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13th October, 2006
Up early (06:15) - the boys drove us to Paro airport and then had to drive back (road closures allowing) to Thimphu.. Great views of Mount Everest, K2 etc.. on the flight to Kathmandu.
Met by (DHL) Peshal and Gilbert (driver) and straight to the Summit Hotel in Patan - excellent. First impressions - very crazy/busy Indian City - but once you got off the big main drags and into the back-streets - fabulous place!!
Why?? Because there are so many quaint places - set in surroundings where you just wouldn't expect - for example The Summit Hotel.... lovely gardens, very peaceful, lots of "following the terrain" buildings - and this is down a road (barely space for 1 car to drive down) which you just wouldn't see, want to venture down initially!
There were lots of UN and NGO people at the Summit.
We got unpacked - then Gilbert was back for us at 10:00 and we went off sightseeing Durbar Square (which I guess means Central Square or something like - because there are lots of them....). this one was also in Patan.. And I immediately hated it... lots of kids wanting to act as guides and/or sell you something - very persistent/annoying.
But - we beat them by going into the museum and thereafter we were left well alone - good!!
Views from the museum - great
buildings.. lots of history etc.. but - unexpectedly.. see the cafe/umbrellas at
top-right of the last piccie... contradictory/unexpected/good!!
Still in the museum...
just checking that those kids are gone...
YES!! Can explore in peace now!!
millions of things for
sale.... but we didn't..
Historic
Not so.....
Crazy alleyways with
motorbikes scrambling through...
everywhere you look - history and
great buildings!!
OK - bye-bye Durbar
Square....
We met up with Gilbert - and he took us off to the King's Palace (I think a fairly old one - which may not be in use now).
It seems... you can't just
have a palace... you got to have some Stupa's too..
The palace is the white
building at right - but it was closed, and not all that worth photographing..
See - its not all that exciting -
but I think this is a side or back view...
Let's go get a better viewpoint..
getting better...
That's more like it... but
still not too impressive...
Hanuman Dhoka Durbar
Square - buildings were started in 1484
We were getting hungry - so Gilbert drove us to the Tamil area of town..
I liked this mixture of
old and new...
General crazy Indian-style city
driving...
More of the same...
and we're heading towards the
"now" King's palace.
We parked and then
realised there had been a dustman's strike earlier in the month.... piles of
stinking rubbish just left in the street.. just beyond the motorbiles. Went to
an unusual place for lunch, where all the tables were outside and hotels, shops
backed onto the dining area, all underneath a big canvas/plastic structure.
enjoyable!!
Wandered around Tamil looking for really soft good quality cashmere sweaters... failed - one seller told us that Pashmina and Cashmere are the same thing....true??
Then we were off to Sowyambhu Nath or Monkey Mountain as Janet calls it... very impressive...
Good views over the city..
What to buy????????
There were lots of monkeys - but
you wouldn't think so from these photies... Anyway, 16:00 and we had to meet up
with Peshal at DHL...
Because, Janet wanted to buy some carpets... and the DHL boys knew where to go and who to see... cannot remember what area of town we went to - but found 2 lovely carpets, and whilst they were being wrapped we went to anothe great big Stupa, just across the road...
Peshal and Mr Sales....
Back to the DHL office to drop Mr Sales off - and be joined by Utaam - and the 4 of us went to a lovely building where traditional dining (cross-legged on the floor etc..) was the order of the day - together with a troupe of dancers - very enjoyable - many thanks!!
14th October, 2006
Breakfast under the trees.... 10:00 - Gilbert arrives and we drive off to the town/city of Bhaktapur - about 10 Kms from Patan. Again.. initial annoyance (kids selling/guiding etc..) - but thereafter - fantastic.. the whole town/city is a gem!
Dattatraya Square...
Some more wandering.......
Would you believe.... Durbar Square...?? We needed a cup of tea at
this point..
Sitting here....
looking at...
and 
Grass on
the roof..
And in the other direction - apart from the Stupa - ladies at
the water-tap 
And we were off...
Some more wandering brought us to a paper/cards seller and whilst Janet was inside - I was taken with "everything" around me....
The shop across the
street...
the roadway...
Inside the shop...
You see these "Eyes"
everywhere - and I think they look forbidding/sly/threatening - and I understand
they are supposed to be portraying peace/love etc... Well!!
I'm still waiting for Janet, and snapping all about me...
Ok - we're off again... and the next square... I really cannot see why its named so inappropriately.....
POTTERY SQUARE.... would you
believe...??
we got lost trying to find the car... but we liked this
fountain/watering hole..
We did find Gilbert - and we were then off up the mountains to Dhulikel another 20 Kms further on... to a resort for tea..
Lovely gardens/flowers - and its all down to this man...
He's been the gardener for
the last 20 tears - he's holding a young Mongoose
and now it was back to Bhaktapur then a right turn off 15 Kms (up again) to Nagarkhot
- for the sunset.... not all that wonderful..
Back home to Summit Hotel.
15th October, 2006
Leisurely breakfast in the garden, then out walking - Cashmere place 20 yards from Summit entrance - buy 2 sweaters - very good.... then to handicraft sort of museum/shop place - Janet bought 2 necklaces and a ring.
16th October, 2006
Leisurely until 11:00 - Gilbert picked us up... to the airport, got through without having to buy a visa 3 days is OK - 4 days and you need one. Views of Himalayas initially, Janet in Business class, transit at Bangkok, on to Singapore for 22:30 - nice and warm!!