People From All Walks Of Life: Kathmandu wanderings….

A year ago, Chunman had the opportunity to attend a school administrators conference in Dubai. At that time, my passport was in the hands of the authorities being processed for my resident permit. So, even if I wanted to accompany her to Dubai it simply wasn't possible. So, you can imagine my enthusiasm when she told me this years (2013) conference was going to be held in Kathmandu. If she was going, there was no way I was not going along for the ride!!!

As a family, we were first in Kathmandu 15 years ago. At that time we trekked through the Annapurna region and also spent a couple of days in Chitwan National Park seeing the elephants. Before and after those trips the girls and I wandered through the capital of Kathmandu and the nearby cities of Patan and Bhaktapur. It would be an understatement to say I was excited at the opportunity to revisit Kathmandu and see how the city had changed in the intervening years.

What did I discover? Well the city had definitely flexed its muscles and urban sprawl stretched out all the way to the foothills that surrounded the city. Traffic seemed denser and streets that were kinda uncrowded were now chock full of traffic of all shapes, sizes and speeds. I did not notice many high rise buildings, but the signs of development were everywhere in the shops, buildings and structures could be seen up and down the streets. However, the city still retained the charm and seeming innocence we remembered from our visit 15 years ago. Shopkeepers were interested in where you were from and what you were doing in Kathmandu. Shrines, stupas and temples still dotted the city, popping up everywhere you looked, with throngs of Hindu and Tibetan faithful going through their daily prayers… A feast for all the senses, Kathmandu seemed to retain its deep sense of culture, history and that unique mix of east and west, old and new that first drew me to this city so many years ago...

View looking south from the footbridge over Kantipath Road… Lots of vehicles going every which way, horns honking...

Lots of calm, sedate dogs everywhere… The crush of people and the noise don't seem to bother them...

Couple of girls selling shoes, socks, and underwear at a makeshift side walk stall to the north of As an Tole...

One of the more interesting loads of the day...

Candles for the gods, at a small shrine near Asan Tole...

Trio of cuties...

Pots and bowls of all shapes and sizes hanging in front of one of the many stalls in the area...

Lots of festive masks...

Pigeons have taken over the square at the Jana Bahal Temple...

Prayer wheels ring the Jana Bahal Temple… Om...

Old and new...

Is this sadhu for real or just one of several outside Durbar Square looking to make a quick rupee...

Statue outside one of the many shrines north of Durbar Square; pooch is snoozing in the October sun, oblivious to everything happening around it...

One of many rickshaw drivers willing to take passengers on a tour of the sights between Thamel and Durbar Square; this one is catching up on the days news...