Katmandu

Kathmandu fills a whole valley under the Himalaya, close enough to two other former royal cities that the three almost touch. Their palace squares are thickets of brick and carved-wood temples: Kathmandu Durbar Square, Patan Durbar Square, and the best preserved of them, Bhaktapur Durbar Square, where potters still set their jars out to dry in the open. Boudhanath Stupa raises its white dome and painted eyes in the middle of a Tibetan quarter, circled all day by pilgrims spinning the prayer wheels. On its hilltop, Swayambhunath Stupa looks out over the rooftops among monkeys and faded prayer flags. Down by the river, the funeral pyres of Pashupatinath Temple burn in the open, hiding nothing. The air smells of incense, dust and curry, and the tea comes with milk and ginger. Momos, small steamed dumplings, are sold on every corner for a handful of rupees.