The Three Kingdoms

As I'd expected, having my friend Emmeline in tow definitely gave me more motivation to explore and we managed to fit in some good sight-seeing in our first few days together, all centred around the Kathmandu Valley. From the 15th - 18th century, central Nepal was split into three kingdoms: Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur. There was intense rivalry between the kings, each of whom tried to outdo the others by building the most exquisite temples and buildings in their Palace Square (known as Durbar Square, in each city). Many of these monuments are still standing today.

On our first day together we set off for Patan. We took a "safa tempo" to get there, which is a bit like a communal auto-rickshaw - a very bumpy ride but a new travel experience nonetheless! There was a nice walking tour of the old town in the Lonely Planet, so after an energising cup of tea, we set off. It was a really nice way to see some of the quieter cobbled back-streets and hidden squares, which we wouldn't have otherwise come across.

Local men in Patan's Durbar Square

In the backstreets...

A lunchtime beer overlooking Durbar Square

Having walked all over Patan we then took a taxi up to Swayambhunath, a Buddhist temple on a hilltop overlooking Kathmandu. The whitewashed dome of the stupa is topped by a golden spire, on which the Buddha's eyes are painted (including a third eye representing his enlightenment). Pilgrims circumnavigate the stupa, spinning the prayer wheels which are set into its base. It was quite busy but felt fairly peaceful. We found a bar and a beer and watched the sun set over the city.

Swayambhunath

The sun sets over the temple site

The following day we headed to Bhaktapur, where I had celebrated the Nepalese New Year. We had planned to do another Lonely Planet walking tour here but in the end we decided to create our own version involving fewer temples and shrines (we were a bit "temple-d out" after Patan), more shops and a longer lunch! Bhaktapur is the best-preserved of the medieval cities and definitely my favourite of the three - it's really beautiful.

Bhaktapur

After lunch we headed up into the mountains, to the small village of Nagarkot. People come here for the spectacular views of the Himalayas, but although we'd had a clear blue sky in the morning, a grey mist descended as we drove higher up into the mountains. We had treated ourselves to a nice hotel where we should have been able to see the views from the roof terrace and restaurant - even from our room - but instead we were looking out over clouds and mist. Luckily the hotel had a nice cosy bar with a log fire and an extensive wine list - the perfect accompaniment to a good catch up on the year since we last saw each other!

Somewhere behind that mist are snow-capped Himalayan peaks!

The next day we took a couple of local buses to get back down to Kathmandu, where we commenced our third and final Lonely Planet walking tour! I enjoyed this one the most as it took us past some interesting market squares and shops as well as the usual temples and shrines! We ended up in Kathmandu's famous Durbar Square, which was just packed with stunning buildings. 

On the streets of Kathmandu...

The Royal Palace, Kathmandu

Kathmandu's Durbar Square

We found a nice rooftop bar where we watched the sun set over the city. Rooftop restaurants and bars seem to be a feature of this country and we have certainly made good use of them for lunches, drinks and dinners!

Time for another beer...