Visit this UNESCO-listed temple for the breathtaking views of Kathmandu, and where monkeys, dogs and people alike thrive
After 10 days of trekking, we rewarded ourselves with a well-deserved massage in Pokhara (actually our second), a long bus ride back later, the last thing we wanted was to climb more steps (some say there're 365 steps!). But we did. (Not like we had a choice since we were dropped off at one exit and had to meet the bus at the other side of the hill.)
A journey up to the Buddhist temple and Unesco World Heritage Site of Swayambhunath is one of the definitive experiences of Kathmandu. Mobbed by monkeys and soaring above the city on a lofty hilltop, the ‘Monkey Temple’ is a fascinating, chaotic jumble of Buddhist and Hindu iconography. Source
Then he swiped me. Scary.
Notice that, unlike at Boudhanath, the Buddha eyes flanks a nose, १, the number one (in Devanagari script)
Our tour bus, can't say they didn't try to fix it sincerely.
Any climb will worth it, simply because you had a goal and you gave it your all. At the last lap of our ABC trek, we almost didn't wake up before dawn for a slippery, treacherous trek to catch the sunrise against the Annapurna Mountain range. In retrospect, if I didn't drag myself out that morning, endured freezing digits and had my only fall in 10 days, all the effort I did to get there and back would have been wasted.* And I would have to attempt the trek again from scratch because I would be indignant about not finishing the last lap (NO.). What a story I have lived to tell.
Have you encountered something similar?
More pictures are available on my Flickr (simply click any photo).
*Note that, however, altitude sickness (and other health issues) is no trifle matter, a good guide can make a world of a difference!
