Pathways of Kathmandu

Quick Tips:

Best Way To Get Around:

To give specific directions to anyplace in Kathmandu is almost impossible because they do not have street names & addresses per se. You can only give general directions & landmarks.

The Blue Fox is located just off the Jawlakhel choke on the same side as the Walls ice cream/Bakery Cafe, with said cafe on your right side. It serves a variety of Nepali, Indian & some Tibetian dishes. The Tikkari chicken & naan (type of bread) were my favorites. The water is filtered but drink at your own risk.

The MO-MO shack serves MO-MOs & only MO-MOs. It also is off the choke. If you walk around the NTC building on your left side keep going till you pass a corner store. It's right after it & has green doors. Learn a little Nepali because they speak very little English. A plate of MO-MOs costs about a quarter. Don't drink the water.

The Fire & Ice Pizzeria has some of the best pizza you will find in Thamel. It's located at the "entrance" of Thamel where all the taxis hang out & where they usually will drop you off at. It's on the side of the street that has the temple buildings. You can get ham, chicken, tomato, cheese & different veggies but as you are in a Hindu country, no beef, but thats no big loss. I never had any but I believe they also serve spaghetti & some other pastas. They also have some great soft serve ice cream. For about $5-6 you can have your own pizza (about 14"), a soft drink & some ice cream & still be able to leave tip.

Just across the street & up some stairs is a place called Himalayan Java, a very western coffee house, that serves a variety of soups, some wraps, sandwiches, appetizers & some local dishes & also desserts. I don't care much for coffee but my friends told me that it was really good. Being a western restaurant, be prepared to pay more western prices, especially if you get a whole spread.

Both resturants serve excellent Italian dishes, both with great atmosphere. I visited the Casa more but my time was shorter than I liked. They have good lassagna, spaghetti & other dishes. Both are highly recommended.

K-too is located just down the street from Casa della Pasta & "Barnes & Noble" bookstore, before you reach the Roadhouse Cafe. It's an upstairs resturant with a very rugged look. One of the dishes I must recomend, when in season, is the apple mo-mo's... They are a must with ice cream.

Kilroy's is a bit harder to get too but most know where it is so ask around. It has an excellent outside dinning area with a waterfall & big group table shaped like a tree stump. They have excellent sandwhiches & chips/french fries.

To the right of the complex is a white hospice building where the near death await their final hour so that they might have their feet placed in the holy Bahgmati river while they die, so that their spirit may escape on to paradise.

After this the family wraps the body & prepares to place it on the funeral pyre they've built. The height of the pyre is representative of how wealthy the family was since the wood must be bought & transported to the temple.

There is more to Pashupati than just the temple complex. Up on the hill there is a place called the Sadhu grave yard with idols of Ganesh & holy stones & different buildings & is inhabited by the local monkeys.

Pashupati is somewhat paradoxal. On one side of the river are devout Hindus, worshiping their gods & mourning their loved ones & across the river are peddlers, beggars, tourists & those Hindus who are there just to blow some time. It is of some note that Bob Dylan wrote "Knocking on Heavens Door" while watching the cremations at Pashupati. If you go, spend some time in reflection.

There is much culture around the Stupa. There is a Bhuddist Monastary where you will often hear them chanting & you can even watch them. Just off to the side of the moastary is a prayer wheel about the size of a VW Bug. There are many stores there too, filled with singing bowls, masks, jewelery & there is even a store with traditional Tibetian clothes & instruments.

I would recomend spending the afternoon there. Eat lunch at the Stupa view or the Three Sisters & watch the people & explore their stores & culture.

Well, I was at my mother's house before I left for Nepal & she had picked up a new box of Rice Crispies. So, of course, I just had to get the toy that always settles to the bottom of the box. When I finally fished it out it turned out to be a plush 3 in. figure of Donald Duck & then I remembered the story, so I decided to do a photo series of Donald Duck goes to Kathmandu.

Being my first such photo series it's not quite what I wanted. I also always forgot him or forgot I had him when I would go to the squares or temples so I missed out on having him at the major sites. I will be traveling more in the new year though & plan on working on expanding Donald's world travels.

Hope you enjoy.