Nepal 3

After a relaxing day the day before today we decided to do something outside that requires a bit of work so this morning we went to Langtang National Park.

We chose Langtang National Park because its one of the most unspolit parks in Nepal. It is the  first Himalayan national park. My favourite areas of the park were the Langtang Valley, the holy lakes at Gosainkunda, and the forested hillsides above the village of Helambu. I was really excited because the wild life of the park is the wild dog, red panda, pika, muntjac, musk deer, Himalayan black bear, Himalayan tahr, ghoral, serow, rhesus monkey, langur monkey, snow leopard. We saw the red panda, musk dear and the langur monkey it was amazing! We trekked around the park until we were hit by a monsoon once it ended we left to go back to the hotel. The park was definitely my favourite site so far.

That evening to keep up with the cultural theme of the trip we visited the Kopan Monastery near Boudhanath, on the outskirts of Kathmandu, rising up out of the terraced fields of the Kathmandu valley and visible for miles. Dominated by a magnificent Bodhi tree and was once the home of the astrologer to the king of Nepal. It's a  Tibetan Buddhist monastery and has become famous for teaching Buddhism to visiting Western foreigners. With annual month-long (November–December) meditation courses which combine traditional Lam Rim teachings with informal discussion, several periods of guided meditation, and a vegetarian diet. It now encompasses two separate institutions the Monastery itself and the Khachoe Chakyil Ling Nunnery (Kopan Nunnery). In recent days, Kopan Monastery has established itself as a popular recreational destination for Kathmandu residents and local tourists as well. On Saturday's it receives quite a visit from hundreds of families and individuals to the beautifully decorated hillock and its gardens. The monastery is not open to public on other days.  I really enjoyed the tour and walking around the gardens of the Monastery.