Masks

I got an early start on the bike at 6, to ride out to Nepal’s biggest Hindu temple, Pashupatinath, and Nepal’s biggest Buddhist stupa, Boudha. I got lost repeatedly on the way. The Pashupatinath complex was full of cows. Non-Hindus can’t go inside the main temple, but I caught a glimpse of many people walking around a giant golden cow. The river running by the temple is sacred, like India’s Ganges, so I watched people bathing and drinking its filthy waters for awhile. There were also a couple cremations going on. I’ve seen picture of the Ganges waterfront. I’d call this “Ganges Lite.”

Then I walked past several rotting garbage dumps and children demanding money to Boudha. It’s billed as one of the larges stupas in the world, but I’d say Yangon’s Shwegadon Paya is bigger and more impressive. It was a bit tacky, because a wall of souvenir shops and restaurants encircled the stupa. Every shop was playing the Tibetan monk chanting song.

After fighting traffic back to Thamel, I’m ready to get out of Kathmandu.