Changu Narayan Temple
As the cold morning air stung my face, Shree and I passed central Bhaktapur, rode through the fields and farms, and went up the mountainside to Changu Narayan Temple. As the haze cleared in the morning light, we could see the snow-covered peaks of the Himalayas dramatically appearing over the tops of the hills.
We walked through the town surrounding the temple, where the women were already up filling buckets of water, washing vegetables, and bathing in the deep stone wells with large faucets. We entered the temple as the sun entered the valley.
Shree, being the fantastic and fun tour guide that he is, described to me the meaning of the many statues and carvings that represented the many Hindu gods. We walked down the steps behind the temple, where Shree showed me one of his favorite spots to sit and, if the day is clear, see a perfect view of the Himalayas.
Once we were ready to leave, we rode back down the hill as Shree sang traditional Nepali songs, and children in uniforms headed off to school.
