Hi all. Today's trip was to a Hindu Temple complex called Pashupatinath, located on the holy Bagmati River. As often happens here, the sacred and the profane exist side by side - the main runway of the International Airport is very close to the Temples. Pashupati (the lord of the beasts) is a gentle form or aspect of Shiva and this site attracts many wandering Holy men called Saddhus. These fellows often travel around from one Shiva temple to another. We showed...

After another visit to Thamel (without getting too lost) we went to the Monkey Temple at Swayambhu today. A brisk walk up the 360 steps to the top of the hill is rewarded by excellent views over Kathmandu plus the unique sight of the large Stupa and surrounding temples & statues. The walk up the stairs is made even more interesting by the large troop of rhesus macaques that inhabit the trees that grow either side of the stairs. The monkeys are not at all t...

The main photo opposite is of the Rani Pokhari - a tank built in 1667 by King Pratap Malla to console his Wife after their Son was trampled & killed by an Elephant. It subsequently became a popular suicide spot, so much so that it is now fenced off and only opened one day per year. We went on what turned out to be a 6 hour walking tour to, in & around the area known as Thamel - this is tourist / back-packer / party central. Since we were here last quite...

We walked to the Durbar Marg (Palace Square) today. Unlike last time you now have to pay an entrance fee to visit - 300 Rupees (about $4.00 AUD) each. It's a wonderful place, packed with temples, statues & all sorts of people. The Hanuman Dhoka (inner palace area) is also located here. Most of the buildings were built in the 17th Century (by King Pratap Malla) but Royalty have lived (or used to live I should say) in the 'new' Palace for the last 100 years or...