Hike to Changu Narayan

Ajaya suggested this hike as a good one with reasonable length (7 km one way) with slight elevation gain.  It was a beautiful day and we walked the trail that the villagers use to walk to and from villages and the city of Bhaktapur.  There was lots of harvesting activity in the fields and we saw no other tourists until we reached the temple.  Perhaps because of that the people and kids we saw in the villages along the trail were very friendly although they spoke little English (and we spoke even less Nepali).

The homes seemed large and it is likely that they housed extended families.  Some of our first distant views of the Himalaya, which we will see closer as the days go by.

As we approached the temple grounds we attracted a trio of village kids, anxious to practice their English.  They served as our unofficial guides, and we are convinced the tallest one is destined for political office given his ability to supervise the younger two and corral us.

The Changu Narayan is one of 7 UNESCO world heritage sites in the KTM Valley, and the oldest with some items dating back to the 5th century AD.  It is a place of worship for both Buddhists and Hindus, one of many sites where the two religions co-exist.

I offered to take a picture of two Nepalis visiting from a village east of Bhaktapur during festival.  People were interested in where we came from and were very welcoming.

We decided to eat in a local cafe and were soon joined by a group of 21 year old students (studying civil engineering and medicine).  Again, they engaged with us as they love to practice English and are interested in where we came from.  They were interested in our ages and very surprised that we had walked from Bhaktapur (they were all on motor bikes) and one even said that Mary was more fit that they would be at her age.  Later, when they passed us on our return trip they stopped and asked Mary if she wanted a ride (they were riding 3 to a bike!).

On our walk home we were continually amazed at how hard these people work on their farms.  And how fortunate we are.