Nepal 2016

And it's Nepal again!

We trekked the Manaslu and Annapurna circuits and paid a short visit to the Everest foothills to top it all...

Post 2015 earthquake, our first time during the monsoon season, we have a lot to share and reflect upon.

Full map of all Nepal 2016 pages

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Thinking of our next destination: Italy and Portugal come to mind, or maybe the time has finally come for a US road trip…

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Lower Mustang

(vero;2017-Feb-28)

The landscape on the other side of the Thorong La is breathtaking. Check our panorama page for more views and our blog entry for the story.

We spent three days around Muktinath and Kagbeni and were lucky to be there at the time of an important Hindu festival, Pitru Paksha, which made our stay really special.

On the way from Muktinath to Jharkot which can be seen in the middle of the picture.

Vegetation can only grow along river banks, villages are like oases in a desert.

Houses in Jharkot. The red house is the gompa. Note the maize leaves drying on the roofs.

Two ladies at Muktinath temple, waiting and chatting while their relatives are bathing at the holy waters.

Devotees have to cleanse themselves, soul and body, before they can honour Vishnu: they have to run through the water flowing out of the 108 taps and then finish the procedure by immersing themselves in two pools. Remember that the temple is at around 3700m altitude and that the water is freezing cold!

After the bath, the devotee is cleansed and ready to make puja at Vishnu's shrine. The man in black is receiving a tikka on his forehead, while the one with the green shirt is presenting money to the attendant at the shrine.

The village of Jhong on the way to Kagbeni. As in Jharkot, a fortress on a spur protects the village with the red gompa above it.

Fields outside Jhong. As we leave the village, we follow a shady alley skirting the fields along the river.

View down valley on the way from Jhong to Kagbeni.

The village of Tiri, note the red gompa high above the village. The big white building is the police post. Tiri is the last village in Upper Mustang which can be visited without a permit.

The river bed of the Kali Gandaki river.

Kagbeni. As always, the red gompa and to its left, in the direction of the fields, the remains of the ancient square fortress.

Old house in Kagbeni, not inhabited anymore but still used to store fodder.

Kagbeni. View up valley in the direction of Upper Mustang. The small oasis on the left is the village of Tiri.

Three ladies watching the arrival of pilgrims in Kagbeni. The woman on the left is the shop keeper.

Young boy on the roof of Kagbeni's gompa.

We are in Tiri and look into forbidden Upper Mustang. Going there is expensive: US$500 per person for the first 10 days and US$50 per person per day thereafter.

The confluence of Kali Gandaki and Thorong River in Kagbeni. Devotees bathing in their waters are lining the river banks.

Devotees preparing offerings for the puja ceremony. Note the box containing incense sticks in front of the plastic bottle, the Rupee notes on a dish in front of the man in yellow.

Devotees bathing right at the confluence, it can't get holier than this.

A Hindu festival is a great opportunity for people watching.

Woman sending a leaf down the river. It is filled with wicks soaked in oil and burning.

Each small group a family. You recognise the holy men with their shaved heads and dressed in white.

Close up on the offerings. The wind is blowing down valley and whirling clouds of dust which explains why the lady is wearing a face mask.

We can't get enough of this beautiful landscape.

Tiri, back down on the river side with the Nilgiris in front of us.

Kagbeni. Woman bringing maize back to the village.

Go back to Side Trip to Tilicho Lake or go on to Tansen and Daman Loop or go up to Photos