The day we posted the last blog, we found out the deposed King of Nepal was visiting Bhaktapur for the first time (Nepal became a Republic in 2008 after 200 years of monarchy). Of course that meant we had to forgo packing our bag, and instead head to Durbar Square, Bhaktapur one last time. What a sight, the crowds were unreal – and yes we got close to him, see the 2nd photo below. The amazing thing was the joy of the Nepalese people who had dressed up to see him, and the outpouring of joy/enthusiasm for the former monarch – which required riot police to control the crowds.
So, the following day, on a bright morning we packed our bags and headed to Kamalbinayak Bus Park, Bhaktapur – which is really just a dirt area for buses to stop. We managed to find the right bus, and travel the 15 kms, taking 40 minutes on winding roads to our next stop of Nagarkot. The price has risen recently, so the journey ended up costing us 200 Rupees (NZD$2.80) for both of us, plus our 1 piece of luggage (75 Rupees for each person, plus 50 Rupees for the luggage).
Nagarkot is one of the top spots in Nepal for enjoying the magnificent views of the Himalayas, and has an altitude of 2,100 metres. The very small town is located 15 kms east from Bhaktapur and about 30 km from the Kathmandu.
We stayed at Nararkot Holiday Inn (no linkage to the Hotel chain), which was near the centre and our bedroom looked straight down the valley. So whilst we were there, we put on our hiking boots and did 5 hikes over this time; Nagarkot Panoramic Trail (5.2 kms), Nature Trail (6.2 kms), Nagarkot Viewing Platform x 2 (9.7 kms) and to Nargarkot Waterfall (16.1 kms). We also crossed the first of many swing bridges and we were fortunate to also see the spectacular views of 8 ranges (out of 13) that make up the Himalayas; Annapurna, Langtang, Rolwaling, Numbur, Ganesh Himal, Manaslu, and Everest (and we had one of the best sunrises we have ever seen!!). All too quickly our 7 days in Nagarkot came to an end, and we said goodbye and took a local bus back to Bhaktapur and then another one to Kathmandu.
Our exploring continued in Kathmandu with us visiting the local surroundings, including Durbar Square – and we somehow managed to go through alleyways and entered the UNESCO site without paying for the entrance ticket!! (whoops).
Finally, this will be our last post for a couple of weeks as we’ll be undertaking a multi day hike, which is our ‘big excursion’ whilst in Nepal – Alan is happy that he’s back climbing hills, Helena perhaps has another view.
My goodness all that hiking is really showing. Fabulous photos and an insight into a world we should see but no chance for us. Thank you for sharing with us.
Thanks Wendy and Dave. Nepal is such an amazing country, and we’ve been so fortunate to meet so many lovely local people and allow us to share their experiences. Hopefully our next blog in 2 weeks will prove all the hard work, and weight reduction was worth it.
Wow, wow, wow. These are amazing pictures. And the beautiful ‘costumes’ worn for the king look amazing. That sunset😲. And you both look sooo good. I hope your knees are holding up to all this hiking! I could not do 16k now me thinks.
Have a fabulous walk to base camp. And a fabulous remainder of your holiday of a lifetime.
Thanks Pat. We have been so lucky on our travels, Borge experiencing and seeing sooo much. The next 12 days are going to be tough, and (hopefully) rewarding.
Wow what a journey , beautifull photos , thank you for chearing .
It is such a pleasure that you keep upto date with our journey.