Champawat

I had decided to stop in Champawat on my way to the Nepali border.  I knew little about the town only that I had been told it was a historical place with ruins of some old temples dating from the 16th century Chand dynasty who once made their capital here.  There was not a huge amount left from its glory days as an imperial capital but it was a pleasant enough place to wander for a half day.  A young man from town started chatting with me and offered to take me around to a few places on his motorcycle.  I cruised around with him and a few of his friends visiting a couple temples and points of mild interest in the area, though the most interesting remains were in the temple complex near the center of town a few minutes walk from my hotel.  It’s yet another place in India with pleasant enough sights and friendly people, off the beaten track to the point where a foreign visitor is still something of an anomaly.  One night was enough and I headed for the Nepali border the next day.