Nepal has been a fantastic place to visit and I know I'll be back again. The Himalayas are an addictive place to climb, and the excitement in the stories you hear from other travels is contagious. Three weeks was just enough to wet my appetite, and I'll still be longing to go back while my knees can still carry me. Here's my last set of photos for Nepal to match the stories I recently posted.
Bandipur's Old Bazaar
And adjacent street
Nearby Buddhist Temple
Entrance to Nepal's biggest cave
Almost 400m long
Puffed rice, chick peas, instant noodles, lime/tomato juice, vinegar, chili, salt and pepper.
No idea what it's called, but it'll replace all the salt you sweated out (and then some).
No idea what it's called, but it'll replace all the salt you sweated out (and then some).
The view from Gorkha's Palace
The Main Hall
Carved window frames
Nearby Hanuman Temple
Nepalese Gardener
Spice market in Gorkha
Pottery in Bhaktapur
Carts from leftover Hindu ceremony
Main Square
Newari Museum
Old watering-hole
Carved entrance
Crews cleaning the Boudhanath Stupa in preparation for Buddha Jayanti (birthday)
Blood drive in Pashupatinath entrance
Overlooking Pashupatinath Temple to the Ganges
Rajrajeshwari Temple
Animal sacrifice grounds
The famous Ganges, no more than a trickle runs alongside the burning Ghats
Two funeral processions taking place
Eighteen Shivalaya
Harati Devi Temple
Durbar Square in Patan (South Kathmandu)
Nearly a replica of Bhaktapur's centre
Streets of Kathmandu
The Old City
Buff (water buffalo) Momos! (dumplings)
Steamed and smothered in peanut coriander sauce
Last sunset in Kathmandu
Hitching a ride in Sauraha
The charade that was once called "elephant bath-time"
The only one willing to give a good scrub down
Sparkling clean
Refreshing to see an elephant not being ridden by tourists, just out for a stroll
Heading to the river
First Rhino encounter that charged out canoe
Second Rhino relaxing in the river
Deep into Chitwan National Park
Rock Python!
About 5-6m long slithering upstream!
Third Rhino spotted having a bath (riddled with fresh battle scars)
Good time to stop for lunch (Daal Baht) with Pourkhas
Dancing in the rain
Bull elephant helping pick mangos
"The Local Bus"
With tourists on the roof
Lumbini, the Buddha's birthplace (as indicated by scriptures on the pillar)
A closer look
Nearby Bodhi Tree (not the original, but grafted from it)
The World Peace Stupa (Japan)
Nepalese love their sweets
Korean Monastery
Chinese Monastery
Nepalese Monastery
Surrounding grounds
Burmese Golden Pagoda
Praying away
Candles being lit in the evening
Nepalese tourists
More candles
And some more (with the full moon rising)
Maya Devi on Buddha Jayanti
Financial summary of Nepal
Bottle of water: Kathmandu = 20Rp ($0.25 USD)
Trekking = 150Rp ($2.00 USD)
Bottle of beer: Kathamandu = 250Rp ($3.00 USD)
Trekking = 600Rp ($8.00 USD)
Daal Baht: Kathmandu = 300Rp ($4.00 USD)
Trekking = 500Rp ($6.00 USD)
Guesthouse (single): Kathmandu = 300Rp ($4.00 USD)
Trekking = 150Rp ($2.00 USD)
Local Bus: Approximately 50Rp ($0.50 USD) per hour
Tourist Bus Approximately 100Rp ($1.00 USD) per hour
This concludes my adventures in Nepal. The people here have been incredibly friendly and helpful. Unfortunately, Indonesia still takes the cake as being the happiest so far. The landscape is incredible and warrants several weeks if not months to explore. I have heard fantastic stories about people visiting parts of the country I had never given thought to visiting. As mentioned above, Nepal deserves a second visit hands down. The trekking community was very hospitable and helpful during my ascent, always giving advice and promptly following up with inquires on my job, family, and country of origin. All in all, a really good experience I would highly recommend. Unless you're skirmish when it comes to people horking up phlegm, that is a sound you'll have to get used to. I've enjoyed my time here immensely and am excited to be moving onward to India, the final stage of my travels. See you then!
Tim
