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Article: Sects and the city in Nepal; When you head for the Himalayas, don't dismiss the bustle of Kathmandu in your haste to gawp at the mountains - it may be chaotic but it has many hidden charms.
- Article from:
- The Evening Standard (London, England)
- Article date:
- October 29, 2004
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 Solo Syndication Limited. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: ISABELLA TREE
KATHMANDU can be daunting when you arrive, which is one reason why travellers hurry through it. It is grubby, noisy and choked with traffic. But hidden away in the backstreets you can still find the ancient Kathmandu - a sophisticated jigsaw of medieval courtyards, each with its own temple and deities, where life goes on in pockets of quiet just as it has for centuries.
The other reason many bypass Kathmandu is the lure of the Himalayas. It is easy to become intoxicated as you peer through the aeroplane windows at the inconceivably sharp white pinnacles before descending into Kathmandu. The urge to take a closer look, to wake up ...