Wednesday, February 4
 

Monkeys are everywhere in Nepal...and they like treats.

An old man makes his way to the temple.

Doggies nap in the sun. There are many friendly strays roaming the streets. They seem to be treated well as Buddhists do not harm animals and Hindus appear to like them.

The Bodhnath Stupa, full view. It lies in the very heart of a Tibetan neighborhood in Kathmandu and is one of the warmest sites in the city. All day, pilgrims and monks can be found circling the stupa and spinning its prayer wheels. It becomes magical after sunset, as butter candles are lit and monks begin to chant in the streets.

A little girl whizzing past the prayer wheels.

A store selling traditional Tibetan wear in Bodhnath. The neighborhood is full of Tibetans who fled through the Himalayas after China invaded Tibet.

Prayer flags. They believe that when you hang the flags, all the words printed in them are released into the air.

Monks chanting at dusk.

Bruce and Patti get a complimentary tika, or third eye.

Bruce reaches for a donation for a holy man, and the holy man thinks it's aok.

Monday, February 2
 

Kathmandu, Dreamland in the Heavens

Journeying to Nepal is intense. A few moments at eye level with the majestic peaks of the Himalayas, then you disappear into whiteness, dropping through clouds, emerging in a wide valley and crossing over into a kind of otherness. It's a feeling akin to leaving the world of the air and entering the world of the sea, overwhelming you from the moment you touch the ground. Visiting Nepal is travel in the true sense of the term, it jars you from your sensibilities and shocks you with unbelievable wonders. It's a place graced with heights of earthly beauty and burdened by many troubles. It takes and keeps a piece of your heart.

These are just highlights from our trip, it's a story that will take days to tell, so stay posted!

Those aren't just clouds back there, it's Everest!

Birds take flight in ancient Patan.

Child monks play for the camera.

One monkey grooms another on the grounds of the aptly named Monkey Temple.

This lady followed me around until I took her picture...and tipped her.

Sadhus, wandering ascetic Hindu holy men, perch at the entrance of Pashupatinath Temple, one of the most holy Shiva temples in the world.

The burning of the dead at the sacred Bagmati River.

A monk in a reflective moment at Bodhnath, one of the largest Buddhist stupas in the world.

Even the cows are adorned with a Third Eye.

The view on the trek up to Thulo's house.

Our dear and valiant friend Thulo, who took not only care of us during our stay, but responsibility. And his wife cooked us an amazing Nepali meal!

The sun sets on the valley, and Patti and me.

The sun rises on the Himalayas. Spectacular!