"KTM"

The name "Kathmandu" always promotes visions of the remote and mysterious. It's often used as an example when one wants to give the impression of a far off place. In the middle of ancient Tibetan and Silk trade routes, you always got a picture of a melting pot of central Asian people passing through on their way to more civilised places.

Of course, Kathmandu in the 21st century takes a somewhat different shape, although it's history as what's described above is still evident in the general feel of the place (ignoring the throngs of tourists and the services which inevitably follow them).

We'd heard a lot of unflattering comments about the Nepal capital city in the weeks prior, but we found most of the accusations to be totally unfounded. Sure it's more polluted and crowded, with more hustle and bustle than the likes of Pokhara and any other place in Nepal, but having visited India only 1 month ago, we found Kathmandu a cake-walk.

Having said that, the very first thing we agreed upon whilst strolling through the small streets was that it reminded us very much of India. Once you get outside the tourist haven of Thamel, the most charming parts of India are right there in front of you again, specifically small shops lining the narrow streets, selling all manner of textiles, antiques, tea, sweets, and everything in between.

Reading Heinrich Harrer's Seven Years in Tibet whilst in Nepal, I had grown quite a fascination for Tibet, it's people, and it's culture over the previous weeks. There was something about reading such a book whilst in the shadows of the Himalaya that made the read that much more engrossing. In addition, Tibetan refugees are everywhere in Nepal, reminding you of their plight. Perhaps I'll never get to visit the "roof of the world", and having read Harrer's account in Return to Tibet, which detailed the decline of the great land under Chinese occupation, perhaps I never will. To have in my dreams one place on this Earth untouched by the harshness of reality, it has to be the (still) mysterious land of Tibet.

Despite the above, Kathmandu still provided me with a unique opportunity to experience Tibetan Buddhist culture close up. Regardless of the struggles and difficulties Tibetans (every single one of them a devout Buddhist) have suffered over the past half century, their faith remains unwaivering.

The visit to Boudhanath Stupa was probably the highlight of my time in Kathmandu. There's a dozen temples in and around the circular village (which surrounds the mammoth "Stupa"), as well as a couple of schools for Buddhist monks. We casually (if accidentally) wandered in to one of the schools, away from the crowds of both tourists and locals alike. There was also a temple in the school grounds, and although we didn't dare venture a look inside, we didn't feel a need to, as the noises rumbling from inside captivated us for minutes.  The deep rumble of the copper horn... the clash of the massive symbols... the shudder from the deep drum beat. The resulting noise was entrancing.

As the sun went down on the Stupa, dozens of praying Buddhists gradually turned in to hundreds, all circumnavigating the Stupa in the same direction. As a consequence, the path around the Stupa became a flowing mass of people, and it was quite an enjoyable experience to be swept helplessly along with it.

Our final Tibetan experience was a culinary one, and one we would end up experiencing over and over. The momo's (a sort of heavier version of dim sum) became a stern favourite. At the end of the week, we were on first name basis with the waiters at the Yak Cafe, a superb unpretentious Tibetan restaurant in Thamel.

Kathmandu added to the already glowing view I had of Nepal, but as the day of departure drew nearer, my thoughts turned further eastwards.

To the far-east, and to probably the most intriguing country of the trip. China.