Nepal - Kathmandu and Pokhara: I left the heat of Goa and arrived in Nepal on November 13, 2012 - Diwali.  It was madness. More so than what I have learned Kathmandu normally is. Thank heavens I have been to many parts of India which prepared me for it. I can't imagine anyone coming here with no prior Indian sub-continent experience. It must be an incredible culture shock. I read a description of Kathmandu somewhere: "Pro: There are a dime a dozen trekking outfits and a decent variety of food establishments. Con: Incredible traffic, pollution and and overwhelmed infrastructure. In a nutshell: A very nice and crazy place." That about sums it up. I did like it but I was very sick, my energy levels were low and I was coughing all the time. The air pollution did not help. However the days were warm and very sunny although nights were quite chilly. 

It is impossible to capture the manic energy that is Kathmandu, population about 1.7 million souls and so I will just share a few shots I took of people and things.



Because it was Diwali the streets were filled with people celebrating the festival. Everywhere streamers were strung and it was a just a great time to be out and about. One gentleman pointed out to me, "Every day is a festival in Nepal. For example we celebrate 6 New Year's."  

A quiet street that has very broken surface (extremely challenging in a car); short, shuttered entrances to a typical Newar building  (Newars are the people of Kathmandu Valley), incredible carved wooden balconies above and the ever present electrical wiring that makes a Westerner cringe.

Bicycle apple (and orange) sellers

Bright pots of powder dye for sale in the market

A curious and very cool mask store.
To the left of it is one of the hundreds of Thanka painting stores found in the city.  (Thanka being a painting on silk usually depicting a Buddhist deity, scene, or mandala.)

A fantastic copper and brass shop with many wares stacked outside on the street. I love this shot.

A Sadhu (holy man, wandering monk) in Kathmandu. 80% of the population in Nepal is Hindu, followed by 9% Buddhist.  I'm not sure he liked me taking his photo from across the street. I'm getting the 'look'.

After a couple of days in Kathmandu I took a 8 hour bus ride west to Pokhara. There were few stops so I became good at snapping pics from the bus window. Sunny day but hazy with pollution. The white peaks in the far distance are the big Himalayas which are obscured by the haze.

This is appears to be a farm (rice?). It's winter so crops are harvested.

Terraced farming beside a pretty river.

The Himalayas are stunning and truly awesome even at a distance. I never got really close (a future trip hopefully). What appears to be clouds on the horizon is really huge peaks. Once again a bus window shot.  

Pit stop - literally.
I've had to use a lot of facilities that are very circumspect but this was one of the worse in my travels. I'll spare the details. I would not use it.

Typical village houses along the way. Snapped from moving  bus.

Another very typical house.
The road to Pokhara is paved and very good, a bit rough leaving Kathmandu and coming into Pokhara but otherwise in good shape. Lots of curves, ups and downs.

The city of Pokhara is approximately 200km west of Kathmandu. It is situated beside Phewa Lake. This photo is taken at sunset from the shoreline. Due to its proximity to the Annapurna mountain range in the Himalayas, the city is also a base for trekkers undertaking the Annapurna Circuit. I would like to do that but another time. I'll return.

Dinner of very good Pad Thai and the local beer, Everest. It was a special issue dedicated to a Sherpa who had climbed Everest many times. Twelve I think. 

Because it was Diwali (still) there was lots of street music and performances. These young dancers put on a great display. It was very chilly out at night and they are in bare feet, short sleeves, etc. Brave girls. They seemed to be having fun.

Sunrise on the Annapurna mountain range as seen from my hotel room window.

Sunrise over Pokhara

Sunrise over Pokhara. This day I returned to Kathmandu. Someday I hope to return and hike in the Annapurna range.