Well, we thought we were done blogging from Nepal, but we just had one of the coolest experiences of our trip. We walked for about 45 minutes to the Swayambhunath Stupa, a Buddhist temple built atop a hill to the west of Kathmandu. "The Monkey Temple" as it is called, due to the impressive number of "holy monkeys" that inhabit the trees around the stupa, was constructed over 1500 years ago and is an important pilgrimage site for followers of Tibetan Buddhism.
Indeed, it is an absolutely beautiful complex comprised of multiple shrines with the focal point being the massive stupa. The trees are adorned with seemingly thousands of prayer flags. The smell of incense and sage filled the air as we ambulated clockwise around the stupa along with other tourists, locals, pilgrims and resident monks. The hilltop had a very peaceful air, and it was quite a nice relief from the dust, noise and traffic of Kathmandu's overcrowded streets. And, the coolest part of all...the monkeys.
Indeed, it is an absolutely beautiful complex comprised of multiple shrines with the focal point being the massive stupa. The trees are adorned with seemingly thousands of prayer flags. The smell of incense and sage filled the air as we ambulated clockwise around the stupa along with other tourists, locals, pilgrims and resident monks. The hilltop had a very peaceful air, and it was quite a nice relief from the dust, noise and traffic of Kathmandu's overcrowded streets. And, the coolest part of all...the monkeys.
They were everywhere: running along the rim of the main stupa, swinging in the trees, grooming each other and occasionally trying to steal food from unsuspecting visitors. We spent a few hours strolling around, soaking up the history and culture of this important Buddhist landmark...and being completely entertained by these amazing "holy monkeys". This was truly the perfect capstone experience for our month in Nepal.
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