Into the mountains, Kathmandu - Mar 2026

 

A bit of a different post about Kathmandu (and Nepal in general) as we don't tend to do any of the obvious touristy things while here. 

Will start with a bit of history of our history with Nepal.  James first visited Nepal as an English teacher volunteer in 2005.  He stayed for five months and absolutely fell in love with Nepal, the people and the friends he made during his subsequent visits here over the years, some of which he (we) now consider family.  Clare first came here with him in November 2023.  James's enthusiasm for the place quickly rubbed off and we both now know that this is a country we will continue to visit and feel comfortable in the coming years.  In fact, for the first time ever, before we leave this time having been here for three months, we will have travelled the whole length of Nepal from west to east, occasionally venturing north into the mountains.

One of the things James has had on his mind for a while was to get a tattoo that reflects his love of Nepal.  He found an artist in Kathmandu whose work he liked, booked an appointment and got the job done.  The tattooing itself took approx 7hours, with Clare providing refreshments for all.

It features a buddha head, mountains including Fishtail Mountain, a stupa, a rhio and the Nepali flag
along with the words Ma Nepal laya maya garchu - I Love Nepal!! True enough.  Except for the flag and a bit of white snow on the mountain range, there is no other colour.  It truly is a work of art and a fitting tribute of a place and people that James holds dear to his heart - and now on his sleeve.

The rest of the week we were in Kathmandu was simply spent wandering the city taking note of some fabulous old buildings and some curious and interesting creations.

Just a very pretty building

Durbar Sqare, royal palace and UNESCO World Heritage Site

Really old buildings

Umm, yeah, so who thought it would be a good idea to put a pirate ship on top of a building.  And why?

Kathesimbhu Stupa, a miniature replica of the famous Swayambhunath Stupa.

Entranceway to Chusya Bahal, a historic 17th C courtyard and temple complex in Jyatha

Interesting advertising.  Do you think David Beckham
really does get his haircut here!?

The colours of the fabric are quite captivating and Clare finds it difficult not to be drawn in.

She wasn't nearly as successful at resisting when it came to visiting one of her favourite yarn shops.

Ft. a collection of colourful recycled silk and
a ball of stinging nettle yarn

Some of the items so far created with said purchases.

A coil basket (and subsequently a matching place mat)

A shoulder bag - fully lined
and with a zip for security

We were rather amused one day to witness this monkey siddle up to a shop opening - all the shops front straight onto the road - quickly grab a loaf of bread and leg it up a tree above the temple.  The shop keeper at least found in amusing while she watched it run a way with it's taking.

We are always a bit amused, if not a little purturbed by Nepali ingenuity.  You mostly see this type of roofing out in the countryside, but we are here to tell you it is still alive and well in the city!

These guys were painting the outside of this house with a ladder made of bamboo, shinning up and down very skillfully in sock and crocs. This was going on daily across the road from our accommodation at a friends house.  We found it quite stressful to watch whilst trying to relax on the verandah.

Apart from catching up with a couple of friends we just relaxed and enjoyed (not) the atmosphere of Kathmandu.  During our week here we discovered that it was, at that time, the third most polluted city in the world after Delhi and Lahore. Blurgh.

The tranquil setting of our favourite restaurant