On Day 9 (14th December, 2007) of our pilgrimage trip, we visited a very nice resort to have lunch and spend some time viewing the spectacular view from top of the mountain resort. It is so nice that I would love to spend 1-2 days at the resort. It is so relaxing and refreshing.

Haatiban Resort situated some 400m above the historic valley of Kathmandu with pine and fir trees amidst nature located just a 15 kms drive away from Kathmandu city.
The Haatiban Resort, set at an altitude of 1852 meters, commands a 160-degree view of the Kathmandu valley as well as the Himalayan range from Ganesh Himal to Mt. Everest.

Haatiban Resort is the only one of its kind. It commands the most awesome view of the gloriously majestic Himalayas and the fabled city of Kathmandu. From dawn to dusk, the horizon is simply breathtaking, adorned with some of the world's highest peaks stretching for miles from east to west with Ganesh Himal to Sagarmatha (Mt Everest). When evening sets in, the glittering city lights below, will make you understand why Kathmandu is also known as "the city of lustre"

In Kathmandu, Nepal, you dont see luxurious cars like BMW, Merc, Audi, VW etc. The main mode of transport in Kathmandu is public taxis and the size of the taxi are very small.

The car used for taxi are mainly Suzuki Maruti 800 which are assembled in India.

Does this car look familiar??? Perodua MYVi. Yes, It is the same car but it is known as Daithatsu Sirion.

A thangka is a complicated, composite three-dimensional object consisting of: a picture panel which is painted or embroidered, a textile mounting; and one or more of the following: a silk cover, leather corners, wooden dowels at the top and bottom and metal or wooden decorative knobs on the bottom dowel.

Our Group bought most of our Thangkas from a big Thangka shop which occupy 2 double storey shoplots. There are also a school teaching local and foreigner the art of painting Thangka. It is called Boudha Stupa Thanka Centre and it is located right circle (East) of Boudanath Stupa.

The price of a Thangkas depnd very much on the artists and also the quality of the Thangka. Below is a picture showing a expert Tibeten artist painting a Mandala Thangka. It will take him 2 months to complete one. The price of this piece of art could be easily USD2k and above.

This shop is a family operated business and the boss is a young man who is very friendly and showing us his showroom upstair. The pricing at this shop is reasonable and negotiable.

The paint used for painting Thangka are not normal paint but the paint obtain from the mountain in the form of rocks and turn into paints.

Day 8, we visited another magnificent sacred holy Stupa known as the Swayambhunath Stupa.
A golden spire crowning a conical wooded hill, Swayambhunath Stupa is the most ancient and enigmatic of all the holy shrines in Kathmandu valley. Its lofty white dome and glittering golden spire are visible for many miles and from all sides of the valley. Historical records found on a stone inscription give evidence that the stupa was already an important Buddhist pilgrimage destination by the 5th century AD. Its origins however, date to a much earlier time, long before the arrival of Buddhism into the valley. A collection of legends about the site, the 15th century Swayambhu Purana, tells of a miraculous lotus, planted by a past Buddha, which blossomed from the lake that once covered Kathmandu valley. The lotus mysteriously radiated a brilliant light, and the name of the place came to be Swayambhu, meaning 'Self-Created or Self-Existent'. Saints, sages and divinities traveled to the lake to venerate this miraculous light for its power in granting enlightenment. During this time, the Bodhisatva Manjushri was meditating at the sacred mountain of Wu Tai Shan and had a vision of the dazzling Swayambhu light. Manjushri flew across the mountains of China and Tibet upon his blue lion to worship the lotus. Deeply impressed by the power of the radiant light, Manjushri felt that if the water were drained out of the lake Swayambhu would become more easily accessible to human pilgrims. With a great sword Manjushri cut a gorge in the mountains surrounding the lake. The water, draining away, left the valley of present day Kathmandu. The lotus was then transformed into a hill and the light became the Swayabhunath Stupa.

Once again, we need to climb up the stairs that lead up to the stupa but this time we must not stop along the way. We are supposed to climb straight up to the stupa.

Upon reaching the top, there is abig vajra where we make our dedictations.