VIAJES: Nepal. Phokara y Tihar en Bandipur (Chapter IV)

Ten days hicking the mountains is enough to go back to Phokara and resting in a good and comfortable Guest House with a lovely warm shower. I didn't get a shower during the long trek in the Annapurna's. I didn't also shave my beard, so a lotta barbers asked me for shaving mine's, while I was walking along the main street of the city.

This returning day in Phokara was a day for celebartion with all the kids of the group. A special nepali dinner, traditional dancing and lately more dancing and spirits in the local club Busy Bee or whatever it called.

Some of us, were drunks or with a little funny smile that showed us the state of order that our bodies and minds were that night.

We sang popular spanish songs in the way to the Guest house, with the few lights that lightning the streets of Phokara, under the vigilance of the soldiers who take securate the closed palace near Phewa lake.

Next morning, we wake up late, took a long time breakfast and everybody went to several shops and cafés for shopping and writting postcards to friends. This day was the first of five's, where nepalis celebrated the Tihal, so I found a special dance ritual on the street. I show you the video I took with my camera:

At afternoon, we took a mini-bus to go to Bandipur. A small town in the middle of valleys and hills near the Trisuli rivers and not too far from the Himal mountains. This town is not specially visited by westerners or foreigneers, but it has one of the best Newar architecture you can see in Nepal. It was a place of trade for the Indians and Tibetans for a long time ago, when the main access and communication were this zone. So the Newar ethnic built this town with the same architecture you can stare in Bakthapur, Kathmandu, Patan and other villages and towns in the big valley of Kathmandu.

Bandipur offered us a sensational and living party night. Hundreds of women and children sang and daced popular and old songs commemorating the Tihal. Dogs were painted with the Tika and dressed with flowers necklaces. This day was the dog day in the Tihal.

Every door of every house was decorated with canddles, flowers and gifts, giving the a romantic and exotic light and enviroment to the town. The few visitors were surprised by this strange religious and fancy celebration, and we had the chance to participate in it with the permission and pleasure of the frindly and kindly people of Bandipur.

These videos ghatered some moments of this celebration at night in Bandipur: