Travel Tips

Sadhus are holy men according to Hindu belief. They give up all common needs and go on a constant pilgrimage. By doing so, they already seperate their soul from the body during lifetime and can go straight into Nirwana. Because of this lifetime seperation, their bodies dont get cremated after death.

There are different "schools" of Sadhus - some cover their skin with ashes to symbolize giving up their body as a dead cover for their soul. This goes so far that some sadhus show quite cruel acts with their own body. The worst Ive seen (on pictures, not live on my own) was a sadhu lifting a 30 - 40 or more kg rock with his genitals, just to show his strength and underlining the fact that he totally gave up his body for its natural use....

BUT that does not mean they do without everything. In Pashupatinath is a huge painting of one Baba. When I asked for him, someone told me he would be in the USA at the moment, but I could take a look at his house. HOUSE? And yes, I was shown to a small house and through the window you could see a prefectly equiped office with phone, fax and so on.....

PLUS there are also part-time-sadhus, who just dress up like Sadhus and sit in major tourist areas for half a day and earn a good income with that :-)

The Kathmandu Valley offers three magnificent king-cities with Patan, Bhaktapur and Kathmandu. Their cultural heart lies in the so called Durbar Squares - the central place of a city filled with temples, shrines and other monuments. Of these three incredible places, the Durbar Square of Patan fascinates me most!

Swayambhunath is situated on the peak of a hill dominating the complete city of Kathmandu. This is a religious sight for Hindus as well as Bhuddists and you can enjoy the best view over the city!

Be aware of the monkey gangs - they are hunting for everything they can get!

Nepali artists are famous for their unique woodcarving skills. Especially Bhaktapur is known as the center of this art and rich in magnificent decorations. Because of that many artists were invited to the neighbouring countries like Tibet or India to import their work and skills in the past.

Bodhnath is the Bhuddist quarter of Kathmandu. There really is a relaxed, laid-back difference compared to the busy, hectic dizzling Pashupathinath. This place is much more easy going and you can relax on one of those rooftop cafes, enjoying the view over the biggest pagoda of the world and all the pilgrims and monks circling it on their pilgrimage.

My two friends want to say goodbye for now. But please feel free to visit my main Nepal page for more details, tips and pics - which did not fit in here!

NAMASTE!