An interlude before Kathmandu

We've spent the past two days in the beautiful Newari (one of Nepal's ethnic groups) town of Bandipur. Most visitors to Nepal zip between Pokhara and Kathmandu (relatively speaking -- it takes up to 8 hours to go the 155 miles between the two cities!). Bandipur sits high on a ridge about a half hour from the main highway (re: pot-holed hell) below.

Once getting up to Bandipur via a shared jeep (a new record -- 16 people crowded into 6 spots) it's like stepping back into medieval Nepali times. It's not a major tourist hotspot so most residents just go about their business. There are no motorized vehicles; just cobblestone streets and buildings mainly from the 18th Century, many with intricately carved wood decor. There are some interesting-looking temples which are lit with candles at night. Several of the buildings have been renovated into simple guesthouses and restaurants. We stayed in a very simple room consisting of a bed and a mosquito net, but the place had great character, the view from our room over the valley was gorgeous, and the food was the best we had in the town. Other than the electricity (which went out for a couple hours every night) it felt like we had entered another era.

We spent two days here just wandering around. There are some nice walks in the area, but Alex's sprained ankle is worse than we initially thought, so her movement has been limited. So, we mainly stayed in town and in the nearby countryside. From a ridge facing the north we could see the Himalayas stretch as far as we could see. The clouds are below the mountains giving it the effect that they are floating in the air; it felt as if we were on another planet.

We're now in Kathmandu. We'll explore this valley for the next week and are trying to figure out the next step: Bhutan? Tibet? Guangxi province, China? Yunnan province, China? It's a good problem to have.