Kathmandu is quite the intense city.  The transportation is insane, as I’ve come to take as par for the Asian course, and it is unfortunately quite dirty, dusty, and polluted.   The smaller, older streets are packed tight with local markets, tourist shops, street vendors, and more people than you could imagine all flowing together to form a mass that literally pulses and breathes.

In the midst of all the energy lie some of the holiest sites in the Hindu and Buddhist faiths.   Huge temples and stupas lie almost hidden from sight – one at the top of an ardous set of hundreds of stairs guarded by monkeys, another found down a quiet winding lane that a passerby wouldn’t give another look.  These are the jewels of Kathmandu, places where, no matter what your beliefs, you can take respite from the insanity around you and marvel at the humbling power of faith.

Swayambhunath Stupa (a stupa is buddhist building of faith and worship) requires a serious hike to reach, but the sweeping views of Kathmandu valley are well worth it.  A description from my guide book: “According to legend, the Kathmandu Valley was once a lake – geological evidence supports this – and the hill now topped by Swayambhunath rose spontaneously from the waters, hence the name swayambhu, meaning ’self-arisen’”

Each of these Buddha statues is about the size of three Mack trucks stacked on top of one another.

Boudhanath stupa is one of the largest stupas and holiest sites in the world.  The area is particularly sacred to Tibetan Buddhists, and a visit to the site is assured to come with the sight of crimson-clad monks circumambulating the stupa.

At Boudhanath, the eyes of Buddha gaze serenely from every facet of the gilded tower as prayer flags flap over head.

May you always have your own peaceful places.

xo,

klc

Nothing journalistic today, just some pretty lake photos for y’all.

Happy 2010 my friends, may your waters be calm and peaceful in the year ahead.

xoxo,

klc

Goats, Monkeys, Camels, Crocs, Birds, Elephants, and Snakes – OH MY!

I took this photo about half-way up the walk to the Monkey Temple in Jaipur, India.  The walk to the top takes about 20 minutes and there is a myriad of animals along the way.  I have no idea how this big guy got up there, it had to have taken hours.  Since cows are considered living Goddesses and this photo was snapped in a temple I suppose I witnessed an extra holy event.  Extra odd if you ask me.

Smile Monkey!

Love this big guy

The least exciting animal in the bunch, but the sheer number of them makes up for it…and there’s an appearance by the author

And one more monkey for good luck.

Hope you enjoyed all my little friends!

xoxo,

klc

I mentioned before that one of the most jarring things for me during my time in Asia has been the transportation.   There is absolutely no order to any of it, or at least that is how it seems.  Lane markers, if there are any, are completely ignored, and driving down the street is like playing an insane game of chicken.  Most of the vehicles are 10 – 20 years old and held together with what may be twine, and the drivers  have absolutely no fear.  But, somehow, it all works.  There are a lot of accidents, but I believe fewer casualties because the crashes are at slower speeds….I have yet to see an American-style superhighway in India or Nepal.

So, here are a few photos from our many forms of transportation.  Tuk-tuks, trains, and buses…just a few of the ways we have traveled around.

I could have lived without the 18+ hour train ride from Delhi to Gorakphur…I took barely any photos because to be honest I was too busy trying to block out the whole experience.

We had to travel in 3rd class, where there are 6 beds to a berth and at least 3 Indians who try to cram onto each bed…when stubborn Americans like us won’t let them, they sleep on the floor and in the aisles….when that space is used up they lay in front of the toilets. It was….trying….to say the least.

After the train we had the pleasure of a harrowing bus ride to the Nepali border.  The bus wouldn’t leave until it was full, and when I say full, I mean full.  There were about 10 men standing in the aisles and another 8 or so on the roof for the entire 5 hour ride.  The photo below was taken on another ride to Pokhara in Nepal, not as bad as the aforementioned trip, but at one point the bus stopped and let on at least 25 women and their children who were crammed in the aisles and at the front.  The bus however had a mirrored ceiling, fancy tin cut-outs and colored tassles….so we were riding in style.

Now experience a fast and furious evening tuk-tuk ride through the streets of Agra…

And finally, a lost in translation moment that did indeed make me laugh and reach for my camera…what can I say?

xoxo and a smile,

klc

No visit to India is complete with a trip to the Taj Mahal, and rightly so.  The building is a spectacle to behold, and the sheer enormity of it is staggering.  That being said, the whole experience was quite stressful.  A generalization, but I’ve found that the majority of Indians have a different concept of personal space than Americans, and it can be trying.  I actually preferred The Red Fort, which is located near the Taj and is where the builder of the Taj was actually imprisoned by his son.  One of the most memorable moments of the trip so far happened at the end of the day at the Fort.  When we were leaving the building at the end of the day, we got to the front gate and turned around to see at least 100 monkeys streaming out the doors towards us.  They have been trained to recognize when the fort is closing and the humans who give them food to eat are leaving.  Monkeys are not friendly animals, and being surrounded by that many was quite unnerving.  Anyhow, on to the photos.

First, a few from the Fort

And these next photos don’t need any introduction

And finally I leave you with a camel…..and a goat on a roof.

xoxo,

klc