The many wonders of Nepal

The tiny landlocked Kingdom of Nepal is one of the richest countries in the world in terms of diversity. Nepal’s elevation ranges from 70 meters above sea level to the earth’s highest point, Mount Everest, at 8,848 feet, all within a distance of 150 kilometers with climatic conditions ranging from subtropical to arctic. The independent and sovereign country has more than 60 ethnic groups and over 70 languages spoken.

The Kathmandu Valley is the home of the ancient Newari culture. The Newars created the splendid civilization of its three cities – the capital Kathmandu, Patan (formerly Lalitpur) and Bhaktapur. This 218-square-mile living museum alone has seven UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Though our national carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) does not fly to Nepal, its Swingaround Kathmandu package allows passengers to fly to Bangkok or Hong Kong and take a partner airline (Royal Nepal Airlines) to Nepal. Our group flew via Hong Kong route, wherein we had enough time to get out of the airport and visit the Peninsula Hong Kong where the dim sum lunch is a must-try. After lunch and a few minutes of shopping, we flew to Kathmandu where our adventure of Nepal would begin.

The great thing about Swingaround is the optional tours for each city, giving passengers a choice to have an organized trip or to do things on their own. One optional tour in Kathmandu is a visit to Bhaktapur and Pashupatinath, both World Heritage sites. Bhaktapur, covering an area of four square miles, is famous for woodcarving, pottery and weaving. The Durbar (meaning Palace) Square has the Golden Gate, which is one of the most beautiful and intricately carved gates in the world. The Palace of 55 Windows is also in this ancient city where rich carvings of wood and stone of the Shikhara-style architecture can be seen. The city contains innumerable temples and architectural showpieces as well as the National Art Gallery, the National Wood-working Museum and the Brass and Bronze Museum. Pashupatinath Temple is Nepal‘s holiest Hindu shrine. It is also here where the dead are cremated across the river where foreigners and non-Hindus stay and watch the sad yet fascinating event.

Tourist can also opt to go to Patan and Swayambhunath. Patan is the oldest city in the Kathmandu Valley and is also known as the city of fine arts. The focus of visitors here is the Patan Durbar Square, also listed as a World Heritage site in 1979. The Square consists of three main courtyards, one of which is the Sundari Chowk containing the Royal Bath called Tushahity, a masterpiece in stone architecture. Krishna Mandir is also here. Built in 1637, the temple of Lord Krishna is the only temple in Nepal having 21 spires completely made of stone. The 2000-year-old Swayambunath Stupa has a breathtaking view of the Kathmandu Valley (77 miles above the city). This temple is also called "monkey temple" as hundreds (or was it thousands) of monkeys are around and they seem to think they own the place! The spire’s base is painted on all four sides with the all-seeing eyes of Lord Buddha. This stupa is also a World Heritage site and is the oldest of its kind in Nepal.

The last optional tour offered is the Nagarkot Hill Station, situated at an altitude of 7,133 feet above sea level. The 75-minute picturesque drive will lead one to Club Himalaya where a panoramic view of the major peaks of the Himalayas can be seen. Mount Everest can also be seen on a clear day and this is the best spot to catch sunrise or sunset against the spectacular mountain range.

We stayed at Yak & Yeti Hotel, where Casino Royale, no, not the Bond movie, but Nepal’s finest casino, is home to. Come to think of it, a casino is not a place I would think visitors to Nepal would go to. It is, however, quite interesting to watch players here. More interesting is the casino’s advertisement that says: "Come play in our generous slot machines." If I had the guts (and spare money) to play for a guaranteed win, I would have! But there is no such thing as a sure thing. I should have bet and tried to win money for more shopping though.

Shopping in Nepal is amazing. From wood to metal and cloth, the souvenirs they sell are Nepalese and Tibetan. Trinkets such as necklaces and bracelets are great buys, so are cashmere and pashmina. Gemstones such as coral, turquoise and amethyst abound but shoppers have to be wary about what is real and what is not. A strand of red coral, for instance, can cost a mere $2 (most probably plastic) to $900, depending on the quality. Dollars are widely accepted in shops and markets.

Another must-visit is Dwarika’s Hotel in Kathmandu. The hotel is already a museum as the very old carved windows used in the hotel is already fast becoming the largest carved wooden window collection in Nepal. Dinner at the hotel’s Krishnarpan is a gastronomic experience with dinner ranging from eight to 22 courses!

These specially priced Swingaround packages include roundtrip economy class airfare, airport-hotel-airport transfers, three-night hotel accommodation and daily buffet breakfast. One may take a PAL flight via Hong Kong and Swingaround Kathmandu has just added a package via Bangkok plus one night each in Bangkok, outbound and inbound. Prices start at $520 per person on twin-sharing basis. They have also provided a surcharge for passengers who would prefer to take Thai Airways from Bangkok to Kathmandu and vice versa. There is now also a business class upgrade surcharge for passengers who would prefer to travel on business class from Manila to Bangkok and on to Kathmandu using PAL and Royal Nepal Airlines.

(PAL Swingaround also offers packages to Vancouver, Seoul, Beijing, Ho Chi Minh, Bangkok, Xiamen, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Singapore, Taipei, Shanghai, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Guam, Hong Kong, Jakarta and Bali. For more information, please call the Philippine Airlines reservations at (02) 855-7777 or check www.philippineairlines.com. Also check the Nepal Tourism Board’s website at www.welcomenepal.com) Beyond limits

Luxury brands Shu Uemura, Motorola, Smart Infinity and Japan Airlines went beyond all expectations with the the launch of "Beyond Limits. Beyond Wonder." Manila’s party set flocked to the Rockwell Tent and enjoyed endless amounts of Belvedere Vodka, Glenfiddich Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Alize, Ruffino Wines and Zen Restaurant fare. Team Manila provided a stunning video performance backed by a live music score courtesy of Caliph8 and Morse. The video composed of still shots by Xander Angeles and original graphics expressed the synergy of all the partners and showcased the beauty of Shu Uemura’s new super star lipstick Rouge Unlimited. This lipstick is a product of art and science where an entire shade range of vivid colors have been produced to flatter every woman’s skin tone. Also, the video included shots of the hot, new Motokrzr, Motorola’s latest ultra-sleek standard of stunning style and innovation – more slender than the evolutionary Motorazr in a brilliantly reflective package of high-gloss blue vacuum metal and glass.

The night further continued with Japan Airlines giving away an executive class ticket to the USA. Motorola and Shu Uemura then proceeded to give away 100 Motokrzr handsets (yes, you read it right, 100!) with Rouge Unlimited lipsticks each! A truly unprecedented feat for any party.

Check these photos to see some of those lucky enough to have been there!

>One more week for Xavier

Xavier Anthony-Btesh has been getting raves for his cooking in Nuvo and has been changing his menu from time to time. I have been getting numerous e-mails asking what his menu will be for the last week. He will be doing a real fish soup, like the ones served in Marseille. His main dishes will include the Parisienne sole meuniere and poulet basquaise, which is a chicken dish they serve in Pays Basque (Biarritz) and is slowly cooked in tomatoes and red and green peppers.

Xavier’s menu will only be available until next Thursday, Dec. 7. Nuvo is located in Greenbelt 2, Ayala Center, Makati City. For reservations, call 757-3698 to 99.

Quiz nights at Murphy’s!

If you want to try something new to do on a Tuesday night, try going for quiz night at Murphy’s, an Irish pub in Makati. Murphy’s quiz nights are fast gaining popularity with both locals and expatriates alike.

Comedic quiz master Danny Giles prepares 10 rounds of 10 questions each from categories ranging from sports, entertainment and current events to music, science and history. A great round is the picture round where teams are asked to guess where certain places are and who the people are. Each team has to pay a P500 fee to join and prizes such as dinners and bottles of wine await the winners. Game time is at 7:30 p.m.

Murphy’s is located on Esteban Street corner Herrera, Legaspi Village, Makati City. Please call 894-1884 for reservations.

For the benefit of PCS

British India held an auction for the benefit of the Philippine Cancer Society (PCS) at its Power Plant Rockwell branch. Jaqui Dayrit-Boncan gave a necklace from Miladay Jewels (whose eighth branch on the third level of The Block-SM North Edsa will formally open on Dec. 7 at 5 p.m.) and won by Ruth Vera. Raffy Florencio of Rafael Jewelry contributed a Technomarine watch won by Dr. Manny Calayan. Raffy also donated an Officina del Tempo watch won by Karen Calayan. Cinderella Marketing Corp., the exclusive distributor of British India in the Philippines, awarded the full amount raised in the auction for the future projects of the Philippine Cancer Society.