We both slept well last night and were down for the buffet breakfast at 7:00. Paul and Brian were waiting for us.
At 9:00 we boarded a bus for a tour of the city. I had assumed it would be the same tour that Paul and I took in 2012 but it was not. We only made two stops. The first was at a large Hindu complex and Temple and the second was at a large Buddhist Stupa and associated complex.
Paul and I had driven past the Hindu complex many times during out last two visits but had not had the opportunity to enter it. The complex straddles a river(sorry but I can't remember the name) which is considered a sacred river. The river was very muddy and dirty. In the Hindu religion, within twenty four hours of death the deceased is cremated in a funeral pyre and the ashes are scattered in the river. There were several funeral services in process along with three or four pyres while we were there. I have never witnessed anything quite like it. It felt a little odd taking pictures.
We then drove through the crazy Kathmandu traffic to the Buddhist Stupa. This is the second largest Stupa in the world, the largest being in Myanmar. There were many Prayer Wheels and Prayer Flags surrounding the Stupa. This is a World Heritage site. There were also many shops of many kinds in the area.
We leave early tomorrow morning for the short flight to Pokhara which is the second largest city in Nepal. From there we take a two hour bus ride to our first campsite and the start of our trek. We are all ready to leave the city.
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