Then we are back in Kathmandu.
Passing right beside the airport, we head to Pashupatinath Temple on the banks of the Bagmati River.
This is one of Nepal's holiest places for Hindus, dedicated to Lord Shiva. The sacred site's history stretches far back; although the main temple we see today is newer, records show worship in the area from at least the fifth century.
The Bagmati River runs right beside the temple, and this is where the dead are cremated.
We happen upon a cremation ceremony by the river.
The family's eldest son leads the ceremony and lights the pyre. Once the cremation is over, the ashes are released into the Bagmati River.
A powerful belief underlies this.
Death is not the end of life. The body returns to nature, mingling with fire, water, air and earth. The soul continues through the cycle of karma and rebirth.
The Bagmati eventually joins the Ganges river system. For Hindus, this makes cremation here and the release of ashes into the river especially sacred.
A traditional cremation takes hours and requires a great deal of wood.
Electric cremation is now available too. It is faster and cheaper, but the traditional ceremony remains very common.
Death is not something hidden away from life here.
Quite the opposite: it is in full view, part of life.
Perhaps that is what affects me most.
In some Himalayan regions, Buddhist traditions include other funeral practices, such as sky burial, in which the body is dismembered and left for birds. But this is different from the Hindu cremation tradition at Pashupatinath.
There are sadhus everywhere at Pashupatinath.
Followers of Shiva with long hair, very little clothing and ash on their bodies, trying to distance themselves as much as possible from worldly and material life. They look rather frightening.
Little food, few possessions, distance from worldly pleasures…
In a way, they try to approach spiritual freedom by simplifying life.
Mondays are dedicated to Shiva too, making the temple busier. Particularly during Shivaratri, followers of Shiva come here from all over the world.
This place constantly reminds you of death, yet strangely it does not feel gloomy.
Death here is the natural continuation of life.
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Bhaktapur
From here we continue to Bhaktapur, one of the three historic cities that make up the Kathmandu Valley.
The other two are Kathmandu and Patan.
It is about forty minutes from our hotel.
Bhaktapur means “City of Devotees” or “City of the Faithful”. One of its older names is Bhadgaon. It is especially famous for Newar culture, woodwork, brick architecture and pottery.
The Kathmandu Valley was ruled by the Malla kings for a long time.
After King Yaksha Malla died in 1482, the valley split into three kingdoms: Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur.
The division eventually weakened the kingdoms, and in the eighteenth century Prithvi Narayan Shah conquered all three, unifying Nepal.
Bhaktapur still feels like a medieval city today.
Traffic-free lanes, red-brick houses, squares, temples…
A major restoration programme was carried out in the 1970s with German support. It helped preserve the city remarkably well.
As we wander through the city, Newar woodwork appears everywhere.
Doors, windows, temple façades…
Truly extraordinary.
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Nyatapola Temple
Then we reach Nyatapola Temple.
One of Bhaktapur's most striking buildings.
Five storeys high. “Nyatapola” itself means five-storeyed.
King Bhupatindra Malla commissioned it in 1702, dedicating it to the Tantric goddess Siddhi Lakshmi.
As you climb the stairs, guardian figures stand on each level.
Two strong men at the bottom.
Elephants above them.
Then lions.
Then mythical creatures resembling griffins.
The guardians on each level are believed to be ten times stronger than those below.
Beside it stands Bhairavnath Temple.
In a way, the balance of female and male energy is expressed here.
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The Golden Gate and the Palace of Fifty-Five Windows
We then continue to Bhaktapur Durbar Square.
One of its most impressive structures is the Golden Gate.
It was commissioned by King Ranjit Malla in the 1750s.
The metalwork is extraordinarily intricate. Behind the gate are the old royal palace and sacred areas dedicated to Taleju.
Right beside it is the famous Palace of Fifty-Five Windows.
As the name suggests, its façade has fifty-five wooden windows.
Was it to celebrate a fifty-fifth birthday, or because there were fifty-five wives? Nobody knows for sure.
What really matters is the building's magnificent woodwork.
The first structure was built during Yaksha Malla's reign in the fifteenth century, then enlarged by King Bhupatindra Malla.
The National Art Gallery is also inside this old palace.
It houses works of Hindu and Buddhist art.
We cannot resist continuing to shop as a group.
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Nepal's 2025 Gen Z uprising
Inevitably, the conversation turns to Nepal today.
Last year, in September 2025, there were huge protests led by young people.
Gen Z in particular took to the streets against corruption, poor governance, unemployment and inequality of opportunity.
The protests grew quickly.
Intervention by the security forces left 76–77 people dead and thousands injured.
The unrest then escalated further.
Parliament, the prime minister's office, the Supreme Court and other public buildings suffered serious damage. Some still have broken windows.
Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli resigned and the government fell.
Former chief justice Sushila Karki subsequently became Nepal's first female prime minister, heading the interim government.
An early election was called.
Elections were held on 5 March 2026, and Kathmandu's former mayor and former rapper, Balendra “Balen” Shah, won a major victory.
He became Nepal's prime minister at thirty-five.
Young people's expectations are very high today.
They want to reduce corruption, speed up bureaucracy and make the state more transparent.
But Nepal still faces major difficulties.
Unemployment, economic problems, political instability and, particularly, the damage caused by flooding and natural disasters…
Returning to Nepal after Bhutan makes the difference between the two countries feel even more striking to me.
One is a tiny kingdom trying to manage change very carefully.
The other is a country where young people have taken to the streets to say “enough”, and change has been a far harsher experience.
In the evening we go to the Nanee tourist restaurant, where local dishes are served alongside a dance performance.
Our Bhutan and Nepal journey ends having introduced us to two entirely new worlds.