AROUND THE KATHMANDU VALLEY – Bhaktapur

Bhaktapur also named Bhadgaon (old name) or Khwopa (Newari name) is one of the best preserved medieval city-states in the Katmandu Valley, and also a great destination to escape Kathmandu craziness by bike, taxi, bus or minibus.
 

Located on the old trade route from India to Tibet, many of the city's most iconic buildings date from the rule of King Yaksha Malla (1428-82). The city suffered major damages during the 1934 earthquake but locals were able to restore an important part of it, and the 1500 NPR tourists entry fee is supposed to go into protecting and maintaining the temples. I also find out the Bhaktapur's streets were paved and restored in the 1970's by the Germanfounded Bhaktapur Development Project, which also established proper sewage and waste-water management facilities.

One can find anything on the back streets

I really enjoyed taking the time to walk around as there is so much details into each temples, and the city's atmosphere is pretty laid back.
 

Potter's Square with women separating rice in the background

Live pottery making!

View from the rooftop of my hotel

My 2 cents on Nepal

Nepal is without a doubt a country of diverse and colorful cultural and natural heritages. Contrasting with this richness, poverty is everywhere perceptible and extreme natural events such as this year Typhoon Vongfong and Cyclone Hudhud only aggravates this situation. What comes next to my mind is the fact that Nepal remains an active seismic zone. If an important earthquake was to occur today, it would cause massive damage to the densely packed and precariously build infrastructures filling the Katmandu valley.

Another indisputable reality is the important and fast increasing pollution of the more densely populated cities. I was told that the main responsible cause of child mortally remains untreated respiratory infections. I haven't verified this statement but I did noticed a runny nose on every single child's face... I might be overly sensitive but I did get an eye infection and irritated throat and lungs while I was in Katmandu, and believe me, it is seriously difficult to breath while walking the streets.

I also observed a palpable pessimism among Nepali younger generation. I believe this state of mind might be a direct consequence of Nepal being cut off from the progress and social transformation observed within the neighbor countries. If the oppressive social hierarchy of the caste system is no more, the perverse impacts of the 1904 road build by the British into Tibet to Lhasa is now behind, and the number of tourist increased from 500 277 in 2008 to 800 000 in 2012, why working and migrating to India and elsewhere is still predominant?

Every single Nepali I spoke with shared the same dream of being provided with an opportunity to leave Nepal.
 

Intrigued I searched for answers and found real optimism in Sujeev Shakya's book,Unleashing Nepal, which I highly recommend reading. As stated in the foreword of the book:
“Nepal faces two starkly different but equally viable paths to the future – the way of China and the way of India”. “Democratie comes easily to us in India because India has historically 'accumulated' its diverse groups who retain their distinctiveness while identifying themselves as Indian.” Something one can easily observe while travelling India, particularly here in Goa where there seem to be no difference between Catholics and Hindus. “China, on the other hand, has 'assimilated' its people into a common, homogeneous society. China is a melting pot in which differences disappear while India and Nepal are like a salad bowl in which the constituents retain their identify”.
 

I sincerely which a prosperous future filled with attractive life opportunities for these honest and generous people. 

There is so much more for me to learn from the people and to explore from these contrasting landscapes. With the hope to come explore further in the near future ;)

Kathmandu

October 1st to October 3rd

I MADE IT TO KATHMANDU!

Overview of Katmandu from the Monkey Temple

So in short, I left my place in Lisbon October 1st at 6h30 am and arrived in Kathmandu the following day at 15h35. From the airport I went strait to the Excel Hotel situated in the Thamel area of Kathmandu.

No need to say that after travelling and waiting for so long, Kathmandu was an awakening of all my senses! Really exciting place for which I will need to set some time to explore a little bit more.  

Thamel, Kathmandu

During my short stay Nepalese celebrated the end of one of their most important festival, the Dashain. This is a 15-day-long national festival celebrated by Nepalese people throughout the globe.This festival is also known for its emphasis on the family gatherings, as well as on a renewal of community ties. People return from all parts of the world, as well as different parts of the country, to celebrate together. All government offices, educational institutions and other offices remain closed during the festival period.

Later on I meet 2 staff of Projects Abroad and other volunteers who like me, were about to embark on a fantastic journey... 

Here are some photos of the Monkey Temple we visited the second day....

Monkey Temple, Kathmandu

One of the many inhabitants of the Monkey Temple

Buddhist monks observing the tourists....

Overview of Kathmandu from the Temple

Nepal VISA application

Among the many items listed as TO DO before departure, applying for a VISA in order to be provided with an authorization to enter Nepal, was one of the priorities.

Something I did not know, but turns out to be crucial, throughout the VISA application process, is the need to hold a passport which expire 6 months after the return date. Taking into account that the passport must be sent together with the application to the Nepal Consulate...

Good news, I just received my newly printed passport, valid until 2019!
Pretty fast, only 5 days and voilà!

Next step, finding what, where and when to apply for the Nepal VISA.

What: a Tourism VISA valid for the duration of my stay in Nepal (8-10 weeks)
there are 3 options:
1 to 1 5 days (33 euros)
16 to 30 days (48 euros)
31 to 90 days (108 euros)

Where: Well, I was first informed to send my application to the Nepal Consulate by mail. After exchanging with various people on the subject, someone outlined that it was also possible to simply apply for the VISA upon my arrival at the Katmandu airport.

This will definitively facilitate my planning as I also need to mail my passport to the India Consulate and consequently, would run out of time. The problem is that in both cases, the validation of the VISA starts upon its approval by the responsible authorities and not based on travel dates.

When: upon my arrival at the Katmandu airport.

As a reminder, I need to fill and print the online application form, purchase regular passport photos and insure I have sufficient money (cash $) with me when arriving in Katmandu.