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Today we left town for the old capital city of Bhaktapur - called the cultural capital of Nepal which dates back to the 7th century. It is a clean, peaceful, city with a wide open public square surrounded by architecturally interestung temples and religious buildings. The area apparently demonstrates the peaceful coexistence of Hindus and Buddhas over the centuries. We were fascinated by the beautifully carved windows which are still being made in the traditional fashion. Just off the main square was a large bustling market with people selling fruit and vegetables and flowers for the Diwali festival.
Today is dog day for Diwali (yesterday was crow day) and the dogs are given a special meal and a thika on their foreheads and many wear garlands of marigolds.
Also just off the main square were women raking and drying rice. They rake it to dry it and then throw it up into the air to remove the dust. We weren't sure that dust was the problem when we watched the chickens running through it!
All told, Bhaktapur was a welcome respite from the bustle and chaos of Kathmandu.
From Bhaktapur we drove to a stupa (a round, white, peaked structure that is a Buddhist place of worship) called Swayambhu, or the monkey temple. We immediately saw how it got its name as there were hundreds of monkeys around the place - doing all the things monkeys do!
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