How to Get Around Kathmandu - The City Full of Contrast, Kathmandu, Nepal (B)

Nepal is, of course, most famous for the treks in the Himalayas (especially the famous base camp trek). Therefore, Kathmandu is the main gateway to all the natural wonders Nepal has in its offer. But the capital city itself is also worth a visit - fascinating, full of contrast, similar to Indian cities but with an original touch of incredible, unique architecture and complicated history. It is especially good to travel to this city now, to help the economy, when it's rising from the devastating earthquake in 2015. We went to Nepal right before, at the end of March 2015. In the photos below, you can see all the monuments in their original state, virtually days before the disaster.

If you're from the west, you need to prepare yourself mentally before traveling to Kathmandu in the same way you prepare yourself for India (check my post about it here). The contrast, poverty and pollution is rampant and clearly obvious between the beautifully restored monuments - world class architectural gems - durbar squares and the rest of neglected streets. The tangles of thousands of wires hang above your head and the noise of motorcycles and rickshaws can be intimidating. But the local people, in spite of the living conditions are very welcoming, the prices are low and, incredibly, there are way fewer con artists than in South East Asia. Also, the air, despite smog, is clearer than in India or SE Asia - due to the high altitude and presence of the Himalayas which allow extra ventilation. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).