Bandh - This is when you run the other way.

So today I had my first Nepali lesson. Yes, a lot later than I thought I would start, but I have high hopes with my teacher. He’s pretty good so I should know basic stuff within a few weeks. I’m going to start with 3 hours a week and see whether I should add more or take less.

After my lesson, my friend Raj and I decided to go to Swayambuhnath – which you might hear as the Monkey Temple. Yup, heading back into monkey territory. What it is about temples that monkeys like I have no idea, but as long as the monkeys stay back, I’m okay with them hanging about. Raj and I were on our way on his motorbike when we hit the New Road area (seriously, it is called New Road) and heard a big commotion. Lots of yelling on the big road and a whole bunch of people walking/running towards us. Raj pulled off onto a side road and walked back to see what the big deal was. Sure enough… it was a bandh (or strike)/protest.

Bandhs are pretty commonplace here, but usually people know about them in advance and just stay at home. Raj and I weren’t among the people who knew about this one in advance. There were a lot of people walking very quickly away from the strikers. And I figured maybe we should head away from them, too? So Raj and I got back on the motorbike and found an alternative route to Swayambuhnath. We found out along the way that the bandh was happening because the President has not visited the important temple in Kathmandu Durbar Square. Apparently, the people are quite pissed about this… so much so that New Road (a huge shopping area) and even Thamel was pretty much shut down for most of the day. We saw the protesters again in Thamel… which kind of freaked out all the tourists, but still they just sit and enjoy their coffee. They probably think it’s a parade. Except the people are breaking things and destroying atms and starting fires in the street.

Swayambuhnath was very cool. Another stupa (like the one in Boudha) but this one is crawling with monkeys. The monkeys here, I had heard, are more likely to jump you and grab at you… but they were pretty calm when I was there. Swayambunath is interesting because the hill it sits upon is supposedly “self-risen” from the lake which was supposed to have covered Kathmandu Valley (just letting you know what Lonely Planet says…). There’s a statue in a fountain at the entrance where you’re supposed to toss a coin and depending on where it lands it’s good luck (only if it lands on the platform at the statue’s feet). Neither Raj nor I could make it… but this young girl got it almost every time! She must’ve been standing there tossing coins – at least 50 rupees! – for awhile. Everywhere you look there are prayer flags hanging all over the place. I wish it had been sunny so that the colors were brighter than they were, but I’m sure I’ll make it to the Monkey Temple again. I’ve also found that temples are crawling with young couples… all looking for a quiet place to hold hands and be all lovey-dovey. Really. It seemed like the only people visiting the temple were couples. In every dark corner or semi-secluded area, there’s a young Nepali couple probably forced to meet secretly because they are promised to marry someone else.

It was the same at Balaju Park – where we went after Swayambuhnath and Thamel. The park is just outside of Ring Road (which encircles all of Kathmandu) and is quite small, but nice with small ponds with fish, walking paths up the hill, and a sleeping Vishnu statue. It was nice to hang out with Raj and see stuff around Kathmandu. I haven’t been traveling around much… especially this week since I was sick. Plus, it’s better to see stuff with a local than with other foreigners.