Visits to Patan and Boudhanath, Nepal

One of my first shopping forays is usually to Patan, a city on the other side of the river which used to be a separate Kingdom hundreds of years ago. There are several fair trade shops just across the bridge where I usually spend several hundred dollars on weavings, batiks and jewelry. This year I didn't find very many things which interested me. This is a typical new style Asian house which I viewed from the top floor of one of the shops. This type building has a shop on the first floor, the families quarters or apartments on the upper floors, and what garden, outside space there is is on the top floor. Sometimes you will even see gardens up there.
Amazingly free of traffic for a moment. Usually its difficult to cross the street.

Pottery for sale on the roof.

My usual breakfast at the Pumpernickel Bakery in Kathmandu. I would go over around 7:30 for fresh bread right out of the oven.

I always take a trip to Boudha or Boudhanath. Boudhanath ((also called Bouddhanath, Bodhnath or Baudhanath or the Khāsa Caitya) is one of the holiest Buddhist sites in Kathmandu, Nepal. It is known as Khāsti by Newars as Bauddha or Bodh-nāth by modern speakers of Nepali. Located about 7 miles from the center and northeastern outskirts of Kathmandu, the stupa's massive mandala makes it one of the largest spherical stupa in Nepal.
The Buddhist stupa of Boudhanath dominates the skyline. The ancient Stupa is one of the largest in the world. The influx of large populations of Tibetan refugees from China has seen the construction of over 50 Tibetan Gompas (Monastaries) around Boudhanath. When I started staying here in 1996 there were only 28. As of 1979, Boudhanath is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is one of the most popular tourist sites in the Kathmandu area.
The Stupa is on the ancient trade route from Tibet which enters the Kathmandu Valley by the village of Sankhu in the northeast corner, passes by Boudnath Stupa to the ancient and smaller stupa of Cā-bahī (often called 'Little Boudnath'). It then turns directly south, heading over the Bagmati river to Patan - thus bypassing the main city of Kathmandu (which was a later foundation). Tibetan merchants have rested and offered prayers here for many centuries. When refugees entered Nepal from Tibet in the 1950s, many decided to live around Bouddhanath. The Stupa is said to entomb the remains of a Kasyapa sage venerable both to Buddhists and Hindus.

There are usually several monks wandering around the area. Today I spotted a nun with an umbrella.

Every year there are more and more shops catering to tourists here, especially ones selling Tibetan "treasures". Fake and real antiques. I loved this painting.

Supposedly off old doors but looking very new to me.

After all this sightseeing and shopping I headed for the Fire and Ice restaurant. It used to have fancy imported ice cream and I had hoped for a banana split. I settled for a nice chicken dinner. The Crown Prince who shot his family used to entertain his girlfriend here.