The streets and temples of Bukhtapur
Chilling on the roadside
One of the squares of Bukhtapur
Morning break in Bukhtapur
The strength of 10 men warriors guard the temple
Nepal's tallest temple
Pottery - the ancient craft of Bukhtapur
After breakfast we set off on a mission to find the bus station to Bukhtapur. To the delight of the local bus drivers, we hopped on the mini bus which they promised us was headed to our destination. The bus stopped 100 times to pick up passengers along the way but we eventually made it to the medieval walled city. An Asian version of my favourite French walled city Carcassone, the architectural cross of Tudor like structures with Asian influences was once again fascinating. It was a very relaxed town with people sitting around watching the world go by. Vic was particularly intrigued by the number of 'cute' old people lounging on the corners of the majestic buildings.
We had lunch in the shadow of the tallest temple in Nepal, before heading for a wander in the town's Durbar Square. Before leaving we took a walk through the cities pottery square - an ancient craft which put it on the map. My main impression of Bukhtapur as we headed up to Nagarkot on the local bus was the laid back atmosphere and a sense of being caught in a time warp of 200 years ago.
As we climbed the steep road higher into the mountains, the steppes unfolded before us and the coolness of the air was refreshing to the senses. An hour later and we were 3330 metres above sea level - higher than we had been at Keorgadong (the highest peak in Bangladesh). The air was crisp and clean and all around rolled the Himalayas. At the end of a winding road was 'The Hotel at the End of the Universe', our home for the night. Sitting at the low tables on cushions eating good food and wrapped in my Yak shawl, I certainly felt like I was in the mountains. At 9.30 I could keep my eyes open no longer and collapsed under the weight of the heavy cotton filled blanket for a wonderfully deep sleep.
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