We woke up for our second full day in Kathmandu to a colder, rainy morning – much needed to beat the heat! Following a similar breakfast to yesterday, many of us played Cockroach Poker, a new game Jon introduced to us all.
A fellow Calvin student, Reeja, showed up to the Goshen House at nine to graciously lead us on a tour of two temples in different parts of the city!
The first temple we saw was called Swayambhu temple, and dated back around 2000 years. This temple location is primarily a Buddhist stupa, but has sections that are also dedicated to the Hindu tradition.
We learned lots about the Hindu religion and the importance of different religious sites, along with why leaving gifts at the temple to be eaten by monkeys and pigeons is good for gaining positive karma.
At this temple sight not only did we gain a beautiful view of Kathmandu, but also gained a newfound love for our closest relative, the monkey.
This temple was a monkey playground, with hundreds running here, there, and everywhere. (Amelia poses with her new best friend).
After our first temple site, we drove through a very busy Kathmandu to get to our lunch spot!
Reeja’s parents extended their hospitality to us by arranging lunch at Mantra Thakali Restaurant. We ate a traditional Nepali meal, called Dal Bhat, that consisted of rice, lentils, chicken, a variety of different vegetables, and chips. We all agreed, it was fantastic!
We went next to an other ancient temple that once housed the King and Queen of Nepal! It was quite a trek across town but worth it to walk back in time two thousand years.
We saw the intricacies of the wooden carvings ornamenting the entire building, and got to witness some of the extensive reconstruction on the temple’s exterior due to former earthquake damage.
The kings old living quarters were turned into a museum featuring artifacts of Hindu god depictions dating centuries back, while also giving us a cool view from the roof!
After a long day of trekking through the city, we all were in need of some coffee!!
Featured above is my wonderful Thai milk-coffee, standing in front of a personality picture of the crew.
Many of us purchased some souvenirs from Higher Grounds and explored our part of the city a little bit more before dinner.
We enjoyed the Turkish meal from last night so much we decided to visit it again for tonight’s dinner.
Here is Professor Sinniah beaming with excitement over the chicken pide he was about to eat.
It was a wonderful day with so many highlights; being immersed in the Nepali culture and seeing the expression of other religions, getting to step back in time by visiting the millennia old temples, experiencing the hospitality of others, and enjoying great community within our amazing group!