India / Nepal Trip - March, 2008

Launched: 03/31/2008

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I'd setup a tour at the travel desk in my hotel. We arranged a car, a driver, and a tour flight along the Himalayas and Mount Everest. Hita (my driver and guide) is an expert on local history, so I got not just a chauffeur, but a real guide to everything in the Kathmandu area. We'd set out early, so that I could be at the airport for the tour flight by 6:30 am. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't cooperating. It stayed overcast for too long, so the flight was canceled for that day. I was told to come back tomorrow, my ticket would be good. Hita and I proceeded to Bhaktapur and Patan, two spectacular towns. The weather cleared up late morning, which made the pictures better. These two towns were beautiful. They both have spectacular architecture of varying ages, and they were both celan and picturesque. Temples were EVERYWHERE- Nepal is an amazingly spiritual place. Whether or not one subscribes to the same philosophies (Hinduism and Buddhism, primarily), one has to respect the thought and beliefs which built these places. The last destination for the day was the Swayambhunath Stupa (also called the "monkey temple" for obvious reasons). This place was amazing. It's a colossal Buddhist temple. It's high on a hill, overlooking the entire Kathmandu valley.

Bhaktapur

Brick factory	Farming area	Farming area	Entering Bhaktapur	Entering Bhaktapur	Entering Bhaktapur
Gate to central area
Amazing detail		Water supply	Water Spigot	Sacrificial altar for animals	Don't know what it is, but I like it
					New and old worlds
					Water source
		Prayer beads
	Ice and fish	Grains a'plenty	Grocery row
Tight squeeze				Interesting way of carrying things	Need a skinned water buffalo head?
Getting Water	Housing near water	Small shopping area	Woman getting water....	...From well	Old buildings
Old buildings	Old buildings	Beautiful old architecture	Hay!	Making/drying pottery	How quaint is this?
Elderly men hanging out talking	Drying rice	Another square	Sales from beautiful building	New culture in old buildings	Look at the detail!
Look at the detail!	Goat being led to sacrificial slaughter	ancient carvings	ancient carvings	ancient carvings	Goats not ready for sacrifice
Wooly goat	Long strap shows path to heaven	Men wood carving	Carvings in window	Men wood carving	Pretty detail on ordinary residences
Corner market	Western trends infiltrate Nepal		Nice metalwork	Getting water	Detailed brickwork
Mobile food source	Narrow street	More pottery being created	Making pottery	That's a lot of work!
		Water buffalo waiting for work	Farming area	Farming area	Road to Patan
Shantytown	Taking the family steamroller out	Dense housing	Packed cars	Polluted river feeds into Ganges	OLD tractor

Patan

Entering Patan	Spectacular place	Carving detail	Nice roofline		LOTS of detail
Bells sound nice in the wind	Lots of bells around
	Ancient carvings	Nice patio	Stone carvings	Community gets water	Lots to sell
Amazing temple	Amazing temple	Gods for prayer		Tiny lumber mill
Stone carving	Stone carving		Tall temple	Just do that anywhere...	Religious ritual fire
Small temple	Colossal tree	Lounging sheep		Ritual fires	Bronze ox
		Flower projects	Old but beautiful		Detailed ceiling
Monastery	Monastery entrance	Detail Everywhere	Amazing roofline	Now THAT'S detail!
			Elderly man at temple		Pretty and busy street
Flower chains for sale
Take tractor out for a drive	Crowded road	Comment	Crowded road	LOADED bike	Busy street

Swayambhunath Stupa (also called "monkey temple")

Buddha pool	Hita at small temples	Prayer flag strings	Looking over Kathmandu valley	Main stupa	Monkeys and pigeons
					Masks and other souveniers
			So much detail	Steep stairs with beggars	Residential Kathmandu valley
Kathmandu valley	Monkeys roaming	Small stupas with prayer flags

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