Kathmandu: Part 2

I woke up at 4am this morning, but I'm very glad I slept because I haven't done so in the past 40 hours or so. I didn't sleep on the plane like I usually would because I really liked the movie selections Qatar offered, and I learned something new about myself; I discovered that I actually like science-fiction movies!

I went to this breakfast place on a rooftop near my hotel. It was quite chilly and foggy. There were some early birds, like myself, sitting outside in the cold, having conversations over their hot drinks with all that fogginess created by warm breath hitting cold air. It is what I've imagined Nepal to be.

After that huge breakfast, I went to do some sightseeing. I went to the Swayambhunath Stupa, which I really liked. Those stupas look so mysterious and magical, and it is what attracted me to Kathmandu. I've always wondered what those colorful prayer flags were and I finally got to see them up close.

This place is also known as the monkey temple, because there are lots of them! I was also able to see parts of the snowy Himalayas from afar.

Not sure what those are, haha.

This is taken at the stupa on top of the hill. It's a nice place to hang around, shop, watch monkeys and people praying, enjoy the nice view of Kathmandu Valley.

Next, I had to see the biggest stupa in Nepal of course. This is Boudhanath Stupa. This place feels magestic. There are people just sitting around meditating, monks taking group photos, people cleaning, people shopping, and tourists like me snapping pictures. It has a cool atmosphere.

Finally, I took a little trip to Pashupatinath which is situated in a village not far from Kathmandu. I saw a cremation ceremony on the river bank, and people standing on the bridge watching, It is the first time I see something like that. This place is one of the most important Hindu site in Nepal. You would think that Nepal is a Buddhist country, since Buddha is born here, but Nepal is actually the country with the largest Hindu population, which is quite surprising. This is definitely a great place to gain some insight on Hindu culture.