Visited Humayun's Tomb in New Delhi

When I was in Delhi, almost every locals (adults, kids, professional conmen, etc) were vendors who tried to sell rides, hotel rooms, tours, post cards, handcrafts, or even fake jewelry. They asked many times and follow me via blocks of streets, after I said many NOs. I even encountered one fake train station officer showed me a fake employee ID to lure me from the train station to a travel agency. I was so sick of defending myself from them and wanted to leave Delhi as soon as possible.  I decided leave Delhi prior to the Diwali: Festival of Lights on November 13, so I only had half day more to spent in Delhi. 

Diwali is one of the most important, hugely waited and immensely cherished festival celebrated across India and in parts of Nepal. The festival of Diwali is not only significant to Hindus, but, has importance in Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism. For Hindus, it is associated with the return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya, after his 14 years of exile and victory over the demon Ravana. On that day, he was welcomed to the kingdom of Ayodhya with rows of Deep, lightened throughout the kingdom.  Thus, there is a tradition of lighting oil lamps that symbolize the victory of good over evil and freedom from spiritual darkness. There are numerous customs and traditions associated with Diwali, namely, burning of crackers, playing cards, lightning of lamps, wearing new clothes, distribution of sweets, exchange of gifts etc.

I visisted the Humayun's Tomb in south Delhi, which is one of Delhi's three UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The tomb is in large, immaculately maintained gardens in the Persian Char Bagh (four corners) style.

The centerpiece is the eponymous tomb of Humayun, the second Mughal emperor. Built starting in 1562, it was the first major Mughal structure in the city and has been described as a predecessor or prototype of Agra's Taj Mahal.

Tour old Delhi

I took Metro to Red Fort in the Chandni Chowk area. The Red Fort (Lal Qila) is a red sandstone fort built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan (who also built Agra's Taj Mahal) as his ruling palace.

Completed in 1648, the rooms have long since been stripped of all objects, the marble inlays are long gone and quite a few buildings are off limits. Still, the scale remains imposing and the gardens are kept lush and green.

I then walked to Jama Masjid which is opposite the Red fort, and it is the largest mosque in India and a must-see while in Delhi. Entry is free, although you'll be charged if you have a camera with you.

Delhi, India a scary city

The city was so air-polluated, crowded and congested that I was trapped in the traffic and wearing an air mask all the time.

Much of Delhi is quite pedestrian-hostile. Distances are long, road signage is poor, and in the more tourist oriented areas, you'll be constantly accosted by beggars and touts. Crossing roads often involves wading across multiple lanes of heavy traffic.

Worst of all, there are scan artists all over the place trying to luring me to buy tour packages and fake jewelry. Fortunately, my Thai gem scam experience keeps me alerted all the time such that I survived the city two days without monterey damages, but wasted valuable time.

I stayed in a hotel in the Main Bazaar, which is opposite New Delhi railway station. It's noisy, filthy and full of touts, but it's also cheap and central and thus very popular with budget travellers

Boudhanath and Pashupatinath Temple

I visited both sites in three hours in the morning before flying into India. Although my flight in the the late afternoon, I had to leave my hotel by 2 pm to make sure I checked in three hours before the flight. The traffic in Kethmandu is bad.

One friend I met in the hotel walked with me half way to Boudhanath (also known as Boudha, pronounced 'Bo-da') which is located 7 km East/Northeast of Kathmandu & home to one of the largest Buddhist stupas in the world, built during the 5th century AD. It is located on what was a major trade route between Nepal & Tibet. Many traveling merchants used it as a resting place. There are at least 29 Tibetan Gompas (Monasteries & Nunneries) around Boudhanath. Most of the sites of interest are located near the stupa and can easily be reached on foot, but I stayed there only about half an hour.

I Circumambulated the stupa (walk clockwise around it) twice to check the stupa and the shops. One lap is approx. 150 meters.

I then visited the Pashupatinath Temple, which is one of the most significant Hindu temples of Lord Shiva in the world, located on the banks of the Bagmati River in the eastern part of Kathmandu. The temple is listed as an UNESCO World Heritage Site. Since I was short of local currency, I only walked around the wires around the site. However, I got good views of the. Site from the hill top. I spent about 45 minutes there. I was tempted to walk all round the site but short of time.

I then walked back to the city. After about 15 minutes, a vehicle stopped by my site and a passenger asked me if I need a ride. I asked if the car would go to Themal and how much the cost would be. They told me it would be free since they were visitors and would passed by Themal. I did not hitchhike but was reversely hitchhiked. My friend warned me not to do so in India so I won't get kidnapped.

Monkey Temple in Kathmandu

Swayambhunath is an ancient religious complex atop a hill in the Kathmandu Valley, west of Kathmandu city. It is also an UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the Monkey Temple as there are holy monkeys living in the north-west parts of the temple.

The Tibetan name for the site means 'Sublime Trees', for the many varieties of trees found on the hill.

For the Buddhist Newars in whose mythological history and origin myth as well as day-to-day religious practice, Swayambhunath occupies a central position, it is probably the most sacred among Buddhist pilgrimage sites. For Tibetans and followers of Tibetan Buddhism, it is second only to Boudhanath.

The Swayambhunath complex consists of a stupa, a variety of shrines and temples, some dating back to the Licchavi period. A Tibetan monastery, museum and library are more recent additions. The stupa has Buddha's eyes and eyebrows painted on. Between them, there is something painted which looks like the nose - but is the Nepali symbol of 'unity'.

I took the access points with a long stairway, claimed to have 365 steps, leading directly to the main platform of the temple, which is from the top of the hill to the east.

My only opportunity to see mt. Everest

There are three economically feasible ways to see Mt. Everest with your own eyes. The 1st way is to take a 21-day hike to the base camp, which is cold, difficult, and you only see it near the base camp.

The second way to to take a12-day hike to see it from another mountain, which is easier but for experienced hikers.

The third way is to visit Nagarkot which is 32 km NE of Kathmandu on the northern fringe of the Kathmandu valley. Nagarkot is famous for its Himalayan views- the Himalayan peaks at sunrise are a magnificent sight to behold.

The 4-mile trail climbs up to the tower of Nagarkot. From the tower there are excellent views of mountain including view of Mt Everest and Kahmandu valley. I saw the breathtaking views of the major Himalayan peaks of Nepal like Manaslu, Ganesh, Langtang, dorje Lakpa, sisa pagma, Choyu, Gauri Shankar, and most importantly, the tip of Mt. Everest (8848 m).

I wish i know the last option earlier so i could have taken a 3-day hike to better enjoy the view. The trail passes many villages and terrace to reach to Namoboudha. In Namobuddha there are some interesting Tibetan monastery .

The scenic ride via the ancient city of Bhaktapur and tiny villages along meandering mountain roads is a journey by itself, before arriving at Nagarkot. The way towards there was jammed on the roads and inside the bus and it tool over 3 hrs. The way back was much easier but I ran into political protest and stuck for 15 minutes.

I was deterred by the high admission fee and skipped Bhaktapur. I later found out that Bhaktapur has more temples per square foot than Patan or Kathmandu and is a World Heritage site listed by the UNESCO. The high admission is used to pay for restoration since a 1934 earthquake severely damaged the city.

Royal Chitwan National Park

Chitwan is one of the few remaining undisturbed vestiges of the 'Terai' region, which formerly extended over the foothills of India and Nepal. It has a particularly rich flora and fauna. One of the last populations of single-horned Asiatic rhinoceros lives in the park, which is also one of the last refuges of the Bengal tiger.

I took the tourist bus from Pokhara for 6 hours and switched buses 3 times. When arriving in Chitwan (the village), i took a local bus for the 7km into the tiny village.

I took a one/day jungle walk of 20 kms and saw many animals including rhinos, deers, two kinds of monkeys, crocodiles, and many different kinds of birds. I will upload most of the photos taken with my digital camera when I have access to a computer. I did not see any tiger but their drops and footprints.

The second day I took an elephant ride. It was relaxing and fun, and I saw more kinds of deers.