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| Flight between Kathmandu and Chengdu |
It was one of those not very long transit but long enough that I would try to see if it's worth leaving the airport for a while. I landed in Chengdu at Tianfu Airport and to get to Chengdu City, it would take about 1.5 hours by train one way to where I wanted to get to. So that would give me around 2.5 hours outside of the airport and leaving enough time to get through immigration and security check. In addition, it is now visa free to travel to China for 15 days for Malaysian passport holders. I decided that it would be enough time to leave the airport for dinner and walk around for a short while.
The plan was to check out Kuanzhai Xiangzhi (宽窄巷子) and have dinner nearby as the flight landed in Chengdu at 5:35 pm. To reduce what I needed to carry, I checked in most things and very ambitiously also checked in my cap and waterproof jacket. I forgot to check the weather forecast and arrived in a rainy Chengdu.
The rain wasn't too heavy by the time I stepped out of Kuanzhai Xiangzhi metro station so I walked to my dinner stop - the first shop reviewed in Paul's post - 纯阳馆鱼香排骨面
纯阳馆鱼香排骨面
青羊区吉祥街6号附6号 吉祥结店 – Qingyang Qu Jixiang Jie 6 Hao Fu 6 Hao Jixiangjie dian
The walk from Kuanzhai Xiangzhi station took about 15 minutes and fairly straightforward. I didn't get a picture of the shopfront as the rain got heavier and there were cars parked outside of the shop. Their menu now in both Chinese and English. I visited in April 2024.
鱼香排骨面 is shown on their signboard so naturally that was the one I wanted. I really like chilli oil wontons (item 14) and usually would get that if I want wontons but after reading the review, I decided to get the steamed egg with ground pork (item 20) along with 'fish fragrant' spare ribs noodles (item 6). I don't think I would be able to finish 3 items by myself.
The noodles were al dente and the soup broth were tasty and not oily. Steamed egg were silky smooth.
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| Steamed egg ground pork, RMB 7 |
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| 1 tael of 'fish fragrant' spare rib noodles, RMB 13 |
It was pouring after I finished my meal, so heavy that I had to wait under a shade even to walk back to the metro station. I decided to scrap my plan of strolling Kuanzhai Xiangzhi and went back to the airport. So my Chengdu transit stop was pretty much 'I went out and ate a bowl of noodles' but tasty noodles and steamed egg.
Side note: Almost Christmas
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| Bara (lentil pancakes) in making |
I find that I like Nepali food, they are tasty. Here are some ideas of Nepali food to try.
Nepali Khana Set / Thali Set
Nepali Khana or Thali set are served on a brass plate for food to be warm longer. They are typically consisted of bhaat (rice), daal (lentils), tarkari (vegetables), achaar (pickles), salads (usually some raw vegetables for crunch). If you opt for non vegatarian set, it would come with a type of protein.
Or you would see dal bhat which is lentils and rice, or dal bhat tarkari which is lentils, rice and vegetable curry.
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| Veg khana set from Nepal Khaja Ghar, NPR 255 |
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| Also vege khana set from a shop in Pokhara, NPR 300 |
Samay Baji
Samay Baji is an authentic traditional dish of Newar community in Nepal. Newar people are the indigenous people of the Kathmandu Valley. It is typically served during special occasions and ceremonies. I had this in Bhaktapur in a restaurant name Newa Lahana. If you only want to try one dish in Nepal, please eat this.
Here are the components included in the Samay Baji I had - small Samay Baji buff.
In the middle, bottom:
Beaten rice (chiura) - This is a type of flattened / beaten rice and tasted like uncooked rolled oats but flatter.
On top of the beaten rice - I think this is one is chatamari (bara can be included in samay baji as well)
Clockwise from hard boiled egg:
Hard boiled egg - as an added protein to the dish
Chhwela - roasted buffalo meat
Bhatmas - roasted and seasoned black soybeans, the crunchy element
Achar - pickles
Aloo wala - spicy potatoes
Another buffalo dish
Buffalo choila
Black-eyed peas
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| Small Samay Baji buff from Newa Lahana, NPR 390 |
Rice and curry
Not the whole set but just curry served with a lot of rice.
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| Rice & vegetables curry at guesthouse in Sarangkot, NPR 230 |
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| Rice & egg curry at Samsara in Bandipur, NPR 250 |
I don't know why I take questionable photo like this. It wasn't midway eaten, I just asked for the rice to be halved because I would not be able to finish it. Don't know why I didn't move the fish to the big plate.
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| Rice, vege and fish in Kathmandu, NPR 220 |
Momo
This is Nepal's version of dumplings and is probably one of the most popular street food in Nepal. There are a few varieties to choose from - steamed, fried kothey (steamed with pan-fried crispy bottom), jhol (soup), sadeko (spicy salad).
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| Kothey buff momo + banana lassi at Pokhara Momo, NPR 300 |
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| Steamed vege momo at Bhaktapur guesthouse, NPR 250 |
Thukpa
This is Tibetan cuisine but very popular in Nepal. I noticed a few times I ordered chicken as the protein but given buffalo instead. Weird coincidences. I ordered mixed thukpa - noodles mixed with momo.
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| Mixed buff momo from Himalayan Dorjee Restaurant, NPR 180 |
Chow mein
I see chow mein in the menu of many shops. I guess similarly to thukpa, this could be from Chinese influenced. The portion was huge, this one I didn't finish.
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| Vege chow mein, NPR 220 |
Choila
This is a typical Newari dish, traditionally popular with water buffalo meat. I ordered the chicken choila from a random shop near the guesthouse. I wished I remembered where it is but I took a random turning on my walk back to the guesthouse and saw 'choila' written on a blackboard menu stand outside a shop. So I just walked in for dinner. It was very tasty and had a good spice kick.
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| Chicken choila, NPR 375 |
Bara / wo (lentil pancake)
Bara or wo is a pancake made with lentils. They can be served with a fried egg cooked on top or minced buffalo meat or both. I had it first in Patan, at a small shop named Honacha which is at Patan Durbar Square behind Krishna Mandir. I walked it, found a seat by the door placed my order of a mixed bara. I was asked if I wanted potatoes too which I said yes. It looked like potato sadeko but this dish didn't come. So I only had the bara.
The second time I had a bara was the free breakfast in Bhaktapur before I left for the airport.
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| Mixed bara at Honacha, NPR 70 |
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| Bara for breakfast in Bhaktapur |
Chatamari
Chatamari is known as the Nepali pizza. It doesn't taste like pizza though, just looks round. It is made of rice flour. I had this egg chatamari at Falcha Cafe in Bandipur. The one I had didn't look like the images I found online though.
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| Egg chatamari from Falcha Cafe in Bandipur, NPR 200 |
Wai Wai Chatpate
When I was in Nepal, I saw many people holding a snack with Wai Wai plastic packet and I got curious and asked some fellow Dumre-Kathmandu bus commuters when we stopped for lunch. They told me it was tasty and offered me to taste. I decided to order my own when I got to Kathmandu. It is a snack with mixture of dried instant noodles, puffed rice, nuts, spices, etc. The taste was tangy and spicy. The snack was scooped using another piece of paper.
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| Chatpate, NPR 50 |
Sel roti
This is a traditional Nepalese ring-shaped sweet fried dough made from rice flour. This was my after hike snack from Panauti to Namabuddha.
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| From a shop near Namobuddha bus stop, NPR 55 with a bottle of water |
Yomari
The word 'yomari' combines the word 'yo' and 'mari'. 'Yo' means 'favorite' or 'loved' and 'mari means 'bread'. This traditional delicacy is a steamed rice dumpling shaped like a fig fruit and stuffed with a mixture of brown cane sugar, ghee and sesame seeds (chaku). The texture is like mochi but with Newari flavours. I had this as my dessert in Newa Lahana in Bhaktapur.
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| Chaku yomari, NPR 90 |
Juju dhau
Juju dhau literally translates 'king of yogurt' in Nepal. It is a specialty of the town of Bhaktapur. A good juju dhau will not fall when tipped upside down. I think this article on how Juju dhau is made is interesting. It is tasty, and probably because of the boiling process with brown sugar.
I stupidly thought I need to return the clay pot that contained the juju dhau only to be told I can throw it away.
Side note: TGIW!
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| The Golden Gate |
Bhaktapur, or Khwopa in local Newari tongue is the cultural capital of Nepal. Bhaktapur's history goes back to as early as the 8th century when it used to be the capital city of Nepal Mandal till the 15th century. Shaped like a flying pigeon, the city spreads over an area of 6.88 square kilometres. Pottery and handicrafts are the typical products of the city and are well known for their uniqueness.
Entrance fee to the old city: 1,800 NPR
Yes, you read that right. There is an entrance fee to the old city for foreigners at the cost of 1,800 NPR. Fees covers all except entrance to the National Art Museum. There are numerous ticket booths across the old city. I requested for extension as I planned to stay a night in Bhaktapur and was given an extension of 3 days to the end of my visa with the presentation of my passport.
Getting to Bhaktapur from Thamel
Bus fare: NPR 35
Bhaktapur is in the same direction of Panauti if you depart from Kathmandu, so the buses to Bhaktapur are at the same area.
I told the bus conductor that I wanted to go to the old city and he told me when to get off the bus. Here's a map I took at the ticket booth. I darken the arrow to show the location of the ticket booth, and you can see that there's a bus stop near the crossroad marked with name 'Suryavinayak'.
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| Where I got off the bus |
There are 4 squares in Bhaktapur - Durbar Square, Taumadhi Square, Pottery Square and Dattatraya Square.
Durbar Square
This is the main square of the city and one of the main pieces of architecture in this square is the Golden Gate. This square also houses statue of King Bhupatindra Malla on the top of stone monoliths, National Art Gallery, the palace of 55 windows, the Vatsala Temple, the big bell and many temples.
The Golden Gate (the first photo) is the main entrance to the Bhaktapur Royal Palace. It was the last contribution of Malla's reign to the heritage of Bhaktapur by King Ranjit Malla. The door showcases different symbols, representations of deities, animals and ancient styles of architecture.
Next to the Golden Gate is the 55 Window Palace. So named because it is believed that it has 55 beautiful wooden windows and all carved exceptionally. The reconstruction of this palace was started by King Bhupatindra Malla but only completed during the reign of King Ranjit Malla, the son of King Bhupatindra Malla.
Taumadhi Square
The next important square of the city is Taumadhi Square. One can find multi roofed temples and rectangular temples at this square. The major monuments of this square are the Nyatapola Temple, Bhairavnath Temple, Timadhav Narayan Temple.
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| Nyatapola Temple to the left, Bhairavnath Temple to the right |
Nyatapola is the tallest pagoda style temple in Nepal, standing at 5 storey high. There are 2 statues at each storey, said to be the guardians of Goddess Shiddhi Laxmi inside the temple. The stone statues are wrestlers, elephants, lions, griffins, and 2 goddesses named Sighini and Baghini.
The other major temple in this square is the rectangular Bhairavnath Temple dedicated to Lord Bhairav. The Bhairavanath established in this temple is a formidable incarnation of Lord Shiva.
Pottery Square
Next up is the Pottery Square. It is a square full of pottery works as there are still many potters working with their traditional wooden wheels in Bhaktapur. There are a couple of shrines in the square like the Jetha Ganesh Temple (the double storey structure).
Dattatraya Square
The last square is the oldest part of the city and famous for wood carving. One of the most famous carving in this area is the Peacock Window of an old Pujari Math as it is one of the finest carved window in Kathmandu Valley. I asked and was told I needed to pay to one of the museum/shop to view it. I didn't proceed because I read that it can be viewed from outside but I went back and forth for the longest time but didn't see it. Maybe I'm too short. So I don't think the right Peacock Window but they are still very impressive.
Side note: How does butter mochi taste like?
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| Jagannath Temple |
Hanuman-Dhoka Durbar Square / Kathmandu Durbar Square
Entrance fee: NPR 1,000
Ticket issued is only valid on the issued date but ticket can be extended for free for the duration of your visa with a photo. I didn't have a photograph but I was issued an extension for a day (visitor pass). The two tourists in front of me were told to get their photograph taken and return to get an issuance of a visitor pass. Possibly they needed more days.
Hanuman-Dhoka Durbar Square is located at the heart of ancient city Kathmandu. Within this square, one can find Hindu and Buddhist temples and shrines, and palaces. The name of the square came from the status of Hanuman established by King Pratap Malla at the entrance of the Royal Palace in 1672 A.D. This building had scaffolding all over it during my visit. The square is made up of 2 sub-areas, with inner complex mostly comprises of old palace areas and its courtyards while the outer complex houses numerous temples.
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| Lohan Chowk, one of the courtyards |
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| Nasal Chowk |
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| Kal Bhairav |
This stone image of Bhairav represents deity Shiv in his destructive manifestation. It is undated but was set in its present location by King Pratap Malla after it was found in a field to the north of the city. This is the most famous Bhairav and used by the government as a place for people to sear the truth.
I wonder if this is the other side of the Taleju Temple, built in 1564 A.D by King Mahendra Malla. It was previously considered very inauspicious to build a house higher than this temple. This temple is only opened once a year during Dashain for the public. Dashain, or the great harvest festival of Nepal symbolises the victory of good over evil, celebrating the goddess Durga’s defeat of the demon Mahishasura.
At certain set times of the day, the kumari appears in the company of her guardian priestess to see and be seen at the Kumari-Ghar / Kumari Bahal. The Kumari-Ghar is a 3 storey quadrangle building where kumari lives. 'Kumari' or the living goddess who is considered to be an incarnation of the goddess Taleju.
Boudhanath Stupa / Jharung Khashor
Entrance fee: NPR 400
Getting there from Thamel
Bus fare: NPR 30
Take little blue vans from Ratna Park and asked for 'Boudhanath Stupa'. I read that it is the side near Rani Pokhari (beside Kanthi Pathi Avenue) but I didn't see them, so I did the usual of asking the bus drivers.
The Boudhanath Stupda was built in the 5th century, and it is one of the most ancient, largest and magnificent stupas in the world. According to the legend, a woman named Jadzima had an aspiration to make an offering to the Buddha by building a great Stupa. Her 4 sons completed the construction of Stupa after the passing of their mother even during an ongoing drought in the country. The devotees laid out cloth at night to collect morning dew to mix in to mortar for construction. It was said that when the Stupa was completed, the sun did not set for 5 days.
You will see devotees or visitors walking clockwise around stupa, i.e. the stupa to your right.
The same as the prayer wheels, to be spun clockwise.
You can enter the stupa and climb up to the white dome.
Pashupatinath Temple
If you want pictures of Sadhus, I saw a few at the Kathmandu Durbar Square, I'm not sure if they were real Sadhus but I think they charged money if you photographed them. They gestured me for me to go over but I didn't. I was feeling really tired from avoiding children following me and asking for money at that time.
Entrance fee: NPR 1,000 (sourced from internet)
I was too cheapskate to pay the entrance fee to just walk around the grounds as non-Hindus is not allowed to enter the temple complex.
Pashupatinath Temple is by the Baghmati River, on the eastern outskirts of the city of Kathmandu. It is devoted to the Hindu god Shiva in his form as Pashupati, protector of animals. The main temple complex is open only to the Hindus; non-Hindus can only observe from the terraces just across the Bagmati River to the east.
I walked from Boudhanath Stupa to the entrance of the temple, pondered if I want to pay for the entrance fee to walk around the compound but decided against it. So I left and walk around it to the other side.
The other famous stupa that I didn't visit is the Swayambhunath Stupa or the 'Monkey Temple' because I am scared of monkeys. There were monkeys on my walk from Boudhanath Stupa to Pashupatinath Temple though.
