Nepal

Nepal is an amazing place, and one that we’d definitely want to visit again. Below are highlights of the wonderful time we spent there.

Boudhanath Stupa

The first landmark we visited in Kathmandu was the Boudahanath Stupa, one of the many UNESCO Heritage Sites in Nepal. The largest stupa (a hemisphere-shaped structure containing Buddhist relics and used as a place of meditation) in Kathmandu — standing at 36 meters (118 feet) tall — we read that it is the center of Tibetan Buddhism in Nepal.

Many people walk around the perimeter of the stupa spinning all the prayer wheels in a clockwise motion.

All around the stupa, we saw many Buddhist monks — young and old.

Another monk reading with floating flowers in rows behind him.

Across from the stupa is a beautiful Buddhist temple.

Shops and restaurants surround the stupa.

One of the first sights of a Nepali using their head to carry a large load.

Pashupatinath Hindu Temple

Our second stop was Pashupatinath Temple, one of the four most important Hindu religious sites in Asia for devotees of Lord Shiva. Originally built in the 5th century, it is the largest Hindu temple complex in Nepal. Located on both sides of the Bagmati River (which is considered holy by Hindus), this temple is dedicated to Pashupati, an incarnation of Shiva. While we were there, we observed the Hindu funeral ritual, met some holy Sadhus, and saw many monkeys trying to get some easy meals from distracted tourists.

This was the view when we first arrived inside the temple complex. We weren’t sure what we were observing on the side of the river.

A little further up the river, we discovered they were in the last stages of preparing dead bodies as part of the traditional Hindu funeral ritual. In this phase, they clean the body and prepare it for cremation by covering it with colored fabric and various decorative flowers.

Three bodies already washed and being prepared for cremation.

Once the body is prepared, the family carries it over to the cremation platforms. Heading back over to the first area we had seen, we now understood what was going on. In the center, we can see that the funeral workers have prepared logs to cremate a body. On the right is a cremation in process.

A close up of the logs prepared for another cremation.

A cremation in process; the family watches in the background.

After the body is placed on the log platform, more logs and straw are placed on top before lighting it.

Once the cremation is complete, the workers push the ashes in the river for their spiritual voyage.

We were told that the whole process is repeated many times a day, every day.

All in all, this Hindu funeral ritual is mesmerizing, beautiful, at times difficult to watch (due to the anguish shown by some of the family members), and something we will not ever forget.

Opposite the cremation platforms we saw some holy Sadhus, who are prevalent at Pashupatinath. Three of them gave us each a blessing and a tika mark on our foreheads, which is a symbol of good luck.

After doing a little research, we found out a bit more about them. These Sadhus follow Lord Shiva and are considered holy men who’ve let go of all attachments to society – material, familial, sexual – in pursuit of total liberation from ignorance and desires. With no means of income or possessions (including a place to stay), they live in absolute poverty and depend entirely on the kindness and donations of strangers to get by.

Another Sadhu sits peacefully among some smaller temples.

Funeral workers prepare bamboo platforms to carry the dead bodies from one area to another.

A delightful mural on one of the temples.

These ladies asked to take a selfie with me.

Throughout the temple complex are lots of monkeys. Most are trying to find — or steal — human food. Unfortunately, we read that this poor diet of unnatural food is causing the monkeys to have significantly shorter life spans.

Eating his booty after a successful theft of human treats.

Another adorable baby at one of the shops outside Pashupatinath.

Patan Durbar Square

Patan is possibly one of the oldest Buddhist cities in the world, and Patan Durbar Square features the oldest architecture of Nepal. The former royal palace complex has numerous buildings and incredibly detailed and exquisite carvings throughout.

Swaymbhunath (Monkey Temple)

Overlooking Kathmandu from a hilltop, this is said to be one of the holiest Buddhist stupas in Nepal, but also features many Hindu temples and deities.

A wonderful view of Kathmandu from the top of Swaymbhunath.

This Buddhist monk gives a blessing to those who want one.

The stairs from the bottom level to the top level are steep, but you can also drive up a road to get to the top.

Vendors line the stairs down to the road. This one is giving a demonstration of a singing bowl filled with water. The vibrations of the bowl make the water jump up and down.

One of the many monkeys we saw is taking a water break.

Traveling on the mountain roads

Riding the bus on the curving roads leading out of Kathmandu is not for the faint of heart. We went to Chitwan National Park in southern Nepal, which includes a long bus ride down steep winding roads. The bus drivers put the pedal to the metal and precariously pass other vehicles that are slowing their progress. While it is unnerving to see all the close calls of avoiding oncoming traffic, there were no accidents and everyone arrived at their destination safely. On the way, we saw some of the more rural villages along the road.

The bus traveled from Kathmandu to Bharatpur to Chitwan National Park.

A local girl traveling from Kathmandu to Bharatpur sat next to Paxton and practiced her English while they conversed about various things. After a while, they just sat quietly next to each other.

All of the trucks in Nepal are decorated in bright colors, messages, and pictures. Very festive.

Passing vehicles on this road is kind of a free-for-all. In this case, motor bikes are passing on the dirt to avoid oncoming traffic.

Without any sidewalks or much of a shoulder, many pedestrians (including kids going to school bus stops) have to walk along the busy road.

Chicken coop; likely a source of eggs and meat for the family.

Many of the mountain villages are nestled in a valley off the main road.

The view from the buffet lunch/bathroom pit stop on our trip.

Chitwan National Park

For our time in Chitwan National Park, we stayed in Tharu Village at the family-run Wild Horizons Guest House. Everyone there was friendly and helpful which created a relaxed, happy environment where we met visitors from various countries around the world.

During our time in the park, we went on a sunset walk through the village and along the river, saw a dance performance at the Tharu Cultural Center, took a canoe ride down the river and then set out on a 3-hour jungle walk, and went on a jeep safari ride.

Paxton enjoyed playing in the courtyard of the Wild Horizons Guest House.

As a family-run hotel, we got to meet and hang out with their kids. The boy on the left, who goes by the stage name Yoga, was a really sweet, funny, and talented kid who has aspirations of becoming a famous Nepalese rapper.

Sunset walk and cultural center performance

We learned about the culture and history of the Tharu village and its people during our walk through the village and along the bank of the river to see the sunset. A little later that evening, we saw a performance featuring local song and dance at the cultural center.

Traditional Tharu homes, which are covered and insulated with a local clay are disappearing. Due to the influx of tourist dollars, they’re being replaced by more modern building styles and materials.

On our walk, we passed a villager tending to her goats.

With few motorized vehicles in the village, this is a common sight.

We came across a recent rhino footprint, which was so big it looked like a dinosaur made it; see the rough outline below.

Two one-horned rhinos cooling off in the river.

We saw a beautiful sunset over the river. Canoes used for transporting people can be seen in the foreground.

The canoes here are powered by pushing them with long poles.

Fish and chicken grill at the riverside restaurant that is a popular place to watch the sunset.

On the way back to our hotel, we saw that working elephants are a common sight on the streets of Tharu. We were told that wild rhinos come through on a regular basis as well, but we didn’t any while we were there; though one of the other guests at our hotel told us he saw one walking down a main street during the time of our visit.

Each night at the Tharu Cultural Center, villagers perform traditional songs and dances for a packed audience.

At the end of the show, many members of the audience got up on stage to join in on a popular local song and dance.

Jungle walk

On the morning of our jungle walk we boarded a wooden canoe to head down to the trailhead. As we floated down the river, we saw various bird species and other animals common to the area.

A local man and his son returning to their family from a morning outing.

One of the many different birds that can be seen throughout Chitwan National Park.

Once we arrived at the trailhead, we learned about which animals we might encounter and what we should be aware of during our hike through the jungle. Tigers, elephants, rhinos, bears, cobras and other snakes were all a possibility and we were instructed on what to do if we encountered any of them. Once that was done, we headed into the jungle and our guide pointed out all the animals and other notable sights.

The scratches on the tree were made by a tiger.

These bugs were everywhere. Paxton was not a fan.

The terrain of the jungle changed throughout our hike.

It turned out the biggest “danger” we encountered were these leeches, which were prevalent.

We were lucky enough to see a Double-Billed Hornbill bird.

Near the end of our hike, we came to the river.

Walking along the river, we saw two Gharial crocodiles across the river with their long, narrow snouts. Our guide told us that there were two types of crocodiles in the river, and these were the non-dangerous ones whose diet consists only of fish.

A Gharial crocodile swimming down the river.

Unlike its fish-eating cousin, the guides told us the Marsh Mugger Crocodile was very dangerous and could attack humans for food if we got too close. This one was sunning itself on an island in the middle of the river.

With a Marsh Mugger Crocodile in the background.

At the end of the jungle walk, we had the opportunity to “bathe” with elephants, which essentially meant we could pay to get on the back of an elephant on the river bank and get sprayed by water coming from its nose. We weren’t interested in that, but a little further down the bank we saw one of the elephants taking a work break to cool itself and relax in the water.

Jeep Safari

The afternoon of the second day we boarded a jeep and went on a safari to try to see some rhinos and other animals in the jungle. However, due to the time of year, the elephant grass was too tall and made it difficult to see anything in the first part of our safari. We heard a rhino close by, but it didn’t venture out of the tall grasses to be seen.

A jeep is surrounded by the tall elephant grass, which made it difficult to see any animals. It is much lower in other times of the year.

We saw plenty of other beautiful animals during the safari.

The silhouette of a Kingfisher bird in the setting sunlight.

Scenes from the village

During our time there, the village was in the midst of harvesting rice. They only harvest it twice a year.

In addition to harvesting rice, we got to see some everyday sights of village life.

The cow is an integral part of the family unit.

Nagarkot, Kathmandu Valley

If you’re not going on a trek in Nepal, one of the best ways to view the Himalayan mountain range is to drive to Nagarkot, just outside the Kathmandu Valley.

Looking toward Kathmandu Valley from the road leading to Nagarkot.

Near the top of the mountain is a Nepalese army base.

Not quite at the top of the mountain, we stopped at a lookout point, but all we saw were clouds. If you wait a while, you might see a break in the clouds and catch a glimpse of the Himalayas.

At the top of the hill where the road ends are some stairs to a lookout post.

The clouds cooperated and we were able to see the majestic Himalayan mountain range on three sides of us.

On the way back down the mountain, we took a quick stop at the village of Nagarkot. The most interesting thing we saw there was all of the construction going on. But no tractors or other heavy machinery was being used; just men and women working tirelessly to get the job done.

Various people, including many women, were hauling loads of bricks and other heavy materials in bags on their backs attached to their foreheads. It was incredibly impressive!

Bhaktapur Durbar Square

East of the city of Kathmandu, and on the road back from Nagarkot, is the city of Bhaktapur. Dating from the medieval times, the it was the capitol of Nepal during the great Malla Kingdom until the second half of the 15th century. the city is famous for its yogurt called Ju Ju and was the best we have ever tasted. Despite a lot of damage from the 2015 earthquake, the buildings and carvings are extensive and exquisite.