Bewitched By Nepal's Charm

By Samantha Tan Chiew Ting KATHMANDU, July 4 (Bernama) -- I longed to visit Nepal ever since I watched the movie, Dr Strange several months back. It is about a neurosurgeon who becomes a sorcerer and Kathmandu is where Dr Strange (a Marvel comics superhero) learns the mystical arts. There is something mysterious about this landlocked Himalayan kingdom that is surrounded by mountains and lacks natural resources and sound infrastructure. I had the opportunity to visit Kathmandu, Nepal's capital, in April en route to an expedition to the Annapurna Base Camp organised by Happy Hikers, a Kuala Lumpur-based hiking club. (Thirty-three people, including me, participated in the expedition from April 23 to 30). Nepal is not all about Mount Everest and the Himalayan mountain range. It is steeped in history as well, I learnt from my short stay in Kathmandu. Tourists can be forgiven for experiencing culture shock when visiting Kathmandu. When I arrived at the Tribhuvan International Airport, I was surprised to see how crowded it was and, in fact, there was hardly any standing room left when I went to retrieve my luggage. What's more, signage was poor and it took me a while to find my way to the immigration section, which made me wonder how the airport authorities coped with the growing tourist arrivals. Kathmandu itself was dusty and polluted and swarming with people, while its roads were heavily congested with traffic. RICH IN HISTORY Its flaws aside, Kathmandu has its own charm and share of sacred and historical attractions. According to historical records, Kathmandu and two other ancient cities located nearby – Bhaktapur and Patan –had served as royal cities for several hundred years. It was spring when I visited Kathmandu and the weather was rather pleasant; in fact, at night it was quite cold at 17 degrees Celsius. My hotel was located in an area called Thamel, a well-known shopping haven in Kathmandu. Mountain climbers and trekkers, especially, are attracted to the shops here as they sell all kinds of mountaineering and hiking gear such as clothes, backpacks and shoes. Souvenirs and Nepalese traditional handicrafts and artworks are also available here. From my hotel, tourists attractions like Swayambhunath (a Buddhist stupa or shrine), Boudhanath stupa (one of the oldest and biggest Buddhist monuments ever built in Nepal), Pashupatinath (one of the holiest Hindu temples in Nepal) and Patan were easily accessible. Bhaktapur, about 12 kilometres from Kathmandu, is among Nepal's best preserved ancient cities, despite being severely damaged by an earthquake in 1934. It is also believed that Bhaktapur was the birthplace of various spiritual practices and mystical arts. ENGLISH WIDELY SPOKEN Kathmandu's public transport system may not be convenient for tourists but, fortunately, there are many tour operators in the city offering reasonably-priced transport and sightseeing packages. I did not face any obstacles during my stay in this city and I found the locals very helpful. Since English is widely spoken here, there were no communication problems for me. However, travellers are usually advised to be vigilant when strolling around the city. As I loved hiking, I did not miss the chance to climb up Phulchowki, a 2,782-metre high hill located in the southern part of the Kathmandu valley, about 14 kilometres from the city centre. Known for its hiking trails that are situated amidst lush greenery, Phulchowki is suitable for those who love to hike at a moderate pace and enjoy the beauty of nature. It was also amusing to see local women dressed in their traditional colourful sarees practically "strolling" up the hill barefoot to visit the Hindu temple on the peak. I also had the opportunity to visit Lumbini and Kapilavastu, two of the most sacred pilgrimage sites for Buddhists located in southern Nepal. It takes nine to 10 hours by bus, or about six hours from Pokhara (Nepal's second-largest city and gateway to the Annapurna Base Camp), to reach Lumbini, which is said to be the birthplace of the Buddha. Kapilavastu, where the Buddha's family home was said to have been located, is about an hour's drive from Lumbini. THE BUDDHA'S BIRTHPLACE Actually, I had no intention of visiting Lumbini but it was my Sri Lankan friend, who also participated in the same expedition to the Annapurna Base Camp, who invited me to pay a visit to the ancient pilgrimage site. After completing our expedition at end-April, we hired a car and driver from Pokhara to travel to Lumbini. The scenery in Lumbini was quite a contrast to the mountain views we were exposed to during our expedition. Located in the Terai plains, Lumbini is surrounded by vast tracts of flat land. The fact that Lumbini was the birth place of Siddhartha Gautama – later known as the Buddha – is testified by an inscription on a pillar erected by the Mauryan Emperor Asoka in 249 BC. Besides the Asoka Pillar, there are also other archaeological remains of Buddhist monasteries and stupas in Lumbini that date back to the third century BC to the 15th century AD. Kapilavastu, meanwhile, is the name of the ancient city where Siddhartha Gautama was raised and where he lived until the age of 29 when he renounced worldly life. All we can see there now are the brick remains of the palace where Siddhartha Gautama had lived with his family. There are, however, plenty of huge and shady Bodhi trees in Lumbini and Kapilavastu. Incidentally, Siddhartha Gautama was said to have attained enlightenment whilst meditating under a Bodhi tree in Bodhgaya in Bihar, India. From Lumbini, tourists can also travel to India via the border crossing at Sunauli, a well-known transit point between Nepal and India, and vice versa. Sunauli itself is located in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and the nearest city Gorakhpur is some 90 kilometres away. Satisfied with our impromptu pilgrimage to Lumbini, my friend and I took a flight back to Kathmandu. Yes, there is an airport in Lumbini and the flight to the capital city took only 30 minutes. We spent a night in Kathmandu before taking a flight back home, filled with lovely memories of Nepal's natural beauty and historical and cultural heritage. -- BERNAMA