Swoyambhunath is an ancient religious complex atop a hill in the Kathmandu Valley … It is also known as the Monkey Temple as there are holy monkeys living (there) …

The Swayambhunath complex consists of a stupa, a variety of shrines and temples, some dating back to the Licchavi period. A Tibetan monastery, museum and library are more recent additions. …

The stupa consists of a dome at the base, above which is a cubical structure painted with eyes of Buddha looking in all four directions with the word “unity” in the main Nepali dialect between them …

The 4th time I’ve been there, far fewer monkeys and feral dogs roam the complex than in the past.

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see all my high resolution photos on flickr

I spent 30 days in Nepal, starting and ending the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Bhaktapur. It’s a living museum of temples, wood, metal and stone artwork.

You could set a film there from hundreds of years ago without changing … anything.

Bhaktapur and the Monkey Temple are my two favourite places in Kathmandu.

I left a review of the excellent Shiva 1 Guesthouse on Trip Advisor.

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See all my high res Bhaktapur photos on flickr.

A delay in starting a big trek due to holiday turned out well.

Tihar … also known as Deepawali in terai region of Nepal is a five-day-long Hindu and Buddhist festival …

The name Tihar means the festival of lights, where many candles are lit both inside and outside the houses to make it bright at night. …

The second day is called Kukur Tihar or Kukur Puja (worship of the dogs).

In the ancient World Heritage site of Bhaktapur, it’s even more evocative.

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more photos of Bhaktapur.

Porto, Portugal, is one of the oldest European centres, and registered as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1996. …

This “city of bridges” was built along the hills overlooking the Douro river estuary …

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I made the most of my one free day in Porto, taking several walking tours. It’s very photogenic.

See all of my Porto pics in flickr High Res.

I’d arrived from Antwerp, another of the 6 charming and affordable European cities you haven’t visited yet.