This is the view from our hotel window the day we arrived. I think it was called the ìYello Pagodaî or something similar
The first day trip was to Baktapur, near Kathmandu. Lots of temples
A lot of the building were in need of repair
A buddist temple.
This was a little hidden garden, just off a street. I saw it in a film years later, a buddah film with Keanu Reeves
The women were getting some kind of blessing for some kind of offering
Detai of the garden
Pretty common sight, lots of clay jugs for sale
Pashupathinath, a Hindu shrine
Monkeys roamed freely in Pashupathinath
Bodies being cremeated. The river eventually flows into the Ganges, so it's holy.
People bath in the holy, yet rather dirty, water.
Painting the walls with a brush made from straw
Hippies, we saw a lot of traveller type people in Nepal.
Holy man. People gave him cigarettes
City of Bodnath, also near Kathmandu. Many more temples
Tibetan refugee carpret factory. Lots of tibentans moved here after China took over Tibet
Flying from Kathmandu to Pokara. In a rather small plane.
Arriving in Pokara
Pokara people
We walked just a short distance from the road to our first camp site by this river.
These were our tents, two people per tent.
My fellow travellers: Les, Carol, Gill, Georgina, John and Ahmed. Our first evening meal, tomato soup and curried cauliflour.
Breakfast the next day.
Machhapuchhre, not visible the previous day, emerging from the mist
Local woman carrying branches
Last view from the first camp
And we are off. Lots of hairy bridges to come.
View up the river
Looking back the way we came
Village at the top
We'd reached another plateu
The child on teh left was blind, and the other kid was helping him around
Drying rice in the sun
Two of our Shrepas
A local shoolteacher. He was berating us about tourists in general leaving litter
Didi, our trek leader.
We stopped for lunch at Ghachok
Gill kept a journal - that would make interesting reading now.
Rice fields, and canola.
Rice fields with worker
Lots of cultivation here
They said this was a ìDemocracy Meetingî. But who knows. This was out second camp ground.
Lamjung Himal mountain, in the evening. Long exposure.
Haystack on stilts
Kids at Ghachock. It was very dark, I could not see what I was photographing, just dark shapes.
They put on a dance for us, and we gave them money.
Another dubious bridge
Kids were very friendly
Machhapuchhre mountain
Perhaps the most dubious bridge we crossed
Each day, the rain would roll down the valley towards us. We would set camp before it arrived
The sherpas had set camp ahead of us
Twon on teh other side of the valley
The camp at Khalekarka, taken from a little shrine up the hill
Beer and soda. The price went up with the altitude
our camp from above
Me. I still use those boots.
The first shower we'd had in three days.
It was getting rather cold at night as we go higher
Camp at Baradhara - 9,000 feet or so. This was the highest point we reached.
Bit of frost and snow overnight
Moss covered trees, we were descending slightly now.
Les was taking the trip as part of recovering from a strok that the doctors said would end his active life. He showed them!
Ahmed was a friend of Les
The Sherpas would carry three or four heavy bags, well over 100lb of stuff
Siklis Village
People in Siklis were very polite
Boys playing vollyball, with a 1000 foot descent to the valley floor, you'd hope they did not lose the ball.
Next day, descending the to Mardi Khola river
Somewhat dubious bridge
Dave and Janine, and Australian couple we met briefly. Matching leggings.
The camp kitchen
Camp at Thulukhote, an old Gorka palace or fort, above Pokara
This reminded me of the lake district
I felt sad coming down into town, knowing I would never have the same experience again. But there was more to come.
Our bus
A local wedding
Tourist shops in Pokara
Our river-boat guide
We spend the nights in tents, but had dinner at this table.
White water rafting
This was the main means of crossing the river here.
Georgina got hit in the face by her own oar
Our guy helps a wedding party cross the river.
Chitwan nation park.
Getting on an elephant is not that easy. You sit wit a post between your legs
Rhino. This is what we came to see.
There was a faint chance of seeing a tiger. But no luck.
Rhino in the woods. Scary stuff
Much more civilized!
Time to wash the elephants.
The water was not particulary clean.
Back in Kathmandu, at Swayambunath temple
This guy really wanted money for a photo. Put the snake away when he did not get any.
Street in Kathmandu. We had a day to ourselves.
Outside the Kathmandu zoo. This was away from the touristy part of town, and was all locals.
This is how we got back from the zoo
Most of the trucks were adorned like this
Locals having a nice day at the zoo park.
A map of the region. This is a map I got in Pokhara. Not all the places noted are listed on the map, You can see Lhachock, Ghachok and Sikles
The approximate route we took, with all our camp sites, as close as I can remember
Breakfast. Not sure what day this was on
