Day 3;- stupas, stupas and the return of the prodigal son.

Early start to the day, once again empty streets and closed doors, so it's back to Hotel Mandap, the only refuge for the early riser. Breakfast done, I went on the hunt for some t-shirts, my supply of two was starting to get a bit stale. Perfect find , a Tintin In Nepal (embroidered) for my Tintin travel collection and a cliché mandala symbol tee. Feeling the perfect tourist, it was time to haggle with a taxi driver for a ride out to Bodhnath to see the largest stupa in Asia, also home to a large refugee Tibetan community. After much friendly negotiating, we agreed on a price, at least double the pre-petrol shortage charge.

The current stupa dates back to the14th century and must have been breathtaking before the earthquake. It's grandeur is still there, but sadly the tower and spire are gone. Encircling the stupa are ancient (and not so ancient) four and five story building, housing everything from meditation clinics, religious artifacts, restaurants all the way through to souvenir shops. Prime location goes to the rooftop terrace  restaurants, a great place to sit over a coffee and watch the Tibetan pilgrims walk clockwise around the stupa.

On the opposite side of Khatmandu, high on a hill overlooking the city is the temple complex of Swayambhunath, commonly known as the 'Monkey Temple'. Dating back to around AD 460, the complex is another site badly damaged by the quake. The most atmospheric approach is via the long, very steep, stone paved Eastern Stairway. At the top, you are rewarded with outstanding views of the city and a touristed, but moody collection of Hindu and Buddhist shrines and stupa. Most of the smaller temples are intact. Scattered around the grounds are mischievous rhesus macaques, always ready to steal from the unprepared tourist.

After lunch and a rest I went for another walk south of Thamel and back to Durbar Square. Perfect timing, as the sun was getting low in the sky, creating amazing shadows and colours in the ancient, deserted courtyards.

That evening, while sitting having dinner at a rooftop restaurant, I received a message from Jules to say he had arrived in Kathmandu and was only a dozen doors away. We met at a bar and debriefed each other on our adventures.  He had, after much effort, managed to get through the blockade at the Indian border, found the busses were canceled, but hitched a ride in a jeep to Khatmandu, a hairy 8 hour trip through mountain backroads. A good night sleep was had by all.