Bob, I'm so glad Bhaktapur was such a success. I hope you enjoy Patan as well. And I'll be interested in your reaction to Pashupatinath so soon after Varanasi.

Interesting report..You did sound a little negative about India to the point where I had decided to cross it off my list. Glad things are picking up for you and Karen now..

So exciting you can see the see the snow capped mountains...we couldn't...too much smog. We spent time in the Hyatt pool, the small pool is heated.
I guess we will never go to India since I felt Kathmandu was as "India" as I liked.
Are the city lights out in the evening now? We were told that was just during the dry season, but I have doubts.
Glad you like Kath.

Glad to hear you are enjoying the trip and I had misread into it. I'm looking forward to the rest of your report.

Bob, don't dwell on your hotel in Vananasi. Consider it a good story.

I stayed at the Taj in Varanasi (don't BOO purists : ) . I was traveling with my usual traveling companion. when they showed us the first room, it was quite lovely, recently renovated, but there was a king bed and we had requested two beds. So, they said they would "upgrade us" to another room. When we got to our "new" room, I cracked up. It hadn't been touched since the Raj, but is was massive. Three huge rooms--looking like your grandmother's attic. My favorite thing was the blue bathroom with the bright fire-engine red toilet. So much for the upgrade.

The best part was being stuck in the elevator for nearly an hour.

I would have much preferred a ghat hotel where I wasn't lulled into an elevator in "electricity optional" India : )

a red toilet is certainly an upgrade!! how often have you had a red toilet?? think about it..

DH and I once had a room (in a very remote mountain area in Colorado) that had a freshly PAINTED bathtub! It was white, not read... but I got paint on the bottoms of my feet. Yuk!

...not RED... (I was using the shower, not sitting in the tub, thank goodness)

Keep it coming, so enjoying this.

Thinks we should make a thread "Horrible hotel experiences to remember"

... yep, I've got a few stories...

I loved Varanasi...The colors in the morning from the saris, even they towles the bathers used in the AM. Then you add the rising sun and the glow it put on every thing thru the haze/smog. How many people they could cram into a tuk-tuk or on a bike? Something to see every where. The funeral Ghats and the whole process over there was so interesting. The hotel was not that bad either.

The old building here in Nepal are beautiful. I am loving the contrast of the dark wood and the brick. The detail of the carvings, be they wood or stone. People watching is so enjoyable, and every one has to have a chat with Bob, if not their picture taken with him.

Bob, there is no need for a bathroom when you could have just done what the locals do and bathe (and do other things) in that pristine river!!!

Bob, how could I have missed this report?? I guess I haven't been on Fodor's much lately, but I'm all caught up now!
Keep it coming!

Wednesday Nov 9

Negetive Bob reporting in… I can’t help it if you and my wife don’t tell the absolute truth.

Seems we had our watches wrong again. We were late for our guide at 11. No matter after an apology.

We set off in the same direction again heading to Patan, another world heritage site. Ganga claims this is his favorite area. Traffic is quite heavy again---you have to allow about an hour to get to most places from the Hyatt. But, we think that the Hyatt is the place to stay---think quiet.

Upon entering the main square area you are bombarded with ancient buildings. Entrance fee 200 Rs each. The carving is sensational. We are told the wood is called iron wood, and that the carving is original dating back as far as the 1500’s. There is a palace of the king, now a wonderful museum, and a palace of the queen, currently being renovated, but we did go into its main courtyard where the carving is unbelievable…

We walked around the town quite a bit. We visited a wood carving shop and bought one of the carved windows he had created. For hand carved items, they were reasonable. We also visited a Thangka painting school and salesroom. We were shown how they are created with great skill and immense detail. We decided not to buy as our wall space at home is now limited. Our favorites were the ariel view darker colored ones. There are 5 basic styles.

We tried in vain to locate a singing bowl craftsman Kathie has told us about, but we were unable, thus far, to locate him.

We wandered the main square area and many of the side streets of Patan. There are many very nice shops, especially ones selling carved metal (brass and bronze) religious sculptures, plus numerous painting galleries and wood carving also.

Here is the info on our freelance guide: Ganga Kharga; mobil 98412015-98
[email protected] I doubted the address???
He is an older man with good English, a sense of humor, a willingness to walk slowly, a willingness not to fill you full of useless info and a good guide.

After our visit we drove close to thamil and kathmandu squares so that we might see where they are for our return on our own tomorrow.. We also drove by the soccer stadium, down the modern day main shopping area, past the USA embassy compound, past the current pink royal palace, past lots of colleges, and over more bumpy and ill repaired streets before reaching the hotel about 3.

I was a bit unclear about what I wanted to tip each day, but I gave the guide 1000 each day and the driver 500.

My one regret concerning our trip to Nepal was not buying a singing bowl. We enjoyed our time in Patan and Bhaktapur, but did not have time to visit the monkey temple outside of Khatmandu, which I take from your report that you did not visit either. I was unimpressed with Thamel. Looking forward to your report on your reaction to this area. It is nice to retreat to the Hyatt after a day of crowds and sightseeing. What did you think of the Italian/mediteranean restaurant there?

our meal in the med rest. was good but expensive for nepal, of course. i had the veggie lasagne which was the size of a hockey puck but not as tall. it tasted good. K had the same.

tonight we ate the general buffet which had a DECENT VARIETY, but other than the tendeloin was underwhelming. $50/2.

K says i can have a singing bowl because you endorse it shelley. I might take it to Joe's.

Bob, the famous singing bowl maker is near the Durbar square in Patan. Any of the official guides at the Durbar Square will know him. As you enter the area, if you walk past the Palace/Museum and walk until you get to the next small lane, it is off the the left beyond that. Did you stop at the crafts place to shop on your way back to the Hyatt?

kathie, we asked licensed guides, the officials at the entrances and other shop owners and no one seemed to know him...

thanks for this info... tomorrow we will go to the craft shop.

Sorry you couldn't find him. He is considered teh "old master" at hand-hammered bowls.