Durbar Square & Masala tea at 4:00 please

• Survived Delhi belly, thanks to the help of many people and drugs • 6am: Our local Pepsi corner store is already open for business - sounds of men clearing their throats (a sound I am not going to miss) - the dim of traffic is slowly rising as life starts moving • From the hostel rooftop patio I see the whole of Kathmandu • The moon is still showing his face • Tall houses painted, fuchsia, turquoise, pale green, yellow, orange and blue • Water tanks on rooftops as far as the eye can see • Buses, trucks and people walking along the ring road surrounding the city • Of course the usual beeping of car horns • The sun is trying to break through a thin veil of scattered clouds • Today we will be moving to our host family's home • 7:45: Breakfast is being made by Prakaash & Ram - fruit cut up, toast & tea • Found out how to make milky Masala tea (its so good) • Laundry being done on rooftop patio • Carpets hung over banisters • The smell of garbage burning is covered by the faintest hint of incense • Went to Kathmandu Durbar Square (there are three Durbar Squares in the Kathmandu area) in hopes of seeing the Kumari (the living goddess) • Durbar means Palace and this is where the city's kings were once crowned & ruled • The entire square was designated a Unesco world heritage site • Armed with the bible of all tourists here - The Lonely Planet Guide to Nepal •  Walked off the beaten track, on streets that were only made for a single flow of vehicular traffic • Clearly being the visible minority • Decided to do a day tour with our fellow volunteers tomorrow, therefore we have decided to stay in the hostel for a few more nights • Lunch at the hostel • Afternoon spent at beautiful Patan Durbar Square with Kitti and Amit - we hired a local guide to show us around the many Hindu Temples • Our guide was 19, and excellent - he truly made the experience that much more meaningful • Taken to a local Art School were I bought a Circle of Life Illumination that spoke to me • Temples are on so many corners that you can't walk a block and not see one • Saw the good luck water hole for the stone elephants, that they say is visited by the elephants at night when the square is deserted • Was allowed to chime three times going into the Temple where the god of Prosperity was/is • 4:00: Masala tea at our local Pepsi shop - this was clearly become part of our daily routine • Had my first shower since Kong Kong- it was cold & short - 'nuff said • The volunteers in the hostel taking the full cultural program made us dinner tonight - guess what - Daal Bhaat- I'm still taking it easy with food - they clearly had a great time making it

Because Daal Bhaat was made fresh daily,
each day they needed their fresh veggies.
This chap was beside our Kalinki Temple.

The necessities of morning tika.
Tika is the red mark worn equally by men & women on
their forehead. It is a symbol of blessings from the gods.
It represents the all seeing, all knowing third eye,
as well as being an important energy point.

Morning blessing at our local - Kalinki Temple

Local fashionista wear.

Chess was played in parks, on corners, wherever they could lay a board,
in this case our neighborhood.

I loved how worn the board & chess men were.

Typical brooms used by everyone, everywhere.
They really tried to keep on top of the dirt, there was just too much.

Bling for the toddler set.

Kathmandu Durbar Square.

Women sold flowers where there were more populated Temples.

Rickshaws were pretty common and used by locals as well as tourists.

Kitti and I in Durbar Square.

Resting in Durbar Square.

My first encounter with the Sadhus (my fancy men).
Kitti paid them in momos for this photo.
Momos are steamed dumplings.
I don't think they were too impressed.

Entrance to the Golden Temple.
The Eyes of Buddha.

Interesting doors.

More interesting doors.

I was fixated on their crazy wiring. I kept taking pictures of it.
Perhaps this helps explain the daily power cuts

Pretty typical to see produce transported this way.

Hindu marionettes.

The entrance to Patan Durbar Square.
Truly spectacular.

Kitti & I in front of the cement elephants
that overlook the lucky water hole.