Third Day in Kathmandu: Durbar Square and Shree Bhadrakali Temple

Today I decided to go check out Durbar Square. I called up my new Nepali friend, Alex, and met up with him near Pashupatinath. He is another eccentric and philosophically-minded human in Kathmandu. He is prone to going off on tangents of deep spiritually-focused ideations, and he is a big lover of Rock and Roll music, especially AC/DC.

On our way to the central dowtown Kathmandu, we stopped at another little Hindu temple with all of the different gods arranged in a circle.

This kitty was hanging out around the temple.

Once we got to the Durbar Square area, I was amazed at the way that everything was bigger and busier in this part of the city. And I thought Ring Road was busy!

This clock tower was one of the huge structures that greeted me in this part of the city.

This is a statue of one of the old kings of Nepal.

 Now that we were in the center of the city, we proceeded to check out the royal palace, Narayanhiti, which today is only a museum. No cameras are allowed past the gate, so I don't have any pictures from this place. I will only say that it was exuding the decadence and excess I would expect of the dwelling place of any monarch. It was a nifty history lesson, but I think I prefer the  temples.

This is the only picture I have of the Narayanhiti Palace. It is taken from outside the perimeter.

This sign gives an accurate description of how coffee makes me feel.

  Another photo and video of an old worshipping place smack-dab in the middle of Thamel. We only stopped here to have a veggie burger for lunch, as the rest of the shops are too expensive in this area of the city. Shopping is better done in other parts of the city, or even in the further-out towns, as you can get a much better price on just about everything.

 

 After a quick lunch, we had only a littlle time left in the day, so we decided to go check out Ratna park. It was much smaller than I expected, but it provided some interesting photos and videos.

These are some unusual-looking geese. I try to talk to them in this video.

The last place we visited before I took my bus home was the mystical shrine of Bhadrakali. It was very active at the time at which we arrived.

I took this photo on the way to Bhadrakali. The juxtaposition of the junk-filled rubbish heap of tires, with the elegant old architecture rising above made for a poignant contrast.

The Shree Bhadrakali temple is another place set in the middle of a busy downtown area. It is marked with a giant red "Om" symbol.

This huge lion guards the shrine.

People worshipping the deity within were shaking and flailing their bodies about in apparent ecstasy. Apparently the god was entering them. When I went to make my puja, I did not have such an experience, but it was a calming and pure feeling nonetheless.

 The people, for whatever reason, let Alex and me cut in front of a long line. Despite how esoteric this place seemed, the locals were very welcoming of me as a took off my shoes and eagerly made my ay up to the centerpiece. We dropped a couple flowers we brought from the park at the feet of a buddha statue and gave puja at the heart of the shrine. The locals indicated where to place my incense. I felt quite peaceful after leaving.

The enigmatic Alex and I pose for a selfie.

Representing Arise Festival all the way across the globe!!! (Dust masks are necessary when passing through the busy and polluted streets.)

This relic was built in the name of martyrs past.

Good lord, this place is incredibly crowded! Unfortunately  had to make the plunge into this mess in order to pack into a bus back to my hotel.

 The bus ride was so packed that everybody literally squeezed in, pressing tighter than was comfortable. Some people were hanging out the door of the bus and holding on to things in the inside. As intense as this ordeal sounds, everyone did it with a nonchalant attitude. I guess it is normal around here.

Finally back to my hotel, I was treated to another delicious homecooked meal. yum!

The rose that Alex gifted me as a welcome present. I have met some of the most welcoming and enthusiastic people here!