Kathmandu

We had four weeks in Nepal. Aside from a week away to trek in the mountains and visit Chitwan National Park in the south, we spent three weeks in the Kathmandu Valley town of Lalitpur, We stayed at the same old hotel there, making friends, painting murals, enjoying Diwali, and just generally exploring neighborhoods and the Kathmandu area.

Lalitpur, also known as Patan and Yala is across the river from Kathmandu. It is a center for fine arts and crafts. Like Kathmandu and Bhaktapur, it is a former kingdom and its former palace area is the Patan Durbar Square. Our previous time in Nepal (many years ago) we stayed in Kathmandu center, so this time we decided to base in Lalitpur and we really enjoyed it. Aside from our trek and safari at Chitwan, we spent a total of three weeks there. Some of the things we did need their own posts, e.g. we were there for Diwali - wonderful. But Patan is so photogenic - we have some random pictures to share.

Architecture and Street Life

We happened upon a street parade one day. It was just after and still in the glow of Diwali and its festive spirit. The parade seemed like it might have to do with something different though. When we mentioned to some Nepali friends that it included an elderly man in a chariot, they explained that certain birthdays are very important and celebrated by the whole community. 77.7.7 is one, as is 90, which seemed to be the operant number here.

And walking around, there is so much Newari architecture everywhere. It's a beautiful place.

Check your weight on my scale, sir or madam?

There are so many stores of religious statuary. There are clearly many artisans about.

At first telecon wiring seems a bit untidy, but on inspection it's more organized than it appears

Someone brought a harmonium into Hari's shop to be tuned. I asked to see the inside.

As mentioned, there are many shops of statuary and art.

Temples, Stupas, and Shrines

It seems that every few feet is a shrine or stupa or temple, from simple neighborhood stupas to major sites like the Golden Temple in Paton or Boudhamath in Kathmandu.

Child with vajra

Whitewashing stupa Boudhanath as devotional act

Our Hotel in Lalitpur - Boutique Heritage Home

We don't feature our hotels much in this blog. We've had some great stays, but we liked this one so much as a place to work, relax, and meet new people, that we stayed for three weeks. The manager, Sajesh and the other four staff were part of our every day. We met Hari Lal Nepali and his family. Hari operates a traditional instrument sales and repair shop in the neighborhood. His specialty is making (and playing!) Newari Madal drums. Teresa filled one of his large outside store shutters with drums in a beautiful mural. I made an AR overlay for it and am working on an app for him that you can play. More on all that in another post.

The hotel garden

My favotite work site

Inside the hotel

BHH Manager Sajesh Maharjan and us on our last day

Festivals

Festival season in Patan's Darber Square

Hot Club of Patan

One day I was sitting in the garden and heard someone playing Django Reinhardt style guitar across the wall. Then, recordings of "gypsy jazz" bands playing all the time. I love that genre - how can it be next store in Nepal? So I went out and followed the sound through alleyways to discover that right next store is a restaurant and guesthouse known as Yalamul Garden / Gypsy Swing Patan. We got to know Riken, the ownser of the restaurant and a wonderful guitar player and organizer for The Hot Club of Patan. We made fast friends with Ben Errington, the violinist and traveling Scot who seems to have been all over Asia and though his "home" genre is American Appalachian music, gets the Grappelli sound and idiom spot on with a bit of his own fire. And Amit one of the waiters who we always enjoy seeing in our hangs there. When HCP plays, its a club atmosphere and great vibe to meet other people. Here are a few of the videos I took one night.

Goodbye Nepal for now.