Nepal - Kathmandu

For the next 2 months we will be traveling and volunteering in Nepal. So whilst the usual wildlife pictures will be posted, they won't be from Catalunya and there will also be lots of landscape and travel photography in general, but, in September, things will  return to normal. 

Kathmandu from the air - full of character even from this distance.

We arrived here on Tuesday 16th, not knowing what to expect, having read about the recent floods and resulting deaths in the news. We were surprised to see that everything was rather dry and thankfully it has been generally very fine, apart from a few heavy downpours, which have mostly been at night. 

First impressions? We love it here. I think we both agree that the people here are the friendliest and most genuine we have met on our travels yet. 

Hindu Celebration, Swayambhunath, Kathmandu

The food is incredible. We've started our trip staying with a local Kathmandu family who make the most amazing fresh, locally sourced food. To me it is rather similar to Indian food but still quite different. We've both really enjoyed trying all the various curries and other delicious surprises that our fantastic hosts have to offer - we've even had the chance to help out in the kitchen and are picking up a few tricks to bring back home!

Pushpa cooking lunch for her family and guests

Alba & Pushpa, preparing pumpkin leaves.

The city itself is full of things to see and do and for us an unplanned walk through the untrodden side- streets reveals the true character of any city and here it is no different. A walk through Kathmandu is exciting, with something different around every corner. 

Unknown Stupa, somewhere in the backstreets of Kathmandu

Local Kathmandu butcher with various cuts and entrails of Buffalo

Buddhist Monk praying with and blessing a local family, Swayambhunath, Kathmandu

A young holy cow - present throughout the roads and paths of Kathmandu

Kathmandu, viewed from Swayambhunath

Street Vendors, Kathmandu

A talented local carpenter, who kindly gave me the permission to take this photo, Kathmandu

Look behind you! Pashupatinath Temple

The most exciting find yet was a great big gathering of Hindu folk celebrating and dancing just down the road from our house. It was genuinely very uplifting seeing how much unhinged fun everyone was having.

Hindu celebration with dancing, Swayambhunath, Kathmandu. This guy was quite the character!

Hindu celebration with dancing, Swayambhunath, Kathmandu.

Hindu celebration with dancing, Swayambhunath, Kathmandu.

Hindu celebration with dancing, Swayambhunath, Kathmandu.

Hindu celebration with dancing, Swayambhunath, Kathmandu.

Hindu celebration with dancing, Swayambhunath, Kathmandu.

Another surprise has been the fact that cannabis just grows everywhere here! In gardens, at the side of the road, in blocked up roof gutters, you name it! I suppose you forget that these things have to be wild and native to somewhere, and Nepal is one of those places (it's native to central Asia and the Indian subcontinent). So despite its notoriety as a recreative drug, here, it is also just a roadside "weed".

Cannabis, picked from the roadside in Kathmandu city.

Towering Cannabis plants are not uncommon in the middle of the city.

Crossing and walking the roads has been a bit daunting but we are getting the hang of it. There are no real rules. Zebra crossings are rare and when you do find them you soon realise someone has wasted a lot of white paint! You just have to walk, watching the traffic, taking it one car/moped at a time! Hesitation could end in a painful result, it seems, and you just have to go against your instincts and walk out into the mess of traffic, knowing that nobody is really going to hit you once you do it sensibly! But this is all part of the charm of traveling. People are different! Cultures are different and so are the rules! Little things like this make you open your eyes and step out of your little bubble. I like that.

A non-functioning zebra crossing!

We have visited a few temples already and they are a big change to those we saw in southeast Asia, with these either being Hindu, or Buddhist with a Hindu influence. The most interesting of all, was Pashupatinath Temple, which is a Hindu temple, where river cremations occur - fascinating yet rather disturbing at the same time, for me at least. I didn't take any photos here (at least in the area where the cremations were taking place) and felt a little bit uncomfortable seeing tourists photographing or filming cremations, as families were clearly really upset about seeing off a beloved family member. Is documenting this really necessary? Reverse the role and imagine what you would think. Anyway, people are people and you can't control the actions of others, again another eye opener to how different we all are.  

Alba with a rather large bull, Pashupatinath Temple, Kathmandu

Cremation River, Pashupatinath Temple

Cremation River, Pashupatinath Temple

Hindu Lady, Pashupatinath Temple

In terms of wildlife - it isn't bad for being a densely populated city. I've seen lots of butterflies, birds and even a mammal tick in the form of a Small Asian Mongoose, but the best of the wildlife is yet to come when we move onward into the more rural destinations - so watch this space.  

Great Mormon, Kathmandu

Indian House Crow, Kathmandu

Rhesus Macaque, Swayambhunath, Kathmandu

Yoga Buddies, Swayambhunath, Kathmandu

Beautiful pet cat, Kathmandu. This individual looks very different the the domestic cats I'm used to seeing back home - perhaps it is derived from a different ancestral species?

We are going to be in and out of signal but we're going to try our best to keep this up to date with what we are seeing and doing. 

Seán & Alba.