Travel Album



	Nepal

Kathmandu 2024

As a solo traveler, I'm not too adventurous on this trip so I've skipped the more intense activities like Himalayan trekking and instead focus my time in the capital city. It's been about 10 years since I last traveled alone. I was planning to just have a reflective journey and connecting with my own self.

Boudhanath Stupa, is one of the world's largest and most significant stupas. This UNESCO World Heritage Site holds immense religious and cultural importance, particularly for Tibetan Buddhists, so I saw many pilgrims and devotees adorned in traditional Tibetan attire circumambulating the massive white dome structure. The stupa's design is a representation of the mandala, with the massive white dome serving as the base and the gilded spire reaching skyward to symbolize the connection between the earthly and spiritual realms, while the thirteen steps of the dome signify the stages on the path to enlightenment.

Prayer wheel. "Om mani padme hum"

"May all sentient beings be happy, healthy and peaceful."

As I stood before the Boudhanath Stupa, for a moment, I imagined I was atop a Himalayan peak, with only the magnificent pagoda in my sight. The surrounding Tibetan-style structures seemed to fade away, leaving me face-to-face with my own thoughts. Honestly, my life is not bad. I questioned whether more money or material possessions would make me happier. I was drawn to reflect on what matters most - good health, love, and the happiness of myself, my family and friends. Then, my gaze landed on a banner proclaiming "May all sentient beings be happy, healthy and peaceful". I guess that has summarized what are the truly important things in life.

I have got this cleansing atmosphere once I got to Nepal. Perhaps it is so different from the environment I am always used to. My mindset gravitate towards simplicity and a greater appreciation for the fundamental aspects of life.

Kopan Monastery, located on the Kopan Hills, is an ideal location for visitors to attend Tibetan Mahayana Buddhist courses and meditation retreats.

There is a beautiful garden for devotees to roam and learn the meaning of life.

I spent the whole day chilling, writing diary and postcards. It is a good opportunity to gather my thoughts.

I also listened to Buddhist chatting/humming for an hour. I am peaceful and calm afterward.

Kopan Monastery has restricted access during certain times of the day. The main gate is locked from 11:30am to 1:00pm, as well as from 4:30pm to 9:30am. I was fortunate to arrive at the monastery by 11am, allowing me to spend the quiet time there until 4pm. If I were to attend any of the courses, I can have the option to stay overnight too.

I chatted with visitors from the States and UK who had been living in Kathmandu for over 35 years. They shared how the Kathmandu valley used to be viewed as a Shangri-la with natural beauty and spiritual tranquility. However, capitalism, development, and pollution has diminished much of that charm over the decades.

Swayambhunath Temple (aka Monkey Temple). To reach the temple complex, I climbed up 365 steps.

It is believed that circumambulating the temple in a clockwise direction is a practice that can help wash away one's sins.

The most prominent feature of the stupa are the all-seeing Buddha eyes painted on the four sides, symbolizing the Buddha's wisdom and enlightenment.


During my visit, one of the lamas was very kind and invited me to join his lunch. He also took the time to teach me a chant focused on wisdom and enlightenment. As I partook in this spiritual experience, I found myself reflecting on whether I had lost touch with my core values. However, I realized that I have remained true to my fundamental beliefs and principles.

Underneath the Buddha shrine is an area dedicated to Hindu rituals. This intermingling of Buddhist and Hindu traditions is reflective of Nepal's diverse religious landscape.

From the temple, one can take a panoramic view of the capital city of Kathmandu. Vast majority of the buildings in the city skyline appear to be under 6 floors in height.

A collection of mini temple structures and shrines.

A Tibetan monestary at Swayambhu. Taxi can drop off here instead of climbing up 365 stairs.

Thamel, located in the heart of Kathmandu, is a vibrant neighborhood that serves as the tourist hub of the city.

I have tried masala milk tea, garlic naan and lamb curry. Nice India dish. USD4.

Then this MoMo is a local Nepali dish. In Chinese term, they are dumplings. USD2.

My hotel is right at the Chinese section of Themal. So after 3 days of Nepali and Indian food, my stomach is suggesting me to go back to hot Chinese food.

So here I go tasting my favorite LanZhou hand-made noodle served with extra beef and delicious broth. USD4.

The facial features and skin tone of the western Chinese are so exotic to me.

Then I met a local 19 yo with his friend. He taught me to take local bus for USD0.25. Then I started to venture local transport afterward.

Trying the local grilled chicken served with flame. USD5.

A bustling maze of narrow streets with shops offering colorful textiles, traditional handicrafts.

Asan Tole, is a market street, a place to experience the daily life of Nepali people.

In a way, these shops can be termed as heritage shops that have been run for generations and are still going strong.

The old buildings in Asan Tole had survived earthquake twice. Yet I am positive if there is an earthquake, I can't be unharmed...

Every morning, fresh produce is brought to the square from across the valley, and the bazaar stays busy all day till the sun goes down.

The area is old with crippling building, but I don't feel unsafe at all. And Nepalis do not have body odor. So the experience is not bad.

Escaping the old area are some modern buildings.

Some 100 years old ministry buildings on the main road.

Bhaktapur

This ancient city centre is car-free, making walking its cobbled streets very pleasant. The whole town is like a living museum, with temples on every corner, bustling street markets and arts and crafts being produced wherever you turn. Due to its well preserved medieval nature, UNESCO inscribed Bhaktapur as a World Heritage Site since 1979.

This Bhaktapur Durbar Square was once home to the royal family of Bhaktapur. Typical findings here are the Bhaktapur royal palaces along with several temples and other ancient structures dating back to the 17th and the 18th century. The buildings are closed for tourists as they suffered damages from earthquakes. Yet once can explore the exterior as the entire square is a massive display of traditional Newari architecture.

The Palace of Fifty-five Windows was built by King Jitamitra Malla for his 55 wives, with one window for each of them. The Golden Gate also called as Sun Dhoka, is the entrance to several inner courtyards around the palace. The Golden Gate one of the most lavish and important artefacts in Nepal.

This was built following a favorable economy from trading with Tibet during the era.

Beautiful carvings depicting stories and mythical creatures of the time.

The King Bhupatindra Malla statue is erected right in front of Chyasalin Mandap pavilion, Vatsala Durga Temple and the Pashupatinath temple. The statue is made up of bronze with the king facing the Taleju Temple inside the palace with his hands in prayer position.

This is a holy pool, Naga Pokari, where the royal bathed. It was built like a water tank and is encircled by cobra motifs.

The palace was not open to the public as it was damaged after earthquakes. Yet once can still appreciate the exquisite detail of the buildings.

There are four Char Dham temples in Bhaktapur Durbar Square. They were built for the pilgrims who couldn’t visit the four Dhams located in India.

This Hindu temple is serving Buddhism. The coexistence of these two major faiths is an integral part of Nepal's unique identity.

Nyatapola Temple (on the left) is the tallest building in the valley and the tallest temple in Nepal. The temple was built in 1702 and is dedicated to Goddess Siddhi Lakshmi. I stayed at the hotel right beside the temple, denoted from the bright yellow light on the far left side of the picture above.

There are so many roof top cafes at the valley, and I enjoyed my quiet moments here at my hotel's.

My room looking over the Nyatapola Temple. While I stayed in at 8pm, the square is still lively until 11pm.

Bara, a popular traditional Newari dish, is a pancake made up from dal (pulses) with eggs and buff meat.

A famous local dish is "Newari Khaja set’, which include beaten rice, soybeans, boiled beans curry, meat, potatoes spinach, lentil pancake, fried boiled egg, etc. It's my first meal in Bhaktapur to plan my visit of the village. Except the beaten rice which is too dry, I finished the rest.

Bikumaya has been selling baras for 50 years at her shop "Aama ko Bara Pasal", literally means "the Mother of Bara shop". The shop welcomes more than 300 people in a day. The shop locate right underneath my hotel near Nyatapola Temple.

Dattatrayea Temple, at the Dattatreya Square, is dedicated to the three creators of this universe Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. Originally, the square was constructed started in 1427 by King Yaksha Malla. The week I was in Nepal is their traditional new year, so everywhere was full of festive celebration.


At the back of the temple are kama sutra carvings on each window. They are small outlines of people in different sexual positions serving as an education for sex and reproduction to the residents of the past.

The Peacock Guesthouse (formerly Pujari shrine) in Dattararya Square, built in the 15th century, has attractive design. Soldiers and Royal officials close to the King used to live there. Each and every window and door here has got different artistic design. It is believed that carpenters involved in the construction of this shrine might have competed with each other.

The entire woodwork used in the building belonged to the 15th century.

The famous Peacock Window - Hindus worship peacock as the vehicle of God Kumar whereas Buddhists as the vehicle of Abhitav Buddha.

Bronze lion statue, serving as temple guardian, outside of Nepali temples

Carpenter crafting in progress.

Bronze work and colorful tiles on a temple.

Me in a paper, printer and press factory

Artist making the famous thangka painting

Golmadhi, a main street at Bhaktapur old town. Local vendors on the street.

The Sukuldhoka, another main street at Bhaktapur old town

It just so happened that Nepal was celebrating its Nepalese New Year. This led to a week-long festival and celebrations taking place at Bhaktapur. One of the highlights was the Bisket Jatra festival, where a grand chariot carrying various religious deities is pulled through the streets, accompanied by lively music, dancing, and joyous celebrations from the local community.

Bands playing and ladies dancing at Taumadhi Square.

My chance for a picture with the famous chariot of the festival.

Each district put together their own unique dance performances, cultural showcases, and festive activities.

Here is a smaller chariots, pulled by the kids, also accompanied by music, dancing, and celebrations.

I spared one morning following this community group parading every street and corner of the western part of the Bhaktapur old town.

The parade made stops at various locations where Ganesh statues and imagery were displayed, including this Ganesh print suspended overhead on the streets.

The festivities are thought to cleanse the community of any evil spirits or negative energies.

Nagarkot I wanted to view the Himalayas, but due to the risks posed by recent natural disasters like earthquakes and landslides, I decided that Nagarkot would be an optimal choice, which offers a wide view of the Himalayan ranges - the Annapurna, Manaslu, Langtang, Jugal, Everest, Numbur, Ganesh Himal and the Rolwaling ranges.
I opted to travel by local bus. This 1-hour winding mountain road trip ended up costing me less than US$1, providing a truly authentic and immersive Nepali experience.	Women, the elderly, and children were given priority to the seats, while younger men often had to stand and grip the door frame or bus exterior to hitched a ride.

Nagarkot (was supposed to) offers one of the best panoramas views of the Himalayas ranges. I (was supposed to) view them from my hotel room. However, I must blame myself of not doing enough researches, resulting in a disappointment...

I searched online that it is possible to catch a glimpse of the mighty Mount Everest as part of the sweeping Himalayan panorama. So I booked my hotel with an unobstructed view of the mountain ranges.

However, reality is... the horizon was limited to only about 3 distant mountain ridges, not to mention that the Mount is 140km away... I had to rely on my imagination to fully experience the majesty of the Himalayas...

Initially, I had booked a 2-night stay to ensure I had ample time to take in the Himalayan views. I cut it short after the reality. Glad that I didn't join the sun rise walking tour which I supposed to wake up at 4am trekking up a hill.

Due to the high levels of pollution from Kathmandu and India, as well as the local practices of burning trees and garbage, which create persistent haze over the region. In addition of rainy seasons, only in December and January are the optimal time to view the Himalayan ranges from Nagarkot.

Well, on the bright side, I was still able to enjoy an unobstructed view of the sunrise from the comfort of my hotel room's bed.

Nagarkot is likely the closest I will ever come to directly encountering the Himalayan mountain range, unless I visit Tibet or Nepal again in the future. A postcard may end up being my imaginary view of the Mountain. I can't have everything in life. I can't own the Himalayas. Watching or sensing it from afar is what I can do. I shall be satisfied, grateful with life.

Back in Kathmandu, I visited the Pashupatinath Temple, situated beside the holy Bagmati River. It is like a Nepali version of Varanasi, the sacred city in India that I did not visit on my previous travels. At Pashupatinath, I observed the Hindu cremation rituals taking place directly beside the river. I did not feel any emotion at all. No feeling. That is it. That is life.

On the other side of the Bagmati River, where I was positioned, the atmosphere shifted dramatically. Here is the Aarati ritual, where priests performed sacred movements with oil lamps and fire. Surrounding this ceremony are audience clapping hands and singing soulful religious songs that created a joyous atmosphere.

This ancient Hindu temple is considered one of the most sacred sites in Nepal, and is an important pilgrimage destination for devotees. Dedicated to the Lord Shiva, the main temple structure features the iconic Nepalese pagoda architectural style. The ornate roofs are made of copper and are gilded with shimmering gold, while the main entrance doors are coated in gleaming silver. A set of white buildings beside the temple are hospital facility.

At this holy place, elderly rest during the twilight days of their lives, and breathe their last in peace, knowing that they will be cremated at the riverbank, from which they can begin a new journey with the flowing river and travel wherever the current takes them. Hindus from every nook of the country wish to meet death at this place since it is believed that those who die in the temple are reincarnated as human beings, and all the misconducts of their previous lives are forgiven.

Opposite of the temple are a line of smaller shrines known as the Pandra Shivalaya, built to enshrine Lingas - symbolic representations of the Hindu deity Shiva. The Linga represents the male, is often represented within a disc-shaped platform that represents the feminine counterpart. These Pandra Shivalaya shrines can be seen as embodying the theme of reproduction and the perpetual regeneration of life.

The daily Aarati ritual takes place each evening at 6pm. During the ceremony, the priests and worshippers come together to offer prayers and hymns not just for themselves, but for the wellbeing of all humanity. The prayers song are focused on the theme of unity, bring people together as one with a strong emphasis on collective welfare and the betterment of all living beings.

This concluded my solo trip to Nepal. It was a good escape for me, especially during a pivotal moment in my life. As I reflect back on my experiences, I am filled with a deeper commitment to living with more compassion.