The Monkey Temple – December 20



Our latest addition to our growing masks-of-the-world collection





From our Hostel, this temple was only a hop, skip and a few turns away. During our trip we really were able to see what everyday life is like in Kathmandu for the children and adults alike. Most children were are all dressed in their school uniforms and were on their way to and from school, other children helped out with the stores that their parents owned, and some children just ran around the streets playing and laughing like children ought to do in a place like this. It is this way because the kids tend to inherit their parents' jobs and they will probably play the same role in society that their parents once did. 



On the way up to Swayambhunath



Kathmandu is a developing city so there was bound to be garbage along the river’s edge; these piles of garbage are home to families of pigs, cows, and dogs that will enjoy a nice meal of scraps together whenever they are hungry. We also watched some children playing badminton on top of piles of garbage and they were happy to smile and wave to us when they saw that we were snapping photos of their rubbish playground.

After crossing the river it was all uphill to the monkey temple. The houses are nestled in and around tightly winding alley ways that are haphazardly joined together to form the roadway. Taxis, cattle, pilgrims, tuk tuks, and herds of goats being led by goat farmers all travel along these roads to get where they want to go.



A widdle cute monkee



After reaching the base of the temple we were soon greeted by vendors, hawkers, beggars and MONKEYS! The monkeys were very comfortable living all over the temple while being in constant contact with people and other animals. They were cheeky because they would try and steal offerings of food that were meant for Buddha and they would also slap one another in the face and run off.



A loving mama



We snuck up the side stairway, or as Vince put it, the Monkey Kingdom, to enter the temple complex from the side. This site is called Swayambhunath because it apparently rose from the lake that once covered the Kathmandu valley, and Swayambhu means self-risen. There is a big gold and white central stupa, covered in monkeys and pigeons, and surrounded with all kinds of buddhas, stone statues, temples, a museum, a monastery, and zillions of shops selling handicrafts. We saw statues of the animals of the Tibetan calendar and various buddhas. Inside the monastery the monks were playing drums and chanting, while thousands of butter candles shimmered. In the forests on the hillside there were hundreds of eagles flying and roosting in the trees.

We got bracelets made with our names on them and also one for Pookie. Then we walked back to our hostel and saw a bunch of crows sitting on a garbage-cow along the way. 

Swayambhunath