Boudnath

I think Saturday’s must be Kathmandu taxis ‘be nice to tourists day’. I can’t see any other explanation which makes sense. Every other day it is 4-500 rupees to get anywhere…then you go through the whole dance of negotiation and end up 20% less and 20% more than the locals pay. There are meters for the taxis. I have only ever seen one working and then it came up with much the same number. Possibly it’s just that the regular drivers don’t work on weekends. Go figure. With all that extra cash in my pocket I headed off to explore a bit more.

The main Tibetan Buddhist community lives in and around Boudnath  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boudhanath  It is dominated by the largest stupa in Nepal and sits in the middle of an otherwise normal residential neighbourhood.    

     

It is an interesting feeling when you get there. The neighbourhood is like many others, traffic is chaotic, people everywhere...and then you get to the stupa and it is as if it is a different world. It is quiet, slower paced and it is still outdoors so you don’t get the gloomy cathedral feeling...it is light. Possibly pre disposed to feel that way if you are visiting..not something I can really explain so I went and had a cup of lemon ginger honey tea. I have heard of people gaining addictions on overseas trips….luckily mine seems just to be this tea…drinking more of this than beer. I’d like to think it is a function of my addiction rather than my age.

It was time for the periodic clean-up/ refurb while I was there so we had the interesting spectacle of people doing the Buddha eye makeup. When you have eyes this size you eyeliner goes on with a bucket and a   paintbrush…I’m sure there’s a Joan Collins or Cher  joke in there somewhere.