Last Day in Kathmandu: Bhaktapur and Changu Narayan

While I felt the need to go up to Gaunshahar soon and begin my first volunteering project, I still had one more place I wanted to see. Changu Narayan is not too far east of Kathmandu, and it makes a great day trip. It is purportedly the oldest temple in Nepal, and I could not resist the call.

This morning I was treated to a nice breakfast of fried rice! I also really enjoy this coffee mug.

While eating breakfast, we heard some music coming from the streets. It was a wedding! I could not see it from my hotel rooftop, but I did get to record the music.

The first part of getting from Kathmandu to Changu Narayan is a bus ride to Bhaktapur. After getting out of the traffic of Kathmandu, the countryside is pretty nice. I took a video from the bus.

Bhaktapur is a beautiful town and less busy than Kathmandu. It has the most temples per square foot of any city in Nepal. Some people even recommend staying here for a day or two, and I can see why. I didn't have a lot of time here since I wanted to have enough time to see all of Changu Narayan. I was able to take some nice pictures though.

I found a local guide while in Bhaktapur. We elected to wait for the bus to Changu Narayan, but he warned me that with the Hindu holiday of Dashain fast approaching, there may not be one. After a half hour of waiting, we luckily were able to catch a bus up the mountain, saving us a lot of time. The countryside leading up from Bhaktapur to Changu Narayan is even more breathtking than on the ride from Kathmandu. I was able to take some nice pictures and videos from my seat.

As we made our way farther up the mountain, the view opened up to some nice shots of Kathmandu Valley. But these would be nothing compared to the views available at the top of the mountain.

Finally the bus let us off at the top of the mountain, right outside the entrance to Changu Narayan. It certainly has one of the most beautiful locations of any of the temples that i have seen. Supposedly built in the 4th century A.D. during the Licchvi Dynasty, its centerpiece is a temple to Vishnu. Other gods have their shrines placed throughout the temple courtyard.

Greeting us at the bus stop was a nice pond with a statue of Buddha.

Centuries ago when this site was still at its zenith, people would have bathed in this pool. When unplugged, the tap still provides fresh spring water today.

There are some really wonderful views of the valley from here.

After passing by some shopkeeps and restaurants, we approached the threshold of the actual temple of Changu Narayan.

The view from a balcony on the stairs up to the temple.

Walking through the threshold into the courtyard of Changu Narayan.

The central temple to Vishnu.

Elephants guard this side.

This place boasts some impressive and intricate architecture.

It seems I was very lucky again today, as the inner sanctum of the temple was open at the time I happened to be here! While I was not allowed to take photos, I was able to come up to the open doors and offer puja. I received blessings and tikka from the holy man just inside the temple doors. It was truly an honor to be able to receive blessings from such an ancient and powerful site.

We walked around the area outside of the temple to enjoy some wonderful views from the mountaintop.

A very old snake statue!

There is a lot of rebuilding still happening after the 2015 earthquakes.

These rails were once used to facilitate carting building materials up the mountainside.

Babies!

I love this photo with the winding river! On my side of the river you can see Bhaktapur. On the far side of the river is Kathmandu.

I gave puja at this shrine which contains several goddesses.

After finishing at the temple, we made our way back through the village to enjoy some lunch and for me to do some shopping. The locals here are very nice. It's a beautiful place to live. I enjoyed shopping for some clothes at a much better price than you can find anywhere in Kathmandu.

The bus never came to take us back down, but luckily it was early enough in the day that we were able to make the 2.5 hour walk back down to Bhaktapur. Walking was really nice as it allowed me to take some more intimate pictures of the countryside than were possible from the bus. As I talked to my guide, who was impressed with my knowledge of the Hindu practices, I told him that while it is a great honor to participate in these traditions, that I do not consider myself a part of any specific religion. He replied that we are all of the same blood.

A stone mile marker!

My guide showed me some handy shortcuts!

Corn, or, as they call it around here, maize.

I love these little multicolored flowers.

Another shortcut.

This shortcut took us past a holy peepal tree.

They grow in a very interesting way. The vines draping down from the end of the long branches will eventually touch and grow into the ground, providing additional support for the heavy and long branches. This can make it look like a tree with two trunks, or two trees grown together, but it is actually one tree.

I love the way these pillars are crafted to look like snakes wrapping around tree trunks.

A lot of bricks are needed to aid in post-earthquake reconsruction.

My guide pointed out this brick factory.

Back in Bhaktapur. My guide indicated a shortcut through the fields to get to the bus stop much faster than the way I would have taken on my own.

Even in a smaller town like Bhaktapur, the power lines are a mess. Still, this pole frames the sunset rather nicely.

As I waited for my bus back to Kathmandu to depart, a rather curious drumline made its way right past my window! It seems almost everywhere I goon this trip, I hear some people playing music.

Back in Kathmandu, I decided to walk a little further to a smaller bus stop instead of taking the crammed and busy bus from the Thamel area. It was a good choice, as I passed by this wall with some fascinating street art.

It looks like some of this art has to do with the recent earthquakes.

I see these signs a lot around Nepal, and I swear that, to my knowledge, my family has no involvement.

It was another full day. I had a nice dinner and chatted with a couple new guests at my hotel, and then went to bed early in preparation to leave at 5:30 in the morning for a very long bus ride up to Besisahar.