Asia Archives - Page 9 of 13

Asia Indonesia Indonesia Trip 2017

Arrival in Yogyakarta

I arrived in Yogyakarta from Jakarta by plane. A train is possible, but i am somewhat short on time. The taxi from the airport revealed a bigger city than i was expecting but with the usual billboards and shops. They really do have all the worst stuff from the United States here, however, i suppose if you happen to be in Indonesia and have a hankering for KFC with cheese dipping sauce, a cronut, or a hot dog from the Circle K, you’re in luck. My favourite of the ads i saw on that drive was a billboard advertising a children’s Halloween party which promised “magic show” “games” and…”baby shark dance”. Huh? I have not been able to stop thinking about what a baby shark dance entails and every possibility is unsettling.

Anyway, i’m staying at the Malam 1001 Hotel (1001 nights) on a narrow alley near the end of Malioboro Street (a main thoroughfare of shops, food vendors, ojek [moto rickshaw], and bekak [bicycle rickshaw] drivers). My hotel has a nice leafy courtyard and i have a private room, so i’m quite comfortable though i haven’t seen another guest.

The first day i just had the afternoon and the main sites in town were closed early so i just went for a walk to get my bearings.

The area around my hotel has lots of restaurants and tour operators, gift shops and more batik shops than any any country could possibly support. Seriously, who is buying all this batik clothing and fabric? I don’t see people wearing it and i can’t imagine every tourist stocking up on enough batik tunics and dress shirts to keep these places in business. Plus, as far as i can tell, most of it isn’t real batik anyway…fauxtik. (That term should totally catch on.) the good news is i haven’t seen anything i would like to buy.

I walked, politely declining offers of rickshaw rides and thanking people for compliments on my tattoos, eyeing the street side food stalls and trying to determine if there is any vegetarian food.

I sat under a tree and watched people setting up for a carnival/night market which is to open later in the week. Chatted with a taxi driver. Smoked cigarillos.

Walked back to the hotel, stopped to check out a supermarket called “Hero” (Super Hero Market?). I’m always fascinated by foreign supermarkets and have been ever since i saw a box of Rice Krispies in a market in Israel on which Snap, Crackle, and Pop were muscular superheroes…though i have come to question that memory over time. Bought a fresh guava juice and gawked at people lined up for a block for a coffee/doughnut/burger joint.

Also, i checked out some of the street art in the narrow streets around my hotel, which ranged from cute to political, and watched children playing with chickens.

There seems to be quite a lot of public art here. Much of it i spotted from the taxi on the ride from the airport but happened on a few statues as i walked around.

Dinner of super spicy green beans with rice at a pleasant restaurant. $3.00 cdn including iced tea. A cigar in the courtyard. Bed. A fairly uneventful day, but a perfectly pleasant one. Plus i had a 4am pick up scheduled for the next morning for one of the highlights of the trip…Borobudur. (Separate post.)

Asia Indonesia Indonesia Trip 2017

Jakarta

Indonesia.

I arrived in Jakarta from Taipei. A 5ish hour flight. Hit with heat and humidity. Glorious. Caught a taxi to Kota aka Old Batavia aka the old city. It seemed like the most interesting area, with now shabby colonial architecture, canals, and a big square. The city is large and populous; 10+ million people. I am only here for a day and a half and i didn’t have any particular sites or activities in mind. Much of what i read about Jakarta said “skip it”, but how could i? I’m glad i didn’t.

My driver got lost trying to find my hostel which i didn’t mind; it was like a little tour through twisty streets navigating the mad traffic with horn honking and the Imam’s call to prayer as the backdrop.

My hostel is the Wonderloft. A nice hostel. Great location for the area. I booked a private room which was about $18cdn per night but they have capsule style dorms for much less. It is clean and has good hostel amenities: pool table, foosball table, kitchen, and tv. Plus, it has a floor containing only beanbag chairs where silence is mandatory.

It is on a crazy busy side street with no lights or cross walk so every time i come or go i have to step out boldly and let the cars, motorcycles and tuk tuks swirl past me. Each time it feels like a conquest.

The people staying at the hostel Wonderloft are a good mix of travellers form SE Asia, Australia, and Europe. Young. Wearing the Asian backpacker uniform of baggy elephant pants and flip flops.

By the time i checked in to my hostel it was about 3 pm, so i just walked around to get my bearings. Around the corner from my hostel is a busy pedestrian street with cafes, buskers, jewelry makers, palm readers, and people in elaborate costumes posing for photos.

The street led to the square which was positively teeming with people. Sitting on the ground, eating and drinking, walking, and riding neon colored bicycles while wearing fancy hats that matched the bicycles. I thought there must be a festival, but have since found out it was just the weekend. It was great. I walked and had dinner on the square (vegetarian food is available but not in abundance). And i smoked a cigar on a patio.

With few exceptions the people i saw were locals. Women mostly dressed in colorful scarves and modest dress. Men dressed in jeans and t-shirts, smoking.

It was very pleasant and i stayed up too late. My sleep is a bit screwed up and i haven’t had enough of it. 3 hours last night. About the same the night before.

This morning, up early, i put on my other outfit (i have 2). I felt fresh and clean. Had some terrible instant coffee (seriously, the island is called Java, you would think they could do better) and toast with peanut butter and nutella. Heading out, i discovered i had peanut butter on my dress. Sigh. So much for being clean.

I spent the day wandering around the north of the city. Pretty white colonial buildings aside, the streets are shabby in a good way. Busy traffic, lots of shops, street vendors, tea houses, and markets. The canals are murky, smelly things but they add character. There are a surprising number of shops selling Christmas trees and decorations for what otherwise appears to be a Muslim city.

I had a coffee – a great one – from this terrific cafe which had a open lofty seating ares surrounded by trees. It felt like a treehouse. Enjoyed a cigar.

I then walked down to the Glodok neighbourhood, which is the traditional Chinese area where they had a great network of market streets selling produce, household items, herbal medicines, meat and fish.

Dinner of gado gado on a patio. Currently having a cigar and fresh soup sop juice inside at the elegant Cafe Batavia listening to live music (they just played a super funkified version of “My Way”) and smoking a cigar. That’s right…i can smoke inside! Heaven.

Asia Indonesia Trip 2017 Taiwan

Today: Taipei

Heading to Indonesia i decided to fly through somewhere i hadn’t been before and Taipei seemed like a good choice. It’s not a place i had ever thought about going and it didn’t look like a place i would want to spend a whole vacation, but a few days seemed perfect.

I arrived at about 5am after a 13 hour flight. Immigration, express train into the city, a quick map study, and 5 mins later i was at my hostel. The Bouti Capsule City Inn. I don’t usually do dorm rooms anymore but this one was so appealing and the price was right so i gave it a go. The beds are little cubbyholes stacked 2 high with a curtain at the end. When you close it, you have complete privacy. The cubby has lights, power, and is tall enough to sit up in. It suited me just fine. The place had facilities and common areas. I am looking forward to staying there again when I return.

At this end of the trip i was staying for only 1 day and 1 night, so i didn’t have time to waste. I set off at 7am or so, walking. At that time of the morning the city was pretty quiet. Nothing open or going on, but the temples were busy. I visited many that day, but particularly enjoyed the ones in the morning with people praying on their way to work and no other tourists. Late in the day they became tainted by selfie sticks and tours of people in matching shirts. But at 7am i was the only presence which sullied the otherwise peaceful vibes, surreptitiously snapping pictures and observing people in their chanting and incense burning.

The streets started to awaken and then everything became more interesting, but i have to say, based on my one day, Taipei is fine, but not fascinating or exciting to me. Many parts were just like any other fancy big city. Pretty clean and orderly with tidy shops and bike lanes, and traffic that functions familiarly.

Other parts were a bit more ramshackle, but not as interesting or bustle-y as, say, Saigon or Phnom Penh. Also, there are a lot of American chains, which is always a bit of a downer. But the strolling was pleasant. There were so many appealing looking eateries, inside and street side. The problem was the food was either soup or dumplings – both dangerous gambles when you are a vegetarian like me (who did not bother to learn any useful food-related phrases in Mandarin), so i just walked on until i finally broke down and got a rice triangle with mushrooms fro the 7-11. (7-11s in Asia do have remarkable selections of food at very cheap prices).

One thing i noticed was that every conceivable type of product and service will frequently be advertised with cute little Hello Kitty-esque characters. Transport, pharmacies, food items… you name it and there would be candy colored big eyed cartoons staring up at you. I love that stuff and started snapping pictures of some of the characters before i got overwhelmed. Adorable.

I walked through a lively pedestrian shopping area but was exhausted from jet lag ad general lack of sleep. And that’s when i saw a movie theatre with an ad for an American horror movie starting right that minute. It was just the respite i needed. An hour and a half later i emerged reinvigorated.

I took the metro, which is extremely convenient to the Chiang Kai Shek memorial, which was a grand square flanked by 4 impressive structures. There wasn’t much to see, aside from a large statue of the man himself, but it made for some nice pictures.

From there i wandered through a market area – fish, meat, clothes, and soup stalls mostly. Past more temples and then caught the metro up to very fancy shopping district, not for shopping, but to look for a cigar lounge i had read about.

The weather in Taipei was really nice for walking around; cool but warm enough that i didn’t need my hoodie. It was cloudy but did not rain. It would have been fine to sit outside and have a cigar but i didn’t really see any patio type cafes or eateries, but a posh indoor cigar bar sounded great. And it was for the most part. A lovely room, fine leather chairs, a great selection of cubans, and drinks (i has espresso). The downsides? It was quiet. Two guys smoking solo. It was expensive, so i had only one cigar. And the music was this awful, folky stuff that was just so dull. But i had an Asian limited edition Punch torpedo and was quite relaxed.

As i left the cigar lounge i found myself walking by the Taipei 101 tower, once one of the world’s tallest. It is possible to go to the top for the view but on such an overcast day it seemed like a pointless endeavour.

I took the metro and then meandered up the Museum of Contemporary Art. Small but good. It had lot of films and multimedia at the time and some films were truly weird and arty, i just sat on the floor and got lost in them.

Oh, and there was at least one large penis mosaic.

In the evening i just walked the streets around my hostel, which were positively bustling with shoppers and soup and dumpling vendors. I found a street side steamed bun vendor who had a vegetarian option. Success!

I went to bed very early.

All in all a great day. I feel like i saw a lot of the city and got a flavour for it. I will return in about 2 weeks’ time for 2 more days (which i feel like might be a day more than necessary, but there is more i want to see).

Currently on a morning flight for Jakarta. I feel like this post has been boring, but i just didn’t have any misadventures or interesting conversations, and while i had a good time, i wasn’t captivated. Well, we’ll see what’s next.

Asia China Nepal Trip 2016

Shanghai

One of the things i was delighted about in terms of my flights on this trip was that i had a 12 hour, daytime layover in Shanghai. For some reason I’ve never been that excited about visiting China but the pictures of Shanghai that i had seen all looked very nice and i seemed like an ideal spot for a long layover. The really great thing is that China has a 144 hour layover thing where if you have a long layover on the same ticket you can enter the country without a visa. I expected to be hassled at the border, but i was not; i only had to show my ticket onward. The other really great thing is that the airport is connected to the city by the Maglev train – the world’s fastest train, topping out at 301km per hour.

It is more expensive than the slower means of reaching the city, but when time is short, why would you not ride the world’s fastest train? Finding my way and getting tickets was a breeze and before i knew it my train ride was over.

I switched from the Maglev at the end stop to the subway and got off a stop 2 blocks from the Bund in central Shanghai. Success!

The weather in Shanghai was a bit of a shock after blisteringly hot and oppressively humid Delhi. It was cool and raining and the clouds were socked in. It felt like…Vancouver. My first order of business was to get an umbrella. Fortunately the subway ejected me on a decidedly commercial street – high-rises, neon signs, familiar retailers, and less familiar shops all unpleasantly (but interestingly) crowded with shoppers.

Armed with my cartoonishly tiny (child’s?) umbrella i walked to the Bund to get the postcard view of the Pudong district across the river. The Bund is a stately strip along the river, lined with a pleasant pedestrian walk and large, European looking buildings. Across the river is Pudong, which is notable for its conglomeration of modern, almost futuristic looking buildings. Unfortunately, my view was obscured by the clouds, but it still was a pleasant sight.

On a nicer day i might have walked longer along the Bund, but in the rain i decided to take my pictures and head elsewhere. Following my now-soggy map, i easily found my way to Yu Gardens and the surrounding neighbourhood. It was a good walk. I passed through a park, past a bamboo ‘forest’, past small shops, down narrow lanes which were not picturesque, but were filled with interesting dingy eateries and lines of street vendors grilling up meat, fish, tentacles, and tofu.

Exiting the temple complex i found my way to Yu Gardens. At this point it was still raining and everything was so crowded that the gardens didn’t have the serenity i imagined, but they were very beautiful, even as I was constantly assaulted by umbrellas.

From the gardens I was ejected into a super busy area filled with shops and restaurants, super crowded, and surrounded by traditional style buildings. It was a fun area to wander around in. I was starving at this point though so I didn’t linger too long in any shops, but tried to find a place to eat. This proved difficult, as I speak no Mandarin or Cantonese (and for the layover I hadn’t learned anything aside from hello and thank you) and i could not determine what, if anything was vegetarian. Almost every place I went into sold dumplings, which are a vegetarian’s nightmare – doughy mystery bags of (likely) meat. Or there were vendors selling things on sticks that might have been fish, meat, tofu, or gluten, but I couldn’t tell.

Finally i found a place that was buffet style, not as in ‘all you can eat’ but as in i could walk around from station to station and help myself to plates of pre-made food, so i could select identifiable tofu cubes, broccoli, and mushrooms. None of it was particularly good or cheap, but it was filling.

After that i wandered aimlessly. Had i had more time there were other areas i would have checked out, but i started to get nervous about missing my flight (and it was getting dark) so i walked a bit (still in the rain) before heading back to the airport. Shanghai didn’t strike me as a place i would want to purposely holiday in (it just didn’t capture my imagination), but it was a great place for a layover and i would love to have another there (hopefully with better weather). I am aware that some of my lack of enthusiasm for Shanghai was likely due to the weather and the fact that prior to arriving i had gone without sleep for a night, so i was exhausted. A rested me on a sunny day might have had a more favourable account of the same visit.

And with that, another trip concluded and planning for the next to begin.

Asia India Nepal Trip 2016

Return to (New) Delhi

I typed a whole post about this day/night back in Delhi, but lost it somehow. This is an abbreviated version.

I flew from Kathmandu back to New Delhi. The flight was so late or early that I had about 2 hours sleep and felt kind of like garbage, but i did get out and walk around and was finally able to enjoy some Indian food, as I was not sick this time. I walked through the insane traffic in the streets of Pahar Ganj, around the Smyle Inn Hostel where I was staying again.

It was blazingly hot and humid, but i couldn’t sit still. After an afternoon lunch of various curries (where the proprietor tried to change me twice the price on the menu) I walked towards this huge monkey temple I had seen when I taxed to the airport.

In the temple was a labyrinth of rooms leading to “hell”, which various spots to pray and donate money along the way. It was very tacky, but interesting. Some man insisted in giving me a bindi, which i didn’t really want, but accepted to be polite…and then the man wanted $10. He did not get it. I left.

That sour note, aside, i loved Delhi and look forward to visiting other parts of India in the future. For now though, it was time to fly home, via Shanghai.

Asia Nepal Nepal Trip 2016

Viva Nepal!

I arrived back in Kathmandu from Nagarkot mid-afternoon and felt pretty pleased with myself because while the first time i arrived in Kathmandu it was just a confounding tangle of streets and tributaries, this time i was able to give directions to the taxi driver to find my hotel.

I spent the majority of that day in my hotel, partly due to a thunderstorm but mostly due to the hotel i was staying at. As has become my habit, i booked my last two nights in a fabulous hotel. This time is is the Hotel Dalai La. It is gorgeous. Fancy and with a terrific courtyard restaurant. I felt so sloppy on arrival with my dirty clothes and my dirty self, as i had not showered for six days, but not only were they polite to me, but they upgraded me to a superior room. I spent the evening luxuriating in a needed hot shower and watching movies.

This morning, after breakfast, i taxied to Swayambhunath, aka “The Monkey Temple” a hilltop collection of Buddhist and Hindu temples surrounded by trees and countless, curious monkeys. Arriving at the temple involves climbing up 365 steep stairs, flanked by Buddhas and frequented by those ubiquitous monkeys.

The temples at the top are similar to others i have seen on this trip, but it was splendid how crammed together they all were and how busy they were with pilgrims, people praying, and making offerings.

I walked around for quite some time, watching monkeys steal food from people and visiting craft shops (me, not the monkeys). One man, attempted to open my chakras by hitting a large healing bowl with a mallet and moving it about my head, chest, and back. I felt vaguely uncomfortable, which may or may not be the feeling of open chakras.

I descended the mountain, wandered around a few more stupas, spinning prayer wheels as a went, then taxied back to Thamel.

From there i just walked aimlessly for a few hours, weaving with the traffic, declining offers of of guides, rickshaws, taxis, and pashminas. I walked through an area that sold nothing by dentures, then another that sold only textiles. It is all endlessly fascinating.

But come to an end it must. I am now in the excellent courtyard of my hotel having a cigar and dinner and that will be it for me for Nepal. I fly back to New Delhi in the morning. Nepal has been amazing and i have seen only a sliver of it. The takeaway from this is: selecting vacation destinations based on Eddie Murphy movies is an excellent idea.

Asia Nepal Nepal Trip 2016

Nagarkot

I took a taxi from Bhaktapur to Nagarkot, a small village on a mountain in the Kathmandu valley. The only reasons to visit Nagartkot are for hiking and views of the mountains, the latter of which are dependent on the clouds. I could have taken the bus from Bhaktapur for pennies, but seeing the bus from the taxi made me glad that i splurged for the private transportation.

The drive up the mountain seemed to take forever. I kept thinking that we could not possibly go any higher, but we did, up past little shacks and rough looking hotels, higher into the trees.

The village of Nagarkot has a some places selling food and bottled beverages, but other than that it is just accommodations. My plan for spending two nights here was simply to do nothing but hike and read and rest, which is all there is to do.

I am staying at The Hotel At The End of the Universe, which is quite delightful. It has a nice main building with a restaurant and pleasant in and outdoor seating and then the accommodations are set out throughout a variety of cabins and tents. I had a cozy little cabin with a balcony overlooking the trees.

At night and in the mornings here it is quite cold, but it is warm and lovely during the day. I have been on a couple of good hikes. The first day, as i set off on a trail into the forest it did occur to me that no one knew where i was or where i was going and i didn’t have a cell phone, so if i were to, say, fall into a ravine and break my leg (a mishap for me which is well within the realm of possibility) no one would know where i was. I had at least brought water and an extra cigar. The hikes were lovely. Through dry forests and fields of wildflowers, overlooking valleys of tiered farmland.

I saw no one except for three women carrying bundles of sticks along the path.

Of course i cursed the steep hikes up the mountain which ultimately led me back to the main road, which itself was steep and had to be climbed to get back to my hotel, which sits atop a million stairs. Aside from all of this hiking and climbing, i have just been sitting around, reading, and drinking tea.

Last night there was a torrential rain storm, which turned to hail of apocalyptic proportions. There was no electricity so i, one of the employees, and a girl from the UK but living in Bangkok, sat in the main building, chatting by candlelight, and waiting for the weather to let up. During this, there was also an earthquake, though not enough to cause any disruption.

My time in Nagarkot has been thoroughly relaxing and pleasant, as i had hoped for. The views of the mountains have been obscured by haze and cloud, but it has been lovely all the same. This was the best view of the Himalayas that i got…

Asia Nepal Nepal Trip 2016

Prayers and Squares in Bhaktapur

One doesn’t really need two days in Bhaktapur, but i had given myself two days for a more relaxing pace. This proved to be just fine. On my second day i was able to be leisurely in a way that i could not if i had to cram in sightseeing. I awoke at about 5am and shortly thereafter the square awakened. The large temple right outside my window had its door unlocked and then the bell ringing began. People began to enter the temple and each person that entered rang the bell at the threshold several times before entering. The men arrived empty handed but the women all arrived carrying brass trays on which (as best as i could tell) was a few smaller vessels filled with oil and some sort of power, as well as lots of flower petals, and in some cases bananas. I could see through the latticework on the windows that candles were lit. (Non-Hindus may not enter the temple so whatever else happened inside is a mystery.) this carried on for several hours. I also saw women climbing the stairs at the ruined temples and scattering flower petals and something else. When people left the temples they had flower petals on their heads.

I enjoyed my morning coffee at a decidedly western looking cafe called Beans, which had comfy sofas, excellent coffee, and a broad view of the square.

After breakfast i set out wandering. I wanted to find “potters square” (a square where pottery is made, dried, and decorated) and another more far flung square with more temples and whatnot. Of course it is really more about the walk than anything. For example, I came across a group of men pulling by a large rope a massive wheeled cart, for what purpose i do not know, but it was squarely medieval in appearance.

I took a wrong turn heading for potters square and ended up walking through a residential area by the river, where the unpaved roads and brick buildings were in poor repair but it was interesting to see the goings on. A family of pigs picking through trash at the river bank, women sorting sticks for sale for what i do not know, people selling produce, women doing laundry. And of course, the requisite temples.

Turning back i came across potters square, which was tiny, but nice, with men creating the pots on wheels, women laying pottery in the sun to dry and glazing it, and people tending to straw covered kilns. And of course there were various vendors of the finished products.

I then set off for Tachupal Tole, which proved to be a lovely walk and a pretty square, marred only by some peripheral construction. Goats wandered about and men stood in groups watching the construction efforts. Tourists passed through in groups snapping pictures.

There was a large well in the square and women ceaselessly lowered jugs on ropes to the bottom, filling them with water, hoisting them out, emptying them into a large vessel, and repeated. It is amazing to think how luck those of us are who need only turn on a tap.

I sat in the square and had water and a lassi before strolling on, pausing just long enough to enjoy some of the erotic carvings on the main temple. (You’ll notice that in the picture below the woman is washing her hair while getting rogered. I found that funny.)

And that was pretty much it for me for the day. Aimless wanderings, beverages, and not much else. I had plans for the evening, but they were cut short when a huge windstorm came up, shaking the windows and ringing all of the bells violently. I a city it would have still been fine to walk around, but here, with unpaved roads and so much broken brick and piles of dry dirt from the reconstruction, one would have been blinded by all of the dust swirling about. So i stayed put, reading my book by flashlight, and going to bed very early, which was fine.

Asia Nepal Nepal Trip 2016

Bhaktapur: The King of Curds

Leaving Kathmandu my next stop was Bhaktapur. It is a medieval city which is easily visited as a day trip from Kathmandu, but it sounded nice and small and pretty and i thought would be pleasant to spend a couple of nights there.

I arrived at the Shiva Guest house, which is right on the main square. A perfect location.

My comfortable, albeit a bit shabby, 2nd floor room looks directly onto the square with a large temple so close i could hit it with a satsuma if i wished. (I do not.) i picked this place because it is well located but specifically because i wanted to enjoy the square at night, after the day trippers had left. I was not disappointed. My first night was so peaceful. I strolled around and then sat in the square with a cup of lemon ginger honey tea and a cigar and watched the area quieten to pigeons and dogs.

It’s great here. Very quiet and chill. Still overly friendly guides and vendors of things, but there are fewer of them. Also far fewer cars. Sadly the earthquake damage here was quite bad. Some temples ruined but also blocks of traditional brick and intricately carved wood houses gone or lying in ruin. People here seem to think that more reconstruction could have been done since the disaster (a year ago next month), but the work is done so slowly and by hand, without the use of much equipment from what i could see.

Earthquakes aside, there is so much to see here. I explored on my first day. Maps really are of little help. Occasionally i can pull mine out and figure out where i am, but i have no idea how i got there. No matter though, wandering brings its own rewards.

I had a lunch of mo mos and yak cheese and looked out on the square, then walked more, until i had had my fill and returned to my room for some downtime before enjoyed the aforementioned evening on the square.

Food wise, Bhaktapur is famous for one thing – yogurt. Their yogurt is considered to be the best in the land and is referred to as “The King of Curds”. You can get it just about anywhere, but there are a number of dingy hole in the wall joints that sell nothing but the creamy stuff from earthenware pots.

Of course i had to try some. It is pretty great. Super creamy but not overly smooth, just a bit lumpy. It is plain and each bite had me wavering between whether it is sweetened or not. It is made from buffalo milk. One bite tasted tangy, the next sweet. The crown is well deserved.

I also got to see people cooking up mo mos, which i had not previously seen. Steaming them in large flat vessels. Mo mos in Nepal generally come in three varieties: veg, chicken, and “buff” (buffalo).

The animals here are pretty standard – dogs, pigeons, and crows – but i did see this creature walking around the square and then napping in an archway. I have no idea what it is. A really big goat? A small, female yak? An undefinable, demonic, horned beast? Either way, it was not attractive and clearly wanted to be left alone.

Asia Nepal Nepal Trip 2016

Patan

On my last day in Kathmandu before going out of the city i decided to visit Patan. Patan is a separate city from Kathmandu, known as the city of arts, but with Kathmandu’s sprawl, it now feels simply like a suburb. The drive never left the city, though it was as interesting drive as Kathmandu away from the tourist sights is quite different. More graffiti, a few sad looking malls, a couple of movie theatre. All very poor looking, but organized and functional. The traffic stuck to its proper sides of the street (unlike in Thamel).

Patan’s main sight is its Durbar Square, which is similar to that in Kathmandu but with a bit more variety in the buildings that survived the earthquake.

All around the square were winding streets with shops selling masks, paintings, and jewelry. And of course there were temples and shrines. It seems that every block has one, and judging by the spilled wax and scattered flower petals, they are in use.

I really enjoyed Patan. There were the same amount of guides hassling for business, but it seemed quieter and more peaceful than Kathmandu. Nothing particularly exciting happened, but i had a lovely time, wandering mapless, and stopping for coffee or tea when i found just the right spot.

A word about coffee. They have their own coffee beans here and when they are well prepared in a nice pourover or espresso, they are excellent, but most places serve Nescafe or something equally unpalatable. When you find a good place though the coffee here is excellent.

The rest the day was spent hanging out in Thamel, cigar smoking, reading, eating dinner. Nothing interesting but all pleasant. I was, however, ready to move on.

Wandering North

Tag: Asia

Arrival in Yogyakarta

Jakarta

Today: Taipei

Shanghai

Return to (New) Delhi

Viva Nepal!

Nagarkot

Prayers and Squares in Bhaktapur

Bhaktapur: The King of Curds

Patan