Flooded with foreign aid, beset by tourism and Indian profiteering, Kathmandu couldn't have been expected to remain untouched, yet it's surpassing itself in its haste to join the global village. Only a few years ago, you could just about dismiss its tourist quarters and modern buildings as aberrations in an otherwise medieval city of breathtaking architecture, dark alleys and sacred cows. Now, the picture is more confused. Not that Nepal's capital has entirely abandoned its traditional identity, but the rapid pace of change has produced a stressful, often overwhelming, urban environment.

There are, in fact, a thousand Kathmandus, layered and dovetailed and piled on top of one another in an extravagant morass of chaos and refinement. With half a million people, Kathmandu is Nepal's biggest and most cosmopolitan city: a meeting place of a dozen ethnic groups, and the home town of the Newars, Nepal's master craftsmen and traders extraordinaire. Trade, indeed, created Kathmandu - for at least a thousand years it controlled the most important caravan route between Tibet and India - and trade has always funded its Newars artisans. Little wonder, perhaps, that Kathmandu has so deftly embraced the tourist business.

The Kathmandu most travelers know, Thamel is like a thumping, Third World theme park, all hotels and hoardings and promises with touts flogging carpets and hashish to holiday hippies, while the words "Cake and Pie" blaze from restaurant windows like a mantra. The shrinking old city, though squeezed by traffic and commercial pressures , is still studded with ageless temples and shrines. Its narrow lanes seethe with an incredible crush of humanity, echoing with the din of bicycle bells, religious music, construction and car horns, reeking of incense, spices, sewage and exhaust fumes. There are, too, the outcaste shantytowns down by the river, the decrepit ministry buildings, the swanky five star shopping streets, the sequestered suburbs, the burgeoning bazaars. But above all, the predominant images of contemporary Kathmandu are those of growth, in all its familiar and dispiriting forms: traffic jams and choking fumes; coolies stacking bricks and shoveling sand; a jostling skyline of rooftop water storage tanks, TV antennas and satellite dishes, mobs of tourists; Nepal's angry young men; suburban sprawl, student demonstrations, riot police, power cuts, chauffeured Land Cruisers, families on motorbike, advertisements for kitchen appliances. Kathmandu is acquiring many of the trapping of other Asian metropolises, albeit with a uniquely Nepali slant.

Nevertheless, Kathmandu is likely to be your first port of call in Nepal - all international flights land in the capital, and most roads lead to it - and you probably won't be able to avoid spending at least a couple of days here. It's the obvious place to sort out your affairs: has all the embassies and airline offices, Nepal's main post rest ante, and a welter of trekking and travel agencies. At least as important, in the minds of long-haul travelers anyway, are the capital's restaurants and the easy social scene that surrounds them, all of which makes Kathmandu the natural place to get your initial bearings in Nepal.

All things considered though, you'd be well advised to get your business here over with as soon as possible. If you're intending to do any sightseeing around the valley, you'd be better off basing yourself in the healthier surroundings of Boudha, Patan or Bhaktapur, or even further out in Nagarkot or Dhulikhel. These days, the smart money is on staying outside Kathmandu and making day trips in, not vice versa.

A LITTLE HISTORY
People must have occupied what is now Kathmandu for thousands of years, but chroniclers attribute the city's founding to Gunakama Deva, who reigned in the early eighth century - by which time sophisticated urban centers had already been established by the Lichhavi kings at Pasupatinath and other sites in the surrounding valley. Kathmandu was originally known as Kantipur, but it later took its present name from the Kasthamandap ("Pavilion of Wood") that was constructed as a rest house along the main Tibet-India trade route in the late twelfth century, and which still stands in the city center.

The city rose to prominence under the Malla kings, who took control of the valley in the thirteenth century and ushered in a golden age of art and architecture that lasted more than five hundred years. All of Kathmandu's finest buildings and monuments, including those of its spectacular Durbar Square, date from this period. At the start of the Malla era, Kathmandu ranked as a sovereign state alongside the valley's other two major cities. Bhaktapur and Patan, but soon fell under the rule of Bhaktapur. The cities were again divided in the fifteenth century, and a long period of intrigue and rivalry followed.

Malla rule ended abruptly in 1769, when Prithvi Narayan Shah of Gorkha, a previously undistinguished hill state to the west, captured the valley as the first conquest in his historic unification of Nepal. Kathmandu fared well in defeat, being made capital of the new nation and seat of the new Shah dynasty. The Shahs rule to this day, although from 1846 to 1951 they were politically outmaneuvered by the powerful Rana family, who ruled as hereditary prime ministers and left Kathmandu with a legacy of enormous white Neoclassical palaces. The capital remains the focus of all national political power - the 1990 democracy movement led, inevitably, to the palace gate - while its industrial and financial activities continue to fuel a round the clock building boom.

ORIENTATION AND ARRIVAL
Despite chaotic first appearances, Kathmandu is surprisingly easy to get to grips with; the touts, like everything else, become much more manageable once you've dumped your bags. The following, along with the map overleaf, should help with orientation.

Tradition has it that old Kathmandu was laid out in the shape of a Khukuri knife. Positioned at what would be the hilt of the knife is Durbar Square - a non stop carnival set amidst temples, monuments and the former royal palace - while the city's oldest neighborhoods stretch northeast and southwest. Kathmandu's budget hotels are concentrated in two areas. Thamel, north of Durbar Square in a new part of town, and Jhochhen, better known as Freak Street, immediately south of the square.

Suburban Kathmandu sprawls mainly east of Kantipath, the main north-south through fare, and is dominated by two landmarks, the Royal Palace and the Tudikhel. Most of the expensive hotels, restaurants and airline offices huddle along Durbar Marg, the broad boulevard running south from the palace gate. West of the Bishnumati River is not, strictly speaking, part of Kathmandu, but the hilltop temple of Swayambhu is close enough to be reached easily on foot.

GENERAL INFORMATION
The government tourist offices at the airport and just off Durbar Square give out general brochures and can answer easy questions. They're most useful for information on upcoming festivals and public transport. The ministry of Tourism, located and mediocre country maps, subject to availability. By the time you read this, the new Kathmandu Tourist Service Center should have opened at Bhrikuti Mandap, the exhibition ground east of the Tudikhel, and may eventually take the place of the other tourist offices.

For nuts and bolts practical information, bypass the government offices and make for the Kathmandu Environmental Education Project (KEEP) and the Himalayan Rescue Association (HRA), which have offices on Trivedi Marg, near Central Immigration. These nonprofit organizations specialize mainly in trekking tips, but staff may be able to help with other matters, and the notice board in the hall outside is useful for finding trekking partners, selling or buying equipment, and hearing about events. (Similar notice boards can be found in many tourist guest houses and restaurants, notably the Kathmandu Guest House and Pumpernickel Bakery). Another nonprofit organization, the Nepal Tourist Watch Center (NETWAC), can help with questions about local culture and festivals. It has no permanent premises, but its director can be contacted through one of the curio shops opposite the entrance to the Hanuman Dhoka palace.

The advertiser-supported city maps given away at the airport and tourist information offices should suffice for most purposes. More detailed maps, as well as country and trekking maps, are sold in bookshops and by street vendors; Pilgrim's Book House in Thamel has a comprehensive selection. For avid cartographers, Maps of Nepal, 300m west of the Everest Hotel on the Airport Road, carries an intriguing range of political and resource maps.

GETTING AROUND
Getting around the old city is easiest on foot. Traffic and pollution make cycling something of a chore these days, but it's the best way to get to many outlying sights. One speed bikes can be rented from numerous outlets in Thamel and Freak Street and from some guest houses (Rs 50 - 75 a day). Mountain bikes, often of disappointing quality, range from about Rs 80 a day for a one speed model to Rs 150 - 200 for an eighteen speeder. There are a few proper American mountain bikes for rent in Thamel for Rs 300 per day, plus Rs 50 for a helmet - try Hotel Star, just south of the Kathmandu Guest House. Shop for bikes early, or even the night before, and try to bargain for long term discounts.

Riding a motorcycle isn't much fun inside the Ring Road, but it's a great way to explore the Kathmandu Valley. Several operators in Thamel and Freak Street rent out 100cc motorcycles (a great way to explore the Kathmandu Valley) for about Rs 400 a day, not including petrol. You'll need to leave a plane ticket or passport as security, and you're supposed to show a driving license.

The Kathmandu most travelers come to see is the old city, a tight tangle of narrow alleys and numerous temples immediately north and south of the central Durbar Square. It's a bustling, intensely urban quarter where tall, extended family dwellings block out the sun, while dark, open fronted shops crowd the lanes, and vegetable sellers clot the intersections. Though the city goes to bed early, from before dawn to around 10 pm there's always something happening somewhere. Early morning is the best time to watch people going about their daily religious rites, adorning idols with red paste and marigold petals. If you walk around after dinner, especially in the neighborhoods of Indrachowk, As an and Chhetrapati, you'll frequently run across mesmerizing devotional hymn sings (bhajan).

This is only side of Kathmandu, though, and not necessarily representative of the rest. Across the Bishnumati River, just west of town, is a more newly settled and rapidly developing area; the famous Swayambhu stupa, magnificently set on a conical hill here, has attracted a large community of expatriate Tibetans, whose culture is a world apart from that of Kathmandu's indigenous Newars.

Most commerce these days is conducted east of the old quarter: the boulevards around the Royal Palace are wide airline offices and five star hotels, while tinny, congested bazaars sprawl further to the south and east. The northeast is given over to quiet, shaded suburbs.

THE MUSEUMS AND BASANTAPUR TOWER
Housed in the west and south wings overlooking Nassal Chowk, the Tribhuwan Museum features a collection of memorabilia from the reign of the present king's grandfather, Tribhuvan. Often referred to as Rashtrapita ("father of the nation"), Tribhuwan is fondly remembered for his pivotal role in restoring the monarchy in 1951 and opening up Nepal to the outside world. Looking at the photos and newspaper clippings in this exhibit, you get a sense of the upheavals and high served as the figurehead for resistance efforts against the crumbling Rana regime, returned triumphantly to power. Also on display are jewel-studded corporation ornaments, royal furniture, guns, trophies and even a casket. The exhibit ends with a small selection of salvaged wooden temple carvings.

The museum leads to the massive nine storey Basantapur Tower, the biggest of the four raised by Prithvi Narayan Shah in honor of the four main cities of the Kathmandu Valley. You can ascend to a kind of crow's nest enclosed by pitched wooden screens to get fine views in four directions, while the sound of flute sellers drifts up from the square below. The highest mountains visible are those of the Langtang Himal, just peeking up above the Gosaikund Lekh.

TEMPLES AND MONUMENTS
Dozens of freestanding temples, stepped platforms and statues litter Durbar Square: the following stand out as highlights.

The Kasthamandap
If legend is to be believed, the Kasthamandap, standing at the southwestern end of the square, is Kathmandu's oldest building, and one of the oldest wooden buildings in the world. It's said to have been constructed from the wood of a single tree in the late twelfth century (Simha Sattal, the smaller version to the south, was made from the leftovers), but what you see in mostly the result of several renovations since 1630. An open, pagoda-roofed pavilion, it served for several centuries as a rest house along the Tibet trade route and probably formed the nucleus of early Kathmandu. This corner of the square, called Maru Tol, still has the look of a crossroads, with sellers hawking fruit, vegetables and flowers, and the city's indigents still sleep in the Kasthamandap at night.

Sheto Bhairab and Kalo Bhairab
North of the Shiva Parvati temple, the square narrows and then opens out to another temple clogged area. Ranged along the left (western) side are the Taleju Bell, the octagonal Vamsagopala, and a pair of ceremonial drums from the eighteenth century. To the right, set against the palace wall but not very visible behind a wooden screen, is the snarling ten foot high glided head of Sheto Bhairab, a terrifying, blood swilling aspect of Shiva. One day a year, during Indra Jaatra in September, the screen comes down and men jostle to drink rice beer flowing out of a pipe in Bhairab's mouth. The column nearby supports a glided statue of King Pratap Malla and family, a self congratulatory art form that was all the range among the Malla kings of the late seventeenth century.

ACCOMMODATION
Kathmandu is well stocked with all kinds of accommodation. At the budget end of the spectrum, it's just a matter of hitting the guest houses: they're all check by jowl, so if one's full you can just try the next. In the autumn high season the prominent Thamel lodges fill up early, but there'll always be vacancies at smaller places nearby.

To avoid tourist scene, consider staying outside Kathmandu - for possibilities see the sections on Boudha and Bhakatpur.

HOTELS
Kathmandu's listed hotels are more spread out, so it's advisable to have a particular place in mind before setting off. Most are members of the Nepal Hotel Association, which operates a reservation desk at the airport. Tax of twelve to fifteen percent is extra. All have air conditioning and should be able to provide heat in the winter. The expensive ones generally have top-notch restaurants. TVs in the rooms, and other facilities as mentioned Except indicated, refer to the main Kathmandu map for locations.

Name Of Hotels Category
HOTEL DE L'ANNAPURNA Five Star SUMMIT HOTEL KATHMANDU Five Star SOALTEE CROWN PLAZA KATHMANDU Five Star YAK&YETI Five Star

EATING
Scores of restaurants and cafes line the lines of Kathmandu's tourist quarters, and more spring up after each monsoon. Quite a few carry on in a funky, student coffee house style they're like time capsules from the early 1970s - but a growing number are emulating French bistros, American diners and even English pubs. While Tibetan, Chinese and Indian food have long been taken for granted in Kathmandu, European specialties predominate these days; American style pies and cakes, though overrated, are ever popular; and even Japanese, Thai and Mexican dishes are available. Sometimes the food is ingeniously authentic; some times you have to use your imagination. The best news of all is that fine Nepali and Newari food - traditionally only served in private homes - is increasingly available not only in tourist restaurants but also in reasonably sanitary local eateries, and is slowly taking its place among the other distinguished regional Indian cuisines. The listings that follow are unabashedly biased in favor of these indigenous offerings.

SHOPPING
Kathmandu is the obvious place to do some serious shopping, especially if it's your last stop before leaving the country. For an overview of handicrafts available in Nepal, see Basics, just about all of them are sold in or around Kathmandu. Usually items will be cheaper where they're actually made, but keen competition keeps prices low in the capital. The majority of wool, metal and wood items are made in the valley anyway, and many "Tibetan" items are imported from India. Kathmandu has a great collection of English language bookshops, and browsing them is one of the city's main forms of nightlife - many stay open till 10 pm. Most are nameless holes in the wall. Don't forget that they buy back books at half price.

MEDITATION, YOGA AND ASTROLOGY
Not surprisingly, Kathmandu is an important center for spiritual pursuits. This section sketches out the general possibilities, concentrating on established outfits that cater specifically for Westerners; a scan through the posters in the popular lodges and restaurants will no doubt turn up others. See also the organizations listed in the next section on alternative therapies, as there's a lot of overlap between all these disciplines. You'll find brief introductions to meditation and yoga in "Spiritual Pursuits".