Kathmandu - the monkey temple

One of the biggest sites of the city is the infamous monkey temple where, as you would imagine, many monkeys hang out. It is also an important place of worship for Buddhists and Hindus alike and, again, even having hired a guide much of the meaning behind all of the stupas and temples didn't seem to be able to be translated. Sadly the monkey pictures are on another memory card which the machine is refusing to read at the moment so you will have to wait until I get home to see them but at the end of the day a monkey is a monkey and I am sure you have all seen pictures of monkeys before... but may be not so of the monkey temple itself.

Kathmandu - the mystery of Hindu temples

You do not have to walk very far in the city before you come across any one of the hundreds of Hindu shrines and temples. Hinduism is undoubtedly the most complicated religion in the world to comprehend - as I understand it there are 3 deities - Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva - who can appear in any one of a number of manifestations with a consort or vehicle on which they ride. The temples are dedicated to any one of these deities and Hindus can come to place offerings at specific temples depending on what they need help with e.g. relief from sickness, a motorbike, success in business, general good luck, thanks for any of the aforementioned. Above the first two pictures show the plates of offerings that worshippers buy, the next is of women preparing the offerings before they are placed at the temple, then a man with a bowl of candle wicks to be offered in thanks for a wish granted and then women getting their offerings blessed. I have asked so many people to explain more behind the ceremonies of offerings I have seen and have managed to glean odd bits but I am certain some was lost in translation and other things seem to be inexplicable.

Kathmandu

Unfortunately the card reader is not behaving and I cannot get the pictures from Chitwan or Bandipur off it so instead I will have to show you some of the sites and sounds from Kathmandu ...

Kathmandu is a funny old city. Poor beyond all belief with a poisonous river running through it in to which everyone disposes of their rubbish, the roads are half made and small Suzuki cars, motorbikes and push bikes of all shapes and sizes jossle with pedestrians to pass each other. Above Mairead and Clare are being pulled by a rickshaw driver half the size of any one of us proving he has the strength and willpower of any car to get them up to the monkey temple.

The calves

Leaving Pokhara, having experienced the dubious joys of paragliding, I went to Chitwan National Park and then on to the beautiful Newari town of Bandipur. First of all I want to show you all Hoad's new improved calves ....