The Cube

I find that I like Nepali food, they are tasty. Here are some ideas of Nepali food to try.  

Veg khana set from Nepal Khaja Ghar, NPR 255

Also vege khana set from a shop in Pokhara, NPR 300

Small Samay Baji buff from Newa Lahana, NPR 390

Rice & vegetables curry at guesthouse in Sarangkot, NPR 230

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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'. 

There are 4 squares in Bhaktapur - Durbar Square, Taumadhi Square, Pottery Square and Dattatraya 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. 

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. 

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. 

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).

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.