Kathmandu!

Thankfully I woke up on Saturday ache-free! I had a bad cold that eventually subsided over the next couple days, and I slowly regained my appetite (there's nothing scarier to me than not being able to eat).

I caught a flight to Kathmandu Saturday morning to meet my buddy from UBC, Shriya, who lives there. We had a wonderful time! Shriya showed me around the Old City areas of Kathmandu and neighboring Bhaktapur and Patan, with wonderfully preserved, classic Nepali architecture. Her friends joined in for the day as well as additional tour guides :) I got the chance to try all kinds of yummy Nepali food - including amazing momos - the momos I've had in Delhi do not even compare!
Sunday, we went to Swayambhunath, or the Monkey Temple, where you walk up maybe 200 stairs to a Buddhist temple, surrounded by monkeys who just happen to love hanging out here. Later that day, we visited the Boudha Buddhist 'stupa,' a unique shrine painted with the eyes of Buddha, surrounded by a circular village with strong Tibetan influences. The temples in Kathmandu are fascinating because there is this peaceful complementarity and amalgamation between Hinduism and Buddhism; whether you are at a Buddhist or Hindu temple, you will find shrines typical of the other.
Monday, with a few hours to kill before my flight, I wondered around Thamel, an area of the city very popular with tourists, filled with shops to buy Nepali art, souvenirs, and trekking gear. I just got lost in there for hours, wandering into every shop to stare at the super cheap trek equipment and look at all the beautiful Buddhist mandala paintings.
Though still a bustling city, like the Indian cities I have visited, Kathmandu has this comforting peacefulness about it that I really enjoyed. Could be those awesome Buddhist monks everywhere, or the clean mountain air, or maybe that Nepali people are just more peaceful and laid-back in general! In any case, though the monsoon clouds covered the Himalayas from my view, the green hills were lovely and it was a wonderful getaway from Delhi.

This weekend, I go north to Amritsar on the Pakistani border, which is the heart of the Sikh religion. If I can survive the heat, the Golden Temple is supposed to be spectacular, and 'changing of the guards' at the Indo-Pakistan border crossing is supposed to be quite a show. More to come later!

:)