Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal

On January 19, 2024January 19, 2024 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Nepal2 Comments

One of the more unique experiences that we had during our trip to Kathmandu was to visit the Pashupatinath Temple, which is dedicated to Pashupati, a form of Shiva. The temple sits on the Bagmati River and one of the things that makes it unique are the Hindu cremation ceremonies, called an Antyesti, that take place along the river adjacent to the temple. For Westerners, seeing the ceremonies might seem strange, but it is an important ritual in the Hindu religion.

There are several stone platforms on either side of the temple and while we were there, most of them were being used to perform cremations. Family members that are able to make it to the ceremony gather around as the body is prepared and placed on wood that has been stacked on the platforms. The ceremony is performed soon after the family member is deceased, typically within a day, so often times not all family members are able to make it to the ceremony.

Our guide talked to us about some of the reasons behind the cremation ritual, some of it is pragmatic, but most of it is spiritual. Some who follow the Hindu religion believe that if you bury a person and create a headstone or location to visit after their passing, it keeps the living from moving on with their lives and causes them to continue grieving. The burning of the body allows their human spirit to rise to the afterlife and then the final remains are swept into the Bagmati River which is another way that allows the spirit to move on.

There are vendors selling food and other gifts in the area and it is important to remember that these are celebrations of the life of the person who passed. We also saw some cows grazing in the open areas near the temple and we learned that at times when a person was cremated their animals were released and allowed to live free. It was definitely an interesting experience and not like anything we had ever visited during our various travels.

Swayambhunath Stupa in Kathmandu, Nepal

On May 18, 2023May 18, 2023 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Nepal4 Comments

One of the last places that we visited during our time in Kathmandu was to Swayambhunath Stupa, which is located on the hillside overlooking the city. It is commonly referred to as “monkey temple” due to the abundance of monkeys that live in the trees that surround the temple grounds. Although there are plenty of monkeys and, as always, you need to be careful around them as they will steel anything that they can get their hands on, we found the nickname to be somewhat derogatory. The temple grounds and the large stupa at the top of the grounds are definitely worth visiting and it is quite busy because it is located on the edge of the city and is a short drive from most of the hotels.

Colorful Buddha Greets You as You Start to Climb Up the Hill

Some of the Many Monkeys that Give the Stupa It’s Nickname

Looking Up at the Architecture of the Stupa

The shape of the Swayambhunath Stupa has very specific meaning as the white, round dome base represents the earth and the 13 golden tiers on the tower of the stupa represent the 13 stages to nirvana. Also, the face of Buddha on the four sides of the tower each face in the directions of west, north, east, and south. There is much more to the temple grounds than just the stupa as there are many different temples and statues surrounding the stupa. There are also the famous prayer wheels that wrap around the base of the stupa and faithful will spin each wheel as they walk around the stupa.

Prayer Wheels and People Walking Around the Stupa

Unique Artwork and the Iconic Prayer Flags

It was the most crowded location of all of the places that we visited while in Kathmandu other than perhaps the Durbar Square in Kathmandu. You will also find plenty of vendors selling goods around the temple grounds and we actually purchased a set of the famous prayer flags before leaving to go back to our hotel. In addition to the stunning architecture, there are also wonderful views of the city from the top of the hill, but it was a little cloudy on the day that we visited, so the views weren’t as dramatic as they might be on a clear day. Especially considering how close it is to the heart of Kathmandu, it is certainly worth taking a couple of hours to visit the Swayambhunath Stupa.

Interesting Features Around Every Corner

These Prayer Displays Were Located Around the Stupa

Helicopter Tour to Base Camp at Mount Everest from Kathmandu

On March 28, 2023March 28, 2023 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Nepal5 Comments

One of the tours that we planned for our visit to Kathmandu was taking a helicopter tour up to the Mount Everest base camp. It was, without a doubt, not only a highlight of the trip to Nepal, but one of the most fascinating experiences that we’ve ever had the privilege to enjoy. Just the time in the helicopter as you travel from Kathmandu over the foothills and then rising ever higher into the Himalayan mountains was a spectacular experience. Then when the helicopter landed and we were able to stand on a peak overlooking base camp at a dizzying altitude of 17,500 feet and look up at the summit of Mount Everest, it was absolutely breathtaking.

Dona with Mount Everest in the Background

Flying to Base Camp

The total tour takes around 4 hours as you fly from Kathmandu to the tiny Lukla Airport where many other helicopters would also land, provisions would be taken to the various hiking camps, and we even saw one plane make the harrowing take-off from the very short runway. After a 10 minute wait at Lukla, we then continued on to the valley at Pheriche, where our group of 5 was split with 2 people continuing on to the Kalapatthar while we enjoyed amazing views of all of the surrounding peaks until the helicopter returned to drop off the other 2 people and the 3 of us were flown to the viewing point. We only had about 10 minutes at the overlook site as we hadn’t had time to acclimatize to the altitude and even after a short amount of time, we felt a little light headed as we breathed in the very thin air.

Helicopter Landing at the Base of the Mountains

After we returned to Pheriche to pick up the other 2 passengers, we continued on to the Hotel Everest where we were able to get breakfast and watch all of the hikers as they made their way up from the valley below before continuing to their campsites. We weren’t initially sure if we were going to be able to go on the tour as the high altitude helicopters only fly when the weather is good and the skies aren’t cloudy as they can’t tell when a cloud might be concealing a mountain peak. On the day that we went, the skies were clear and we had amazing views of Mount Everest. As we sat eating breakfast, however, the conditions changed and the clouds came whipping across the peaks and our tour guide quickly escorted us to our helicopter to fly us back to Kathmandu during a slight snow squall.

When we finally arrived back in Kathmandu and returned to our hotel, we had time to sit with a glass of wine and review the photographs and videos that we had taken. As with anything, as amazing as the photographs might be, there is no way to truly explain how it felt to stand there at the base of such an iconic mountain as Mount Everest and all of the other high Himalayan peaks. It will be a memory that we will truly cherish for the rest of our lives and something that we would recommend to anyone who visits Kathmandu. It isn’t an inexpensive venture, but well worth the cost for the incredible experience that it provides.

Another Video Heading to Base Camp

Helicopters Arriving at Lukla