Nepal- Kathmandu, Goodbye to Asia - Day 324 (23,458 miles)

Kathmandu is everything other travellers have described. Compared to the rest of Nepal it's busy, dirty, noisy and polluted, we loved it! It's also full of amazing architecture, friendly people and as it was out of season it wasn't jam packed with tourists.



Big rodents in a big city (as big as my size 6/39 feet!)


John indulging his passion for ironmongery. I think he must be planning a career in security or escapology when we get home, this must be his 3rd padlock purchase (and he's always telling me my luggage is too heavy!)












What a great city for people watching!

Fantastic samosas, curry and chai, 70 rupees the lot (that's about 60p) Our cheapest meal in Kathmandu.


Durbar square is the site of lots of temples and palaces where over the last 10 centuries or so the Malla and Shah kings have lived.

It may be a religious centre but of course you can still get your sewing done.






Hinduism has many gods and goddesses (Shiva, Ganasha etc) but in Nepal the Hindus and Nepali Budhists also worshship the Kumari living goddess. This is a prepubescant girl (can be as young as 3 years old) who is chosen based on 32 physical attributes and her reaction to some animal sacrifice rituals! Once chosen the girl and her family get to live in a palace and she is paraded around during religious ceremonies, when she reaches puberty she is pensioned off (with a dowry) and a new goddess is chosen.

There was much excitement when we were walking passed the Kumari Palace and we were ushered in to witness the Kumari appearing on a balcony (it wasn't especially for us there were other tourists there too). You had to feel sorry for the child (we think she was 7) as she was paraded on a balcony with rather badly applied black eye make-up and gawped at like a zoo animal. Photography is forbidden which made it seem like an even more awkward minute or so, all rather strange.



The monsoons are approaching fast, these young street vendors splashed around while us and all the other tourists were sheltering from the downpour.


All packed and off to Istanbul. It could take a few days as there are plane changes in both Karachi and Islamabad and mangos take priority over all other cargo this time of year. Now we both love mangos but we're paying alot for this shipment and will be a bit pee'd off if fruit delays our journey for too long!


The excitement proved too much for these warehouse guys!



Some of the Himalaya range poking through the clouds as we flew out of Kathmandu, one of them is likely to be Everest but don't ask us which one!

We're sad to be leaving Asia we hope to get back there to explore some more in the not too distant future.