Notes

Changu Naryan: is a small but important Vishnu temple about two hours uphill walk from Bhaktapur. Although it's relatively easy to get to from Bhaktapur or Kathmandhu by taxi, few tourists bother to visit the site - a fact which for me greatly enhanced its appeal. Although there has been a temple here since the 4th century, the current buildings were constructed after a fire in 1702. Maybe I was just very lucky but when I first went to Changu Naryan it was blissfully quiet - there was just one old lady making puja and the local policeman - who turned out to be a keen photographer and came over to chat about cameras. Although when I went back later there were a couple of other tourists it still had the same air of tranquility. This is one of the unspoilt corners of the valley and is an essential day trip for anyone staying in Bhaktapur (I'd suggest getting a taxi up and walking down - leave the temple compound by the back door and you can't miss the path).

Thimi is a small town few miles west of Bhaktapur which is famous for its craftsmen (the name means 'Capable people') and especially for its pottery. Production is mainly geared to water pots and other domestic vessels though the locals have been quick to catch on to the tourist boom and now produce an amazing range of ornamental plant pots and small, easily transported trinkets. Walk down the main street and you might not see much but follow the odd wisps of smoke that come from some of the side streets and you will find yourself in the middle of a truly fascinating community where the small scale industry literally fills the streets. The pots are made in small back-room workshops but dried and fired in the middle of the streets in simple temporary kilns made by stacking the pots together with wood and straw and covering them with earth. The kiln is left to burn itself out for a week or two then raked open. Because they are fired anaerobically, the pots often aquire a rich red tone similar to the Roman terra sigilata. If you are lucky and arrive at the right time, you can buy that little 'must have' ashtray fresh from the kiln while it's still warm and covered in ash.