings in front of various shrines dotted around the stupa.

I also visited Durbar Square, home to an incredible set of intricately carved temples and a world heritage site, and perhaps the most famous site in Kathmandu. The royal palace and the other historic buildings date from around the mid 1500s, and they are stunning, built by the Malla kings who governed Kathmandu. There's also an eerie palace, Kumari Chowk, home to the Raj Kumari or 'living goddess', a young girl who is said to be the living embodiment of the goddess Taleju. The courtyard of Kumari Chowk is really lovely, and the Raj Kumari makes an appearance to worshippers from time to time, but I didn't see her. The current Raj Kumari is a mere 10 years old, and apparently the tradition of the Raj Kumari goes back centuries.

The old square is such a tourist attraction, yet the terrible earthquake that struck Nepal in 2015 and took thousands of lives has created so much damage to these famous structures, some of which have completely collapsed, which was really sad to see. During my stay in Kathmandu, people in shops and cafes often commented on how badly the tourist trade had been affected since the earthquake. Hopefully those structures can be rebuilt sooner rather than later.

A few days later I visited some other famous sites just outside the city but within the Kathmandu valley: Boudhanath is the focal point for Tibetan Buddhists with a huge stupa that pilgrims walk round, with the Buddha's eyes painted on 4 sides, and above this the 13 steps needed to achieve nirvana. Not really knowing anything about Buddhism, it left me feeling a bit non-plussed, although if i'd had the time it would have been interesting to attend some classes which were provided by monasteries in the area.