Jan 2,Patan and shopping

For Jan 2, we had two goals: Patan town and souvenir shopping ( since it's the last day in Nepal for A. and Y.)

After the seven hours' drive from Phokara the day before, we all were exhausted and needed a good rest. So we didn't set the departure time for this morning and just agreed we would meet at the breakfast. So this morning around 9:30 A. and I showed up, except Y., who, still staying in bed, was not feeling well with a little headache and nausea. Guessing she might suffer these from three big bangs of her head onto bus windows during the fairly bumpy but fast bus ride from Phokara yesterday, when she fell asleep. We arranged the room service for her and wished her good rest before we set out to Patan.

We found a taxi, and bargained down to 200 rs one way ( a hard bargain). In the car we joked about not paying the admission if we entered not from the south side, because the only one ticket office was there. The taxi drove us out of Kathmandu, among busy traffic and bad fumes, through alleys, past bazaars and some fancy houses, then cross the river, into wide fields, before we got there about half an hour later.
Patan Durbar Square
When we pushed the taxi door open, the driver kindly pointed to us there, buy the ticket, over there. Surprised, we wondered if he understood our talk in his car; and while we were hesitating about moving away,one guides came up and kindly showing us that the ticket office was there. So we knew we could not run since we were already picked. 200 rs was the admission. After that, he offered to work for us. But we now already hated him, and of course wouldn't hire him. Instead we opened the map from the ticket office, and my Lonely planet and began to explore Patan.

Introducing Patan Some eight kilometers south of central Kathmandu, situated on a plateau across the Bagmati river is a lovely little city called Lalitpur, the city of fine arts. This city also known as Patan, once an independent Newar kingdom before the present dynasty took over, is best known for its finest traditonal crafts and rich artistic heritage. This city of Lalitpur divided into 22 municipal wards nd is inhabited by approx. 160,000 people. A substantial portion of its population is engaged in various trades, specially in traditional handicrafts and cottage industries. Lalitpur in fact is the only town in entire Nepal that has produced the hightest number of most talents artist and finest craftsmen over recorded in Nepalese art history. The most famous Newar artist and maste r craftsmen, like Arniko Abhay Raj and Siddhi Raj, were all born in Lalitpur. Its is said that the city was designed and built after the Buddhist Dharma Charkra, the wheel of righteousness. It is surrounded by four big stupas, one at each corner of its cardinal points. These monuments are said to have been built by the Indian Emperor Ashoka when he came to Kathmandu valley on his pilgrimage tour some 2250 years ago. When we look at the size and shape of these stupas in many ways they seem to breathe their antiquity in a real remote past. It is interesting to note that there are more than 120 Buddhist monuments of various hsapes and sizes scattered in and around this city alone. However the most important monument centre of this city of of course Patan Durbar Square, which to our great delight has been recognized by UNESCO as a world heritage site. ... In fact Patan Durbar Square is the only monumental area in all three cities of Kathmandu valley that still out-stands with its most Magnificent architectural splendor and unique artistic beauty. Patan in its long checkered history, has undergone many sociopolitical upheavals. Even so this lovely little city seems to have fairly well preserved its glorious cultural heritage and history of its finest craftsmanship. Lalitpur siad to have founded by King Veer Deva in 299 AD, has many old names such as Yala, Yupagram, Lalitpatan, and Maningal. Severla historical records plus many other legends, also indicate that Patan is the oldest of all three cities of Katmandu valley. According to a very old Kirat chronicle edited by a noted research scholar Prem Bahadur subba, Patan was founded by Kirati rulers long before the Lichhavi rulers came int othe political scene in Kthmandu valley. According to him the earliest know capital was mostly possibly shifted from Thankot to Patan after the Kirati King Yalamber came into power sometime around second century AD. It must be mentiond here that one of the most common and typical Newari name of Patan is Yala. It is said that king Yalamber named this city after himself and ever since then this ancient city was know as Yala.
With those structures around, The bell, Krishna Mandir, King's column, we were sure of our standing in the middle of Durbar square, but comparing the locations in the map, we were at loss finding other sights, especially the one in front,of dark red color bricks, a pair of huge lions guarding, and exquisite carving on brackets and roof. And in the courtyard, we were dazzled by all beautiful carvings around and quickly we concluded that it must be a royal palace, and its north chamber turned into the famous Patan museum, which was actually my major purpose of Patan visit.
palace courtyard

gold gate
Admission to the museum, for Chinese visitors, is 75 rs only.
museum courtyard

Set in antique palace, the museum smartly displays and explains Nepal's long history of traditional fine arts, specially statues in Hinduism, Buddhism,
Buddha statue
bronze repousse
besides its metal technology of cast bronzes and repousse work.
king's snake throne
bronze lamp
We spent almost two hours inside, lingering in front of those statues and handicrafts. A. observed from the top wall on the south side, a empty triangle hole letting the sun ray in. The museum staff explained the location would rotate on its floor,functioning as a sun dial. ( more museum info: www.patanmuseum.gov.np)

After the musuem, other temples we enjoyed were: Mahabouddha, about 10 minutes' walk away from the square, claimed to be a masterpiece temple, with thousands of images of Lord Buddha engraved on the bricks. But to me, not so impressive. Same feeling was to the Kumbheshwor tower, said to be one of the only two in the valley with five roofs. We tried to follow the map, then following two Taiwanese tourists, believing they must be coming to find the tower too, even after 15 minutes out of that area. In the end, after asking three locals, we found this temple, but it seemed no surprise to us again.
Mahhabouddha temple
Believing we were already temple out, and worrying about our friend alone at home, we had a lunch break on a roof cafe and then began returning. On the streets, we observed many soliders in blue uniform, patrolling around. From the news, there were quite a lot reports about priest power transfer in its hindu temple and possible military threat. The returning taxi didn't have the safe and close-able windows, to protect us from their attention and all dust and fumes, esp. when A. were costumed up like a terrorist style.

We were home but found Y. was not there. Assured that she must feel better and possibly have gone to Thamel stores to shop. And it turned out later she was concentrated keeping her travel journal with a cup of hot chocolate in the bar.
After a big dinner of Japanese food, we did go out shopping. Within days we actually didn't find any very Nepalese souvenirs, except the its wool products, like hand-knit caps, scarves, gloves and socks.
We found something we liked at wool store, and the girls did win some good prices, for our purchase. I paid 135rs each for my four very colorful gloves and 180 rs for my two thick pairs of socks.