I was afraid of Nepal after India - so it would seem, I will not have strong impressions. But where there! Kathmandu managed to surprise me, right from the first minutes, as I left the airport and sat down in a taxi. According to the old "Indian" habit of three times asked for the driver, clearly pronounced words in English, which we are going to the area of the Tamat, we cry so much ... The driver-non-night laughed at me and said something like "This is not India, It Nepal, not deceived here. " And he was right, I never deceived me in Kathmandu, although, maybe I just already grated Kalach?
So, Kathmandu! From unusual here seems too dusty - because many locals walk in dressings, covering faces. Yes, indeed, the city is dusty, and not just like that, but somehow in ancient dusty, as if it crumble slowly old houses and sidewalks, ancient temples and statues. From Kathmandu pulls dullness, but at the same time people live here, make a business, and even manage to look more modern than people in India.
At first I was unpleasantly surprised by Nepalese prices - until I guess that Rupee in Nepal is not at all the same as Rupee in India. Yes, and "places need to know" because in a cheap cafe and expensive difference goes for hundreds of rubles in the account. After a couple of days, I figured out that where much, and I realized that it was possible to live in Kathmandu very cheaply - and I stand there, believe me! To absorbing anything with nothing comparable to the Nepalian capital, it is not enough just to resemble the local attractions like Durbar Square or Stupa Bowie. It is necessary to go back to the most local cafe, eat Momo burning hot and sharp, ride on the velaiksha, walk on the local streets (and, by the way, to understand that we are foreigners - are not at all interesting to local residents, they prefer us not to notice, Unlike curious Indians).
But most of all in Kathmandu I was struck by the peaceful coexistence of two religions - Hinduism and Buddhism. In the center of the city there are both Hindu temples and Buddhist stups, and everywhere reigns peace, calm and consent. Buddhists after India were in the wonder - so there are many of them in Kathmandu, all in red robes walk, with rosary in their hands, with prayer drums, mantras sing ... and around the stupa should go exclusively clockwise, and not against - just so Cleaned karma.