Emma's Travel Blog

Today started with a lovely brekfast from Yala Cafe & Coffee shop. As always the staff were incredibly friendly and the breakfast was also great! They also had great music playing which made it hard to leave!

From here I went to the ‘Garden of Dreams’. A walled garden such as this is extremely rare in Kathmadu and therefore much appreciated by tourists! It was nice to escape the madness for a little while! I met a lovely lady called Nancy, from San Diego, who took my picture!

Next stop was the Buddha Stupa. A stupa is just a dome-shaped structure which serves as a Buddist shrine. This is one of the largest in the world. As you can see, attractions like these are flooded with tourists making them uncomfortable to stay for long. So a quick visit was had and off I went!

Next up was the Kumari Ghar in Durbar Square. Honestly, when you arrive it doesn’t look anything spectacular, and you are hounded by locals trying to get you to take a tour with them. However, the actual reason for this place blew my mind! Inside the Kumari Ghar lives the Kumari Goddess. ‘Kumari’ means virgin. The current goddess was elected when she was 3 years old after a vigorous process. She will live here until her first menstruation and then she will return to her family. She only sees her family at public appearences which is about 13 times a year. She appears to the public from a window for 2 minutes every day, at 4 o clock. I was there much earlier so I didn’t see this but I did rob a photo from Google!

At this point, I was getting tired from the walking and needed a pick me up, so I decided to treat myself to a cadburys bar…Alas, they got me!! (Obviously I still ate it)

I ended the day with a trip to ‘The Monkey Temple’ which was absolute madness! After climbing 365 steps and meeting many monkeys along the way, I reached the top. As expected, the place was flooded with tourists which was quite intense, but there were some panoramic views of the city which made the climb worth it!

Speaking of climbing, my bags are packed ahead of a 5:30am start tomorrow, followed by a 7+hour public bus journey! As you can see, my bag is packed to the brim so no room for my laptop unfortunately! The blog will recommence when I am back to luxurious hostel living in Pokhara in a couple of weeks! Pray for me! 🙂

Day 1:
It’s been a long time coming but I made it to Dublin Airport , Terminal 1 where I will begin my travels. First Stop: Nepal via Istanbul.

I arrived to Kathmandu, Nepal without any trouble. I managed to get a visa, local sim card and cash out all in the airport making things very smooth sailing so far! I was also picked up in style from the airport!

Kathmandu is CRAZY. There is no traffic system, and loads of traffic! Video to follow!

While in Kathmandu, I am staying at Yakety Yak Hostel which is based in the Thamel district (main tourist hub in Kathmandu).

My first meal here was a great success. OR2K Restaurant – highly reccomend for food and atmosphere. It was the perfect place to relax after a busy day of travelling.

Day 2:

Today started with a hostel breakfast which was basic but perfect.

From there I went to ‘Happyland Treks’ office where the owner Happy (not joking) finalised everything for my trek to the Annapurna Circuit which begins on Sunday. I also met the guide who I will be trekking with. I plan to trek for 15-20 days, depending on if I decide to include Annapurna Base Camp. I can figure that out nearer the time!

On the way back to the hostel, I met a local who ended up giving me a walking tour around the city. Although very hesitant at first, this turned out to be great! (So stop worrying!!) I got exposed to the true culture of Nepal and even purchased my first art piece (nicely planned). This guy was an art student, so at the end of the tour he brought me to the art school where he studies. Here I met one of the teachers who explained different paintings and their meanings. I naturally had to purchase a painting which was definately more pricey than I expected! However, the money for the painting supports 45 students by paying for art materials for them. No doubt Covid 19 was a challenging time for a country which relies solely on tourism, so I took solace in my good deed and an incredibly detailed painting is on the way to Moate already! (Plus, a lesson learned!)

Here are some other snaps from my walk today:

This red dot is called a ‘tika’ which can be found on the forehead of most Nepalis. It is a symbol of Hindu faith. Little hubs just like this one can be found at temples, of which there are thousands. You give a donation to light a candle, place marigold leaves behind your ear or on your head, and get your tika. Most locals do this daily as a type of blessing.

Natural medicine shops, just like this one can be found on most streets. My guide said that because many people could not afford a doctor, natural medicine was their only option – even for broken bones!

Despite looking dilapidated, most traditonal houses are occupied.

One final picture for today!

Now time for food!