A few days in low-key Patan, Nepal

Nepal in August went by so fast. It seems like we were there and then gone again so quickly, even though we stayed for a week, starting in Patan Nepal.

I still remember the heady mix of city and country along the narrow alleys; cobblestone and brick under my feet and lining the streets, the hum of crowds going by their business along with the steady quietness that would suddenly envelope us along back alleys.

Patan was our first stop. Best known for arts and crafts, metalwork and stone carvings, we stayed a few minutes away from the durbar square and used it as our base for exploring Kathmandu.

We decided on Patan (versus staying somewhere in Kathmandu proper) mostly to be close to the district, and because we found a lovely Airbnb place that we kept coming back to while we were hunting for lodging near the city.

In hindsight, I think it would have been easier had we stayed somewhere closer to the city, if only to avoid the traffic and dust from the Nepali highways just a little bit more.

Nevertheless, Patan had its own charms. Kathmandu was full of tourists. Patan was local. Patan was traditional. Patan was cultural.

I loved the Patan museum, we visited the Golden Temple, stayed out during load shedding nights.

We sat and people watched in the durbar square, walked in search of restaurants, peeked in little shops and had tea on the streets.

Dhanybhad, Patan.