Our new neighbor, Jeff, gave us the ‘low down’ about the Kathmandu scene. We had managed to land right in the middle of “Freak Street,” where all the great rockers had been when visiting Kathmandu. Cat Stevens, Jimi Hendrix, Mick Jagger, the Beatles, to name a few. Now you can add Lance and Donna to the list!
As we would leave the quiet of our guesthouse, I would touch the low carpeted beams while squat-walking to avoid bashing my head on them. The entry portal/door was also quite low. I envied Donna’s height in these countries. Once outside we were generally greeted by a cacophony of several street venders selling everything from chess and backgammon sets to jewelry and drugs of every description.
“Good morning, sir! Madam! I have fine quality for you, good price! You take a look, please! Perhaps you would like backgammon set? Marijuana, hashish, LSD, speed?” and the patter continued from several sellers, nonstop. I would politely say, “No, thank you. Nothing for us, thank you. Really, no.” as polite as I could muster.
Harsh Realities
Then there were the beggars. We had been warned on OM Beach in India by a young Nepalese man to, “Never, ever give baksheesh to a beggar. If you do, you will be marked for life!” Admittedly, this was tough when you see some of the horrors some of these beggars are living through. One young lady would drag her battered and broken, deformed body up the street by digging her one good elbow into the road to pull her forward, one or two inches at a time. We were told she wasn’t born this way and this was not by accident. Sadly, her family had broken her so drastically as to “make her a better beggar.” Tourists pity her and tip her well.
Not All As They Appear
But not all beggars are as they appear. One beggar had a leg that was hugely inflated with a circumference that rivaled an elephant’s leg. He apparently couldn’t walk and was always at the same corner. A man that passed him daily decided on his last day in Kathmandu, prior to leaving, would give baksheesh to the man.
He asked the taxi to take him by the spot where the man always seemed to be, but he was not there. As he told the taxi to continue on, the ‘crippled’ man ran across the street to his place. “What on Earth?” the man asked the beggar. “Oh, I tie a rope around my leg and pump it until it fills with blood making it look huge! I make lots of good baksheesh this way!” replied the beggar. This story was related to me by the man on one of his return trips to Kathmandu.
Import/Export Hub
Kathmandu is an import/export hub. We had done import/export from Guatemala which supported us pretty well. So, naturally we figured we might try it from Nepal. You can get just about anything in Kathmandu. Clothing, embroidery, silver jewelry, artifacts, if they don’t have it, they can probably make it. We met one man from San Francisco that designed Mandelbrot fractals and had large embroideries made for clothing. Donna bought one applied to a silk vest which was beautiful! We considered all the possibilities and landed on silver jewelry and a few interesting traditional items, singing bowls, old coin necklaces, religious curios, etc.
We relied on our previous experiences buying in Guatemala, which served us well. First we visited places to see what they had to offer. They really wanted us to buy, and buy big, on the spot. A seller offered convincing fake turquoise to sell, “Your customers won’t know the difference!”
“We would know. We can’t do that.” There were antique looking, hand painted scripture books. They weren’t antique. There were scarves and hand printed fabrics. It’s a buyer’s paradise of unusual items.
Check the Silver
When buying the silver jewelry we had to be careful it was indeed silver. Silver oxidizes and tarnishes, so one way to confirm is to rub the tarnished piece as if polishing. If no black residue appears on your cloth, it’s not silver. It should also have the 925 mark on it. Once we mentioned that the pieces hadn’t been stamped with the mark of “925” indicating it was silver. The salesman said, “No problem!” as he produced a die and hammer imprinting the number on the piece. “Well I guess that makes it real,” Donna snarked.
We didn’t just go into ‘buying mode,’ we also walked everywhere being tourists and enjoying the city. One of the most iconic landmarks is Swayambhunath Temple, with the famous “Buddha Eyes” that are so recognizable. Situated southwest of Kathmandu, it was far enough from our guesthouse that we decided to rent bicycles to ride there. The ride through the suburbs and valley leading to the hill was not unpleasant yet pitted with rough spots. I noticed wild growing marijuana plants several points along the way.
Swayambhunath’s Legendary Origins
Historical records were found on a stone, the inscription gave evidence that the stupa was already an important Buddhist pilgrimage destination by the 5th century AD. Its origins however, date to a much earlier time, long before the arrival of Buddhism into the valley. In the 15th century, the text known as the Swayambhu Purana gathered several legends about the area, sharing a tale of a remarkable lotus. It is believed this lotus, planted by a previous Buddha, emerged from a lake covering the Kathmandu valley, casting a mysterious light intensely. As a result, the region got its name Swayambhu, meaning ‘Self-Created or Self-Existent,’ owing to the unexplained glow emanating from the lotus. This celestial phenomenon attracted saints, sages, and deities from distant places, who came to honor the light, which was thought to have the power to grant them enlightenment.
During this period, the Bodhisatva Manjushri experienced a vision of the captivating light of Swayambhu while meditating at Wu Tai Shan mountain, considered sacred. Driven by this vision, Manjushri crossed over the mountains of China and Tibet on his blue lion to honor the lotus. Overwhelmed by the light’s immense influence, he believed that making Swayambhu accessible to human followers would be possible by draining the lake. With his powerful sword, Manjushri cut through the surrounding mountains, allowing the lake’s waters to drain and reveal the Kathmandu valley as it is recognized today. After this event, the lotus transformed into a hill, and the light became known as the Swayabhunath Stupa.
Swayambhunath Temple
Arriving at the foot of the hill, we parked our bikes and began the steep climb up a long stairway, with 365 steps, one for each day of the year. As you climb, you might see monkeys jumping around, because this place is also called the Monkey Temple. Like many other visitors, we took breaks along the way due to exhaustion.
Once we reached the top, we passed by the gilded Vajra and the two lions guarding the entrance to a large stupa, which is a dome-shaped building, with eyes painted on it. The eyes on the four sides of the golden spire symbolize the all-seeing eyes of God. In the center above the brow is the third eye which represents the enlightenment one achieves through meditation. The squiggle is not a nose but represents the number one in Nepalese script, signifying the singular path to enlightenment through Buddhism. The absence of ears signifies that Buddha is not interested in hearing prayers praising him. It is customary to walk in a clockwise circle around the stupa while praying and spinning the prayer spindles.
Encircling the stupa, is an array of smaller shrines, vibrant bead shops, and stalls distributing tokens of fortune. From the temple, you can enjoy stunning panoramic views of the city and surrounding valley. This site draws visitors not only to offer prayers but to bask in the breathtaking vista and embrace tranquility. We spent a significant amount of time exploring every corner before deciding to descend the steps and ride our bikes. As we rode down the steep hill, I just took my hands off the brakes and flew down hooting and hollering! Donna was much safer and more reserved on her descent.
The Coughing Nun
We saw another much less crowded temple nearby. In fact, there was hardly anybody there, perfect for exploring it! We parked the bikes and began to wander through the maze of funerary chedies. In Buddhism the nuns are women with shaved heads and wearing all white. A nun walked slowly over to us, coughing lightly. She would cough and hold out her hand to us, obviously asking for money.
Donna looked at her and the nun gave another little cough, gently pushing her hand toward her. Donna smiled and said, “Yes, I have something for you,” as she started rummaging into her fanny pack. The nun’s eyes brightened and then gave a look of disgusted frustration as Donna smiled and handed her a cough drop. “Here you go! That should help.” We turned and walked away as the nun stood there in apparent shock at her turn of events.
Comedic Baba
A little further into the maze we ran into a baba. Striking up a brief conversation about Kathmandu and travel, he asked us if we would like to share a chillum with him. “Why not? We’ve never smoked with an actual baba before!” He directed us to his nearby small stone shelter where the three of us sat crosslegged on the floor. He pulled out his coconut mixing bowl and began the work of combining the charas and tobacco.
We continued to talk about many things until at one point he had loaded the chillum, wrapped the safi cloth and picked up a box of matches. He struck a pose holding the box of matches up next to his big smile. “Home Lights! The preferred matches of the Babas!” in a commercial pitch that we will never forget. We all broke out in a roaring laugh. We hung out with him for a while exchanging stories before mounting our bikes and heading back to the guesthouse.
Next: More Kathmandu Life