I've passed through Kathmandu dozens of times in recent years, en route to writing trips in Tibet and Bhutan or on treks to Everest, Langtang, Annapurna and Dolpo, and it's the sense of being at a mountain crossroads that keeps drawing me back. It's a place that attracts mountain expeditions, Hindu holy men, Tibetan traders and Sherpa guides. There are a dozen amazing adventures just waiting at the edge of town.
The city itself ranges from the sublime to the ridiculous. The old town spreads in a web of ancient alleyways, a medieval city desperately trying to support the infrastructure of a modern capital. Centuries-old chowks (junctions) are lined with 400-year-old stone carvings and clogged with traffic. At every turn lies a remarkable sight: a craftsman pounding on a bronze Buddha, mountain villagers shopping for Gore-Tex jackets, pilgrims making offerings. It's a city of frustration and wonder, a backpacker's heaven and endlessly fascinating.
The most romantic option has to be Dwarikas (www.dwarikas.com; 00 977 1 4479488). Built with Newari carved wood rescued from across the valley, it's a stylish and quintessentially Nepali blend of oiled red brick, carved wooden lintels and stone stupas. In the high season doubles cost from US$255 (Dh937), including taxes but not breakfast.
Artists, writers and travellers in search of some tranquility gravitate to the Hotel Vajra (www.hotelvajra.com; 00 977 1 4271545). The garden complex is on the way to the Swayambhunath (Monkey) Temple and boasts a library, meditation room and a theatre offering weekly concerts of traditional Nepali music. A deluxe double costs $76 (Dh280), including taxes and breakfast.
The best way to get a feel for old Kathmandu is to disappear on foot into the winding narrow alleyways of the old town. South of the backpacker quarter of Thamel, the bakeries and cheap guest houses soon give way to roadside shrines and hidden courtyards full of drying corn. Children pass by, chattering away in their blue school uniforms, while women quietly perform puja (ritual prayers) at a local temple, adorning the gods in strings of marigolds and ringing the entryway bell on the way out.
At Bangemudha, look for the stump of wood that doubles as a shrine to the god of toothaches. The bustling market of Asan Tole is jam-packed with valley farmers selling their crops of ginger and greens. Finally you'll arrive at Durbar Square, the city's royal heart, dotted with a dozen breathtaking pagodas and the city's principal meeting place.
The balcony of Himalayan Java (www.himalayanjava.com; 00 977 1 4422519) is a fine spot to join cool young Nepalis sipping their lattes, while watching the snake charmers work their magic on the street below. It's also one of the few places in town to get a decent espresso.
Yangling Tibetan Restaurant ($2 [Dh7] for a meal) is little more than a few humble tables in front of a family kitchen, but the family in question churn out some of the city's best momo (meat dumplings) and it's a great place to share a table with local trek staff.
Bodhnath, at the edge of the city, is the place to get a sense of Kathmandu's Tibetan community. Thick with the scents of juniper incense and yak butter, it feels like a miniature Lhasa, a place to practise your Tibetan with the descendants of people who left their homeland 50 years ago. Circumambulate the 100-metre-wide stupa at dusk and you'll be joined by a throng of fellow pilgrims, monks and Tibetan exiles.
1905 (www.1905restaurant.com; 00 977 1 4225272) is a wonderfully restored former royal summer palace that serves excellent international cuisine, from beef Wellington to sesame-coated bekti fish. Choose from half a dozen menus, one for teas alone. It's just outside the tourist centre of Thamel, and not too far to walk. Main courses run to around $10 (Dh37).
Krishnarpan at Dwarikas (www.dwarikas.com/restaurantsnepal.html; 00 977 1 4479488) is the place for an extravagant Nepali banquet. The 22-course blowout includes traditional bandel (wild boar) and costs $50 (Dh184).
Kathmandu's Thamel district crams in some of the best bargain shopping in Asia. I love the trekking gear shops, not just for the range of imported gear but for the low-cost locally-made down sleeping bags and jackets. The quality isn't top-notch but the prices are a fraction of what you'd pay at home.
Books are another great buy, with an unrivalled selection on Tibet and the Himalayas. Pilgrims Book House (www.pilgrimsbooks.com) is the largest in town, with a restaurant attached, and specialises in local leather-bound reprints of antiquarian travel classics.
Thamel's side streets are lined with craft shops selling jewellery, Ayurvedic soaps and paper products made from the local daphne bush. Tea is another good buy, with first flushes from estates in Ilam, just over the border from Darjeeling.
Finally, Kathesimbhu Stupa in the old town is the place Tibetans come for Chinese silks, Buddhist robes and the finest prayer flags.
Thamel is ground central for a host of bothersome would-be trekking guides, gemstone scammers and tiger-balm salesmen who home in on the jetlagged and recently arrived. Don't bother with the hawkers selling cheap prayer wheels and Tantric items; they were all made last week in workshops outside the city, artfully aged over a smoky fire.
Don't spend all your time in Kathmandu shopping for CDs and eating chocolate cake. The real Nepal lies out in the Kathmandu Valley or on one of the many trekking routes.
Patan Museum (www.patanmuseum.gov.np), easily Nepal's most interesting museum and a superb introduction to the myriad of deities, statues, architecture and iconography that you'll see throughout the Kathmandu Valley.
Bradley Mayhew co-authored Trekking in the Nepal Himalaya, published by Lonely Planet.
UAE jiu-jitsu squad
Men: Hamad Nawad and Khalid Al Balushi (56kg), Omar Al Fadhli and Saeed Al Mazroui (62kg), Taleb Al Kirbi and Humaid Al Kaabi (69kg), Mohammed Al Qubaisi and Saud Al Hammadi (70kg), Khalfan Belhol and Mohammad Haitham Radhi (85kg), Faisal Al Ketbi and Zayed Al Kaabi (94kg)
Women: Wadima Al Yafei and Mahra Al Hanaei (49kg), Bashayer Al Matrooshi and Hessa Al Shamsi (62kg)
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Results
Stage 7:
1. Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto Soudal - 3:18:29
2. Sam Bennett (IRL) Deceuninck-QuickStep - same time
3. Phil Bauhaus (GER) Bahrain Victorious
4. Michael Morkov (DEN) Deceuninck-QuickStep
5. Cees Bol (NED) Team DSM
General Classification:
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates - 24:00:28
2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers - 0:00:35
3. Joao Almeida (POR) Deceuninck-QuickStep - 0:01:02
4. Chris Harper (AUS) Jumbo-Visma - 0:01:42
5. Neilson Powless (USA) EF Education-Nippo - 0:01:45
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Manchester United v Club America
When: Thursday, 9pm Arizona time (Friday UAE, 8am)
Tips%20for%20travelling%20while%20needing%20dialysis
%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3EInform%20your%20doctor%20about%20your%20plans.%C2%A0%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EAsk%20about%20your%20treatment%20so%20you%20know%20how%20it%20works.%C2%A0%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EPay%20attention%20to%20your%20health%20if%20you%20travel%20to%20a%20hot%20destination.%C2%A0%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EPlan%20your%20trip%20well.%C2%A0%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A
Specs
Price, base: Dhs850,000
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 591bhp @ 7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 11.3L / 100km
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Sweet%20Tooth
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreator%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJim%20Mickle%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EChristian%20Convery%2C%20Nonso%20Anozie%2C%20Adeel%20Akhtar%2C%20Stefania%20LaVie%20Owen%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EShaffra%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDIFC%20Innovation%20Hub%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Emetaverse-as-a-Service%20(MaaS)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Ecurrently%20closing%20%241.5%20million%20seed%20round%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Epre-seed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFlat6Labs%20Abu%20Dhabi%20and%20different%20PCs%20and%20angel%20investors%20from%20Saudi%20Arabia%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Enine%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
TOURNAMENT INFO
Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier
Jul 3- 14, in the Netherlands
The top two teams will qualify to play at the World T20 in the West Indies in November
UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (captain), Chamani Seneviratne, Subha Srinivasan, Neha Sharma, Kavisha Kumari, Judit Cleetus, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Heena Hotchandani, Namita D’Souza, Ishani Senevirathne, Esha Oza, Nisha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
THE SPECS
2020 Toyota Corolla Hybrid LE
Engine: 1.8 litre combined with 16-volt electric motors
Transmission: Automatic with manual shifting mode
Power: 121hp
Torque: 142Nm
Price: Dh95,900
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
more from Janine di Giovanni
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
ACL Elite (West) - fixtures
Monday, Sept 30
Al Sadd v Esteghlal (8pm)
Persepolis v Pakhtakor (8pm)
Al Wasl v Al Ahli (8pm)
Al Nassr v Al Rayyan (10pm)
Tuesday, Oct 1
Al Hilal v Al Shorta (10pm)
Al Gharafa v Al Ain (10pm)
Itcan profile
Founders: Mansour Althani and Abdullah Althani
Based: Business Bay, with offices in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and India
Sector: Technology, digital marketing and e-commerce
Size: 70 employees
Revenue: On track to make Dh100 million in revenue this year since its 2015 launch
Funding: Self-funded to date
Lewis Hamilton in 2018
Australia 2nd; Bahrain 3rd; China 4th; Azerbaijan 1st; Spain 1st; Monaco 3rd; Canada 5th; France 1st; Austria DNF; Britain 2nd; Germany 1st; Hungary 1st; Belgium 2nd; Italy 1st; Singapore 1st; Russia 1st; Japan 1st; United States 3rd; Mexico 4th
UAE SQUAD
Omar Abdulrahman (Al Hilal), Ali Khaseif, Ali Mabkhout, Salem Rashed, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Khalfan Mubarak, Zayed Al Ameri, Mohammed Al Attas (Al Jazira), Khalid Essa, Ahmed Barman, Ryan Yaslam, Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain), Habib Fardan, Tariq Ahmed, Mohammed Al Akbari (Al Nasr), Ali Saleh, Ali Salmin (Al Wasl), Adel Al Hosani, Ali Hassan Saleh, Majed Suroor (Sharjah), Ahmed Khalil, Walid Abbas, Majed Hassan, Ismail Al Hammadi (Shabab Al Ahli), Hassan Al Muharrami, Fahad Al Dhahani (Bani Yas), Mohammed Al Shaker (Ajman)
LOS ANGELES GALAXY 2 MANCHESTER UNITED 5
Galaxy: Dos Santos (79', 88')
United: Rashford (2', 20'), Fellaini (26'), Mkhitaryan (67'), Martial (72')
Our Time Has Come
Alyssa Ayres, Oxford University Press
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.
