Nepal.Kathmandu
The capital of Nepal, Kathmandu, was our main "hub" during our travels in this cheerful and positive country. We kept leaving and returning to Thamel, a district that had almost become a second home for us. Some shopkeepers in the small stores even started to recognize us, and the tangled streets became completely familiar, making us feel at home...
The concept of time becomes blurred when traveling. The multitude of impressions received each day creates the feeling that you've been living there for several months, or even longer. But when the journey nears its end, it seems as if it only began yesterday.
Upon our arrival in Kathmandu, nothing could particularly surprise us since we had already been to India... However, we immediately immersed ourselves in the familiar and beloved atmosphere that engulfed us as soon as we got into a taxi and headed to the tourist district of Thamel.
First arriving in Thamel, we were reminded of Main Bazaar in Delhi, but here everything was much cleaner, cozier, and more positive. Additionally, the clothing and souvenir products sold in the many shops were of much higher quality...
On the streets, you could always buy fruits. We only bought bananas, which were simply divine and didn’t need to be washed... Despite all the positive aspects, a negative one was the terribly polluted air. Many Nepalese wore gauze masks, but we decided not to buy them. As a result, we had a cough throughout our stay in the Kathmandu Valley...
Walking through the streets, you could always stumble upon a sacred ancient pagoda or stupa...
On the street, there were many shops selling tea, spices, and incense...
Our regular hotel in Kathmandu was the "King's Land Hotel." We stayed there for a total of 8 nights and left our large backpacks there when we traveled to Chitwan National Park, Pokhara, and during our stay in the Buddhist area of Boudhanath. The cost of the room was initially $4.5, then $5.5, and during our third stay, $6, but we didn’t have to pay for leaving our backpacks. We also ordered a taxi to the airport from the hotel for $5 and had dinner and breakfast there several times. Initially, the dinner and breakfast were quite cheap, but by the end of our trip, the prices had doubled to the level of average restaurants. After that, we stopped eating at the hotel. Although the food was tasty, the price hike was completely unjustified. For example, we often ordered "Thali" (a set of dishes including rice, dal, salad, and vegetable curry) for a "democratic" price of 120 rupees ($1.2), but it was prepared only after 7 PM when they cooked for themselves. For such a price for a full dinner per person, we were willing to wait. They didn’t have separate cooks; the same people who helped with housekeeping did the cooking. After the price hike, there was no point in settling for a limited selection of dishes and waiting until late for dinner. The owners probably didn’t fully understand why people dined and had breakfast there... Yes, we needed to find a good restaurant for tasty and inexpensive food. But we didn’t have to look long; right across from the hotel was a very good place called "MoMo Stars," with a clean kitchen and good service...
On the roof were solar panels and black water tanks that provided us with warm water, and tables where we could have breakfast, drink masala tea, and observe the city from above...
On the penultimate day of our stay in Nepal, we took a cycle rickshaw to Durbar Square in Kathmandu. The square wasn’t far from the hotel, but we wanted to ride a cycle rickshaw at least once for a change...
At the entrance to the square, there was a controller's booth with an entrance fee of about $7.5. The price somewhat deterred us, as it did in Bhaktapur. But suddenly, a guy approached us, asked where we were from, and, sympathizing with the military situation in our country, showed us a way to bypass the controllers, calling the money collection from tourists for entering a public square a "monkey business"...
On the square was the residence of Kumari, a living Hindu goddess in Nepal. A girl who has not yet reached puberty, chosen from the Shakya caste of the Newar people, becomes Kumari. There are several Kumaris in Nepal, but the most famous is the Royal Kumari, living in Kathmandu. Kumari is considered the physical embodiment of the goddess Taleju. As soon as she has her first menstruation, the goddess leaves her body.
Peeking into the inner courtyard, we joined a group of tourists waiting to see the Kumari. We were asked to hide our cameras and bow when the living deity appeared in the window... After a moment, Kumari appeared in the window for two minutes. We bowed and briefly observed the unflinching face of the little goddess...
Upon exiting the temple, we bought a postcard with her image...
Climbing the steps to the entrance of one of the pagodas, we spent some time sitting with our legs dangling, watching the life below... 
Coming down from "heaven to earth," we continued our walk around Durbar Square...
Noticing a rooftop restaurant, we went up to refresh ourselves as it was quite hot. We ordered bottles of "Coke," breaking the tradition of ordering masala tea, quenched our thirst, and fully enjoyed the view of the temples...
After returning to Thamel, we went to pick up a shoe I had left for repair the day before. After the trek, it was quite torn, but a local shoemaker wizard made a very quality leather patch for $1.5...
In the evening, we celebrated the successful journey with Nepali beer and homemade Nepali chips. We sat on the hotel balcony when a strong wind suddenly drove us inside, and soon after, it started to rain. It was amusing that on our last day in Kathmandu, the first rain after a long drought fell. Later, we went for dinner, and I finally tried Chinese "Chop Suey." In the restaurant, they were showing a World Cup cricket match between Nepal and Bangladesh. Waiting for 8 PM, we went to a bakery to buy buns for the road at half price, a place we had loved from the start of the trip and visited often. Thus ended our last full day in Nepal. Our flight to Ukraine was scheduled for noon the next day...
With the end of our mega-exciting journey, we woke up in the morning with a feeling of slight emptiness. Our backpacks were already packed. We took one last walk around Thamel. Reaching a small square, we went up to the balcony of a very cozy cafe with a view of a Buddhist stupa... 
We sat almost without speaking, only replaying in our minds the journey that had enriched us with unforgettable experiences. A slight melancholy hung over us. Even my reliable watch, which always helped us stay on schedule, suddenly stopped. I could revive my quartz friend only upon returning to Ukraine when the emotions from Nepal had slightly subsided...
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