Although rather polluted and noisy, Kathmandu is a fascinating place where people, markets, and temples co-exist in close proximity. Although Marcia and I have been there numerous times, we were ususally too busy arranging treks to look around. So there were several temples we hadn't visited, including Pashupathinath, the national temple where everyone who's anyone gets creamated.
We were also able to revisit Patan, the third of the three cities and the one with the best preserved central Durbar square. Patan also now has an excellent museum created by an Austrian team that displays the city's rich heritage of Hindu and Buddhist art. Our final stop was to Bodhinath, the great stupa that marks the center of the Tibetand and Sherpa communities. We had lunch with Sonam and his family, gave him our excess books and laundry detergent, and then made a final clockwise circuit with the crowd constantly flowing around the stupa. We'll be back.
===== End of detailed Annapurna/Chitwan/Kathmandu postings =====
