Travel Notes from Khokana, Nepal

Going to Khokana was indeed a spur of the moment decision. I just googled any place in Nepal near Patan that i haven’t been to. It doesn’t necessarily need to have a good view or a Hindu / Buddhist temple found in it, but just somewhere. Somewhere. I haven’t found a single place within the Kathmandu Valley that i hated anyway. Oh well, maybe Kopan Monastery. But going to Khokana was well worth it. It’s a few kilometers away from Patan, yet the road going there must have felt like eternity. It just keeps on going, and still don’t know when it will end. The In Drive driver wasn’t particularly keen on bringing me but i bargained for a few hundred rupees to bring me there, wait and bring me back to my hotel in Jyatha. The road going to Khokana felt like it was forgotten. It wasn’t bad because it seems like construction started but sadly it wasn’t finished so it was dusty through and through. There’s rocks and cement on the road side where kids walk from house to house. The route is so deceiving because as soon as you reached the bus park, the view appears and you just smile. Suddenly, you are reminded that Nepal has infinite wonders as you get pass the bad roads and air pollution. I didn’t even know this place existed within the Kathmandu Valley. 1 years ago, there were only a list ot places to see that some travelers have visited and a good tourist spot. Now, more places pop up the Lonely Planet reader’s radar. But this place, Khokana, I doubt tourists come here at all. 

As soon as i arrived, i saw groups of family picnicking. I saw lovers picnicking. I saw friends picnicking. Everyone’s so happy and merry. You know, “sound of music” can be playing in the background as i walk towards the main area - green grass with gobsmacking views. They’re all chatting and just jappy, occasionally taking a selfie. When you have a view like in Khokana, who wouldn’t? You have a great view of everything here — the Himalayas, the town proper below Patan, the mountain ranges, a sunset and perhaps a sunrise, too. If i could describe Nepal in one place, it would be Khokana. Nepal is all about physical beauty intertwined with a spiritual awakeness. There’s a little Hindu temple near a lone tree. And by the time i reached it, i saw somebody dancing. You couldn’t get more Nepali than that? Later on, i discovered that Khokana was one of the places within the Kathmandu Valley that crumbled to the ground because of the 2015 earthquake.

There were some parts within the park where the view of the Himalayas is a bit obstructed, and i reckon that’s one of the reasons why it’s relatively untouched or non-commercialized. Sadly, like many places in Nepal, trash is everywhere. If only the locals realize, how blessed they are to be at the foothills of one of the most beautiful signs on Planet Earth. 

After taking a hundred photos, i played with Google Maps a bit hoping there’s a place of interest somewhere near. I was glad to know there is one and it’s called One Tree Hill - yes like the American TV series. 

Where it’s found couldn’t get any more exciting. It’s on top of a hill within a village zig zaging on a one way lane up and down. You get the picture? There was a point where our car needed to stop for a bit to wait for a truck to finish it’s business because it’s a one lane road, and it’s hundred feet cliff on the left and houses on the right. There was no way. Getting on top was a surreal experience, and as a non-climber, was definitely the icing on my cake of a trip to Nepal. It was maybe around four in the afternoon, and the wind decided to crash my photo op. It was unbelievably scary because it felt like i was being blown by the wind. And i’m not necessarily thin. It was so windy, my ears were popping a bit, and my hair was all over the place. Imagine if there were no trees there. Good thing, my monopod was steady enough to capture photos and work its magic capturing the awesome view behind me. Most of the time, i was taking cover from the tree. That tree. The mountain ranges, the sun, the Himalayas, the town was well worth the crucial trek down from One Tree Hill. There was no path at all and it was impeccably steep. I had my lucky boots which i’ve used in Nepal in 2014 and 2015, and it still has no signs of giving up on me. So as a non-climber, i wouldn’t be shy to admit that in order for me to get down, simply sat and slid down. Dusting off all the tree branches, hardened soil and some trash, the mini struggle was finally over. 

If that’s not enough, there were probably around 6-8 random dogs surrounding me who were all barking crazily before i arrived but as soon i stepped out of the car, suddently they all turned a blind eye and just accompanied me right. It was surreal but also a bit crazy. Thank God for Techno, our family dog, and his smell lingering in me the whole time. I’never felt more safe. 

I told you from the start that my travel notes may not have a connection with Khokana or it may have. I believe Change, in particular, lead me there, to Khokana. Change of plans and change of itinerary, i believe. The universe is telling me something, and all i needed to do was simply listen. I’m always too stubborn not to listen. There are things in life we hoped for will continue, and there are things in life that would only last for a short time.