Let's Travel Nepal Kathmandu

Nepal, a Country Surrounded by Everest and the Himalaya:

This week, besides the world-known mountains and peaks; I will try to give information about Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, whose deep historical and mystical works are not mentioned much, although it deserves to be. country of Nepal; Although it is like an eye looking at the world from above in the middle of a geography surrounded by Everest and Himalayan heights, it is a very special place where calm people live and lead their lives in a very different way from the rest of the world.

During the arrival by the airline used for transportation to Kathmandu-Nepal; If the weather conditions are right, you will have incredible views from airplane windows that you will not easily see in your lifetime. Between the snow-covered mountains and peaks at all times of the year; You will find yourself face to face with the city of Kathmandu by shuddering in the company of the lush green geography with high hills and plateaus and you will feel as if you are landing in the middle of the city, which will be true, because the airport is in the middle of the city. Due to its geography, Kathmanda-Nepal, which is one of the airports where the most difficult flight operations in the world, is mentioned in the media from time to time due to the plane crashes.

The visa required for entry into the country is offered to the arriving passengers in the relevant section of the terminal for a fee. It is useful to check the web page before coming, as changes are made in the required documents and fee schedule from time to time. If you have not coordinated before exiting the terminal, taxi will be the only alternative to go to your accommodation. In places where there is no rail system, renting a car will be a heart-wrenching activity. Although the roads have changed from dusty soil to partial asphalting over the years, there are no roads that you are used to and know. In addition to the left-hand traffic, there is an incredibly complex traffic. In this city where honking is a ritual; Driving a vehicle with engines from almost all sides without hitting you (I can't understand how) can be difficult for foreigners here. Especially since the roads in many parts of the city are really narrow, it makes driving difficult for those who do not know these places.

For this reason, it is extremely important to benefit from the opportunities of the guide and driver during the trip in terms of comfort and stress level. In addition to many temples (Hindu and Buddhist) that you can encounter almost everywhere in the city, even between houses, it is necessary not to ignore the option of going to temples located outside the city, especially for the purpose of watching religious rituals more easily. When you want to cross the street as a pedestrian in places where there is no light, you will definitely need to take into account the heavy motor traffic. Taxi fares are not very high and are reasonable. This geography, where tipping is not obligatory, even strange, has a feature that can be attractive in terms of prices.

Reaching Nirvana:

Some of the people who come to visit these places; has the aim of "reaching Nirvana" by going through many stages in life, having no financial problems. In this context, you can see many Buddhist monks, especially European and American people over a certain age, on the plane, in the city and around you. This process, which is a part of the Buddhism belief and can be briefly described as getting away from worldly pleasures while living, includes quite exotic and interesting stages. The reason why this geography is for this process, which is an element other than the rituals performed in the temples, is a phenomenon that can only be understood when we come here.

Swayambhunath Stupa (Monkeys) Temple:

In the city and in daily life, you will see people who have been brought up mainly under Indian, then Chinese and Tibetan cultures, as being extremely calm and helpful towards foreigners. Kathmandu is one of the rare regions in the world where there will be no problems day and night in terms of security. Despite walking for days, you will see almost no police or security guards around you. I think it's probably because there isn't much need for it. One of the most famous of these temples is the "Swayambhunath Stupa (Monkeys)" Temple located in the west center of the city. Thousands of monkeys are found all over the temple in this temple, which can be reached by climbing high stairs, sometimes they pass in front of you in flocks or jump from one section to another. Although it does not have aggressive features, it is useful to be careful due to hygiene and epidemics. If you have food with you and they smell it, they do not leave your surroundings easily. Especially if you have food in your hand or in a visible place, know that they will definitely try to get it. By the way, in order not to meet the current disease "Monkey Pox", you need to be very careful about monkeys, which are often in daily life.

Cremation Ceremonies:

Another interesting activity in the city center is the "cremation" ritual. This activity, which seems quite different to us, may not be quite different and pleasant to some of us. This activity is carried out in a designated area by the river, together with religious officials and relatives of the deceased. This event can be watched from the designated area (about 50-100 meters away) for those outside the family. The odor that emerges during the activity may affect some of us, but it is not at a significant level. Admission to and visiting the temples and watching the aforementioned cremation are free.

Town center:

I think it would not be wise to return without buying a cashmere product while you are here. It is very enjoyable to shop in the city center, which is equipped with shops reminiscent of Mahmutpaşa in the city center. In addition to many authentic products, you can find very high quality contract products of world famous brands at extremely affordable prices here. Winter clothing materials are reasonable and high quality in terms of variety and price. Cashmere and wool products are available in a wide variety and at a very affordable price.

There are restaurants for every geographical cuisine in the city, and their prices are reasonable or even cheap. As an example, I can give a large pizza and a soft drink about 6-8 dollars. I would like to remind you that if you prefer to eat in restaurants and do not have a reservation, you can wait around 20 minutes. Far eastern cuisine is also heavily preferred in the city. Exchange offices are quite frequent in order to change money, and they exchange money without commission.

If you want to fully watch and witness the true traces of Buddhism, you will need to devote 1 full day to it. After a tiring and winding 1-1.5 hour drive from the city center, the Nepal-Bhutan Monastery, located at the foot of the mountain, is a very impressive place. When you come here, you will be greeted and directed by the officials and Buddhist monks in training. You enter the temple by removing your shoes and you are asked to be quiet so that the spiritual atmosphere is not disturbed. Afterwards, you are allowed to watch while religious ceremonies are held at certain times of the day, and masala tea is served in between. The return journey begins, as it gets dark early as a result of the activities that take about 2-3 hours inside, and as a result of the outdoor activities and photo shoots. Therefore, it will be enough to spare a day for this place.

Tours for Everest are available at the hotel reception and hostels where you stay, but they are available at many tourist information kiosks in the city centre. If you have a time constraint and you want to observe these events without going to the temple outside the city, you can visit the Stupa Heritage area in the city center. In fact, the city of Kathmandu is a combination of three separate small cities that were divided by the king for three princes at the time. For this reason, it is a great benefit to visit these places with a guide who knows the subject. Each of these three cities has a separate "Durbar Square" area and very special temples and historical monuments there. It is a very special area with the conveniences of royal families and aristocrats and historical facilities. During the daytime, you may not be able to enjoy your tour very much due to the heat and overcrowding. For this reason, I can guarantee that you will enjoy much more if you visit these places at night.

Kumari: The Living Goddess

In addition, people living in the temple in the region very close to these places were chosen according to their own beliefs. Since the "Living Goddess", which they call "KUMARI" from young girls, shows herself from the window on a certain number of days a year and at a certain time, such as 15:00-16:00, it is possible to encounter a crowd at the confluence level. The goddess (young girl) they call Kumari loses this feature with puberty (menstruation), and is replaced by another goddess chosen as a result of very strict stages. So to speak, the feet of these goddesses, who were kept alive in cotton, should not touch the ground, their hands should not be cut, etc. He has to live with some restrictions.

By the way, it is worth mentioning that the number of 4-5 star hotels in the city is very limited and there are Guest Houses converted from hostels and houses.

I wish you pleasant and peaceful travels.