May 3rd in Kathmandu

After a couple of our group members leave for home, etc., we pack our things to go to another hotel, the International Guest House. We decided to move back to this Hotel, as it was just as nice as the one we were staying in, but much more reasonable. It is a little 'out of the way', which is fine for us, given the quiet and being in a more 'residential' part of the Thamel District.

In the International Guest House, we were given a beautiful room and bathroom, on the 4t floor, overlooking the beautiful garden/dining room. At this Hotel, we also have a tv with CNN, HBO, etc., this includes English-speaking tv. The bonus of staying in this hotel is that we can charge everything to the bill, as it is difficult to access ATM machines due to power shortages, and the banks are closed due to the strike. Another bonus is that the food is wonderful at this hotel. One of our group members also moved to this hotel. Two other group members join us for meals at the hotel as it is difficult to eat in restaurants during this strike.



One night we went out to eat at a small, popular restaurant. We ate by candle light as the lights were shut off as to not draw attention to the fact that the restaurant was open. When we finished our meal,we were not able to leave immediately, until 'the street was clear of protestors and 'spys'. Eventually, when the restaurant persons thought it was safe enough for us to go, we left in darkness as the 'garage door' was opened for us. We were encouraged to be quiet and watch out for the broken glass on the street, as windows were broken by the Maoist protestors. This is a tactic used to scare shop/store owners from remaining open during the day.

The International Guest House has two computers working. This has been most helpful for us, i.e., keeping in touch with family and friends.

On May 3rd, the strike continues. This means that everything is closed.


streets are empty


We decide to go to the Monkey Temple which is not far from where we are staying, a 35-minute walk. On May 3rd, we decided to visit the 'Monkey Temple', Swayambhunath Temple.



There are two ways to approach the Swayambhunath temple. The most
atmospheric, which is the way we took, is the stone pilgrim stairway that
climbs the eastern end of the hill. This steep stone staircase is mobbed
by troops of monkeys, who have made an artform of sliding down the steep
handrails. When reaching the top, it is important to remember to walk
around the stupa in a clockwise direction. At the top of the eastern
stairway is an enormous, brass-plated dorje (celestial thunderbolt)one of
the core symbols of Tibetan Buddism. The thunderbolt is a symbol of the
power of enlightenment which destroys ignorance but is itself
undestructable. In rituals, the dorje is used to indicate male power,
while female power is represented by a ceremonial bell. The Swayambhunat
Stupa was built in the 17th century and is a perfectly proportioned
monument.

The Monkey Temple is a fascinating chaotic jumble of Buddhist and Hindu iconography. The compound is centred around a gleaming white stupa, topped by a gilded spire painted with the eyes of the Buddha. Coming to Swayambbunath is an intoxicating experience with ancient carvings jammed into every space inch of space and the smell of incense and butter lamps hanging heavy in the air. Local devotees make a ritual circumnavigation of the steps, spinning the prayer wheels set into its base. The view of Kathmandu from this height is amazing.


While walking to the 'Monkey Temple' we walked through a residential part of Kathmandu. It was somewhat sad and unbelievable to cross the river on the way there and back to our hotel and see the garbage in the river and smell it. It impacted us greatly, as I walked around with a kleenex I wanted to throw out, but could not find a garbage container anywhere during our walk.