Nepal - Bhaktapur

This is an ancient city, Bhaktapur.
It is one of the protected world heritage sites protected by UNESCO.
UNESCO stands for United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

My first thought when I reached Bhaktapur and saw a ticket collection counter at the entrance was,
"WHAT? Is this a tourist scam site where they get you to pay some money to see a few broken houses left from the past?"

But no.
It is a beautiful place.
If I had the time, I would probably stay longer, maybe 2 days to roam about and sit around.

When we went in, tour guides were surrounding us like eagles to prey.
To try to get one of them off my back, I pretended that I was Japanese and couldn't speak English.
WTF THE TOUR GUIDE SPOKE A BLABBER OF JAPANESE of which part I could not catch.
Right, I got exposed on the spot.


Although our driver told us not to get a tour guide, but after walking around for some time, I decided to get one. I was curious about the place and I want to know what it is about. 200 nepali rupees. And it was worth it.

I think we saw so much more we wouldn't have seen if we were walking alone.
And there is so much information and history to the architecture and statues.





















These are world peace flags
and this is a courtyard, people actually do live inside.






Streets of Bhaktapur, people like to sit outside during the daytime, and the doors are shorts.
Everywhere doors are short. It's like the houses are made for people like me. =D









so ke lian, tied to the drain.


Households form communities, sitting outside the house in a group.
The best thing that could happen would be to be invited to sit with them for a while.






Short doors. again.
Went to a Thangka art school and this is the classroom,
A student is doing a Thangka painting.
It's a Nepalese art form that can be found in Tibet too.

It used to be an important teaching tool depicting the life cycle of Buddha, Boddhisatvas and some other deities. I really liked it, but I found it too expensive and I had no space in my room. Now, I regret not getting one. It is the best thing you can get from Nepal, hand drawn by a Nepalese, has its roots in Nepal, and also Buddha is born in Nepal, Lumbini.

I am not a Buddhist. But Thangka paintings are really one of the types of paintings I could appreciate. I really like the extremely fine details where every part of the painting tells a story.

It is like the Renaissance Art of Asians, but even better.
Sorry, I am just biased.
Studied European art for a whole semester and was never drawn to it as much as this.

  

  


Ok more street pictures:
































Okay, ending off with a very weird store there that sells teddy bear.
Reminds me of the one yl bought for me like 8 years ago.