Great sleep, though the bed mattresses are wafer thin. Very quiet, not even much dog action. Up sprightly to make a Digital copy shop on the other side of town at Dattatreya square. Yesterday we promised one of the kids we would get his photo printed where he could come by later in the day and pick it up. This due to load shedding is not so easy to achieve, hence an 8am drop off. Coincidentally this put us at Black cup for breakfast. Coffee still good, but would not rate their breakfast unfortunately.
The walk through the squares great at this time of day as the hustle is predominantly locals. Women going to the wells to pull up their morning water needs and bartering over morning fresh veggies neatly laid out in baskets or mats in the squares. A few goats here and there, possible invites for new years eve. Men (older and younger) and women performing morning morning puja in a mix of sound, smell and action. The beauty of this daily activity reinforced by it's simplicity and though ritualistic, performed with true integrity versus mere form of action.
Continue east past the temple guardians to the top end of town and another oval sized pool called the Kamal Pokhari. A few food selling carts in the closest corner setup near a peepul tree, customers enjoying the cool calm of the location and a view opened up over the neighboring suburbs. Water less green than the last large pond and by the ripples and occasional tail carp or similar in fair numbers. Continue around, watch a couple of young boys clean a bike on the lower steps. Stop at a Ganesh temple were we are invited in to watch morning puja and offered tika whilst engaging in a mixed English / Nepali who am I conversation. Much rice and tika plastered on a golden (likely bronze) statue. A large golden rat, Ganesh's mount, paying homage to the statue from a pedestal in the temple courtyard. Some young boys playing table tennis set up on a small temple's raised platform, net via a row of bricks.
Buildings on this side of town large four to five floor concrete and brick constructs versus the mix of wood and non rendered terra-cotta colored brick in the centre of town.
Walk back down on the main diversion road past the slaughterhouses out by themselves. Noticed pre cutting but post gutting both here and in Kathmandu, guys using a small blowtorch on the skins. The carcass may then depending on animal sit on a table out front of the store sometimes with some semblance of stainless steel covering. Soph one morning went out and past some pork and noticed one yellowed hog carcass seemingly snorting smoke out of it's snout, but then noticed the owners were performing morning puja and had incense lit. The female store keeper however had requested money for the photo, if taken. Showing the proximity of the store to Thamel.
Cut through the edge of town but then down to the Hanuman Ghats below town. Though the river was in better condition than the Bagmati in Kathmandu it was still a frequent dumping spot. One middle aged guy, well dressed, on a bike stopped and we were uncertain of whether he was appreciating the view or just to see what we were doing, but then a bag of stuff went over the side, he smiled at us and cycled on.
We didn't go into the complex because a funeral was in process on the far bank and instead skirted back up into town. Stopped in potters square and watched as a small man but with no noticeable stoop used a stick on the edge of a large free spinning circular stone slab to rotate the wheel fast enough that it maintained it's momentum. Once achieved he squatted and threw some greyish clay in the centre and then started to turn a jug with great skill and obvious practice. Once he sliced the base with a fine string an older lady collected the piece and placed with hundreds of other pieces in the sun on the courtyard stones.
Behind the man was a series of small lean-toos under which on the lower level a few people were gradually layering pottery and then straw over and over to just below the ripple iron roof. The smell in the air was an acrid kiln smell.
We wandered up behind the main courtyard in a side house central square sitting on the steps of their houses groups were either detailing or latter glazing the pottery work. The whole setup felt like quite a community.
From Potters square up through Durbar and out past the Kauma counter to try and find some curd for which Bhaktapur is well known. Find a place with King curd on the signage out front. Go for the smallest size just to be safe and served two glass size servings of sweetened curd. Not bad, but would prefer on something else rather than straight. Larger servings served in pottery bowls either normal bowl size or nearly salad bowl size. Not sure whether you are expected to return the bowl.
Continue around to the post office just on the far side of the Na Pokhari and opposite the mini bus stand. Arrange to send a book home which takes about half an hour though we are the only customers. Bit of a novelty for the staff, who were all quite nice.
Wander town and sit in Taumadhi Square for a while watching the afternoon flow and ebb of visitors and locals. Sit for a while near the chariot waiting for it to be moved again before confirming that tonight it doesn't. Will have to make sure we catch it tomorrow.
The walk through the squares great at this time of day as the hustle is predominantly locals. Women going to the wells to pull up their morning water needs and bartering over morning fresh veggies neatly laid out in baskets or mats in the squares. A few goats here and there, possible invites for new years eve. Men (older and younger) and women performing morning morning puja in a mix of sound, smell and action. The beauty of this daily activity reinforced by it's simplicity and though ritualistic, performed with true integrity versus mere form of action.
Continue east past the temple guardians to the top end of town and another oval sized pool called the Kamal Pokhari. A few food selling carts in the closest corner setup near a peepul tree, customers enjoying the cool calm of the location and a view opened up over the neighboring suburbs. Water less green than the last large pond and by the ripples and occasional tail carp or similar in fair numbers. Continue around, watch a couple of young boys clean a bike on the lower steps. Stop at a Ganesh temple were we are invited in to watch morning puja and offered tika whilst engaging in a mixed English / Nepali who am I conversation. Much rice and tika plastered on a golden (likely bronze) statue. A large golden rat, Ganesh's mount, paying homage to the statue from a pedestal in the temple courtyard. Some young boys playing table tennis set up on a small temple's raised platform, net via a row of bricks.
Buildings on this side of town large four to five floor concrete and brick constructs versus the mix of wood and non rendered terra-cotta colored brick in the centre of town.
Walk back down on the main diversion road past the slaughterhouses out by themselves. Noticed pre cutting but post gutting both here and in Kathmandu, guys using a small blowtorch on the skins. The carcass may then depending on animal sit on a table out front of the store sometimes with some semblance of stainless steel covering. Soph one morning went out and past some pork and noticed one yellowed hog carcass seemingly snorting smoke out of it's snout, but then noticed the owners were performing morning puja and had incense lit. The female store keeper however had requested money for the photo, if taken. Showing the proximity of the store to Thamel.
Cut through the edge of town but then down to the Hanuman Ghats below town. Though the river was in better condition than the Bagmati in Kathmandu it was still a frequent dumping spot. One middle aged guy, well dressed, on a bike stopped and we were uncertain of whether he was appreciating the view or just to see what we were doing, but then a bag of stuff went over the side, he smiled at us and cycled on.
We didn't go into the complex because a funeral was in process on the far bank and instead skirted back up into town. Stopped in potters square and watched as a small man but with no noticeable stoop used a stick on the edge of a large free spinning circular stone slab to rotate the wheel fast enough that it maintained it's momentum. Once achieved he squatted and threw some greyish clay in the centre and then started to turn a jug with great skill and obvious practice. Once he sliced the base with a fine string an older lady collected the piece and placed with hundreds of other pieces in the sun on the courtyard stones.
Behind the man was a series of small lean-toos under which on the lower level a few people were gradually layering pottery and then straw over and over to just below the ripple iron roof. The smell in the air was an acrid kiln smell.
We wandered up behind the main courtyard in a side house central square sitting on the steps of their houses groups were either detailing or latter glazing the pottery work. The whole setup felt like quite a community.
From Potters square up through Durbar and out past the Kauma counter to try and find some curd for which Bhaktapur is well known. Find a place with King curd on the signage out front. Go for the smallest size just to be safe and served two glass size servings of sweetened curd. Not bad, but would prefer on something else rather than straight. Larger servings served in pottery bowls either normal bowl size or nearly salad bowl size. Not sure whether you are expected to return the bowl.
Continue around to the post office just on the far side of the Na Pokhari and opposite the mini bus stand. Arrange to send a book home which takes about half an hour though we are the only customers. Bit of a novelty for the staff, who were all quite nice.
Wander town and sit in Taumadhi Square for a while watching the afternoon flow and ebb of visitors and locals. Sit for a while near the chariot waiting for it to be moved again before confirming that tonight it doesn't. Will have to make sure we catch it tomorrow.
 |
| From Bhaktapur |
No comments:
Post a Comment