kokaa's blog: December 2005

Bats' Cave

After a scrumptious breakfast by lake fewa, we headed to explore the caves… Mahendra Gupha (cave) was first on the list; it was a test to see if I was fit enough to try out bats cave; which I was told was treacherous… the exit looked easy enough, but turned out to be an entirely different case when tried… a little climbing, twisting and turning and I’d made it… now for the challenge; bats’ cave…

Bats cave was deeper in the ground than Mahendra gupha. I tried to imagine how it would be, how the bats would look like, how many there would be and started working out strategies as to what I’d do if they woke up and decided to attack, I realized I really didn’t know what to do other than screeming, so started concentrating on the walk instead… it was pitch dark… my friend pointed the torch towards the roof; there they were, hundreds of tiny little bats… they looked cute even…

We made our way towards the exit, it was very hard to find, even when I was with someone who’d been through it a coupla times… we started climbing, up and up we went… I dared not look down, lest I lost my footing… we reached a huge boulder, which I thought was a dead end only to find out that we’d have to scale it… it was slippery and there were hardly any place to hold… I managed to scramble up (rather ungracefully I should add) with the help of my friend… which appeared to be the most difficult part was rather easy compared to what I was to face… there wasn’t enough space to stand or crouch, I lay on my tummy with my bottom sticking out! There were two slits up ahead; I had to slither through it and quick… I tried to force myself not to think about how many fractures I could have if I slip and fall, the injuries could be so severe that it can be fatal!

I managed to scuttle through (thank god!) without much mishap, only I was covered from head to toe in mud… it was the most exhilarating experience I’ve had thus far!

himalayan sunrise

At 5:00 am in the morning we were at the foot of a hill called Sarangkot, mentally preparing ourselves for the long hike up hill in freezing cold…

I am glad I went up there; the sunrise was spectacular to say the least, and it was made all the more special by my sisters’ presence… its one of those moments one treasures for life…

lake fewa

First afternoon in Pokhara was spent boating in Fewa lake with my sister and some friends… we drifted across the stretch of water for hours until sunset…

Ding Dong Bell...

The bell hangs in front of the main entrance of the courtyard, this was used as means of communication when the king and queen wished to gather their subjects…

Kamasutra temple

In the days gone by, children are married at a very young age. When these children reach puberty there are sent to this temple by their parents to learn about kamasutra, tanteric sex and yoga…

Sex education was an integral part of society in Nepal centuries ago!!!

Open windows...

Legend has it that the last king of the Malla Dynasty is still alive and so these windows remain open for him and a priest awaits his return inside the palace…

ankey jaal

As in custom; a girl lives in her husbands house after marriage, and the door to the outside world is closed, except for this window, from which she can peer out and see the rest of the world going about their business, while she remains forever hidden from their eyes… if someone one looks carefully only her eyes maybe visible through the holes, thus the name aankey (eyes) jaal (window).

Stair way to heaven?

the hanging belt is symbolic for path to heaven... depending on karma a person is allowed to ascend it... if he's done good in his life, the snakes which guard the belt let them pass and go to heaven, but the if the karma was bad, he's attacked and he can't go further...

Faces...

Sundhari Chowk

Sundhari (beautiful) Chowk (courtyard) houses the queen’s quarters in the royal palace… today its doors are closed to public as restoration work is underway to restore it to its former glory; the courtyard had been badly affected by an earthquake...

Patan Darbar Square

Patan Darbar Square dates back to the 18th Century... in a time when gods and goddesses were believed to have walked among the commoners, it was home to the kings of Malla dynasty…

The rich culture and architecture of Nepalese is clearly evident in every corner…