Amazing.

I've never had an actual bucket list. If I did have one, it would be significantly smaller after this extended vacation I'm on.

Josh arrived a few days ago and so I started my touring portion of the trip. To start off we were able to walk around Kathmandu for a few days. I've been to most of the places but they were always for a purpose, so this was my first chance to just be a tourist and really experience the sites. We were able to see some temple's, Boudda Stupa, eat excellent Mexican food, buy awesome trinkets, Etc. I really got to learn where I'm at in Katmandu, and I finally feel like I know my way around a little.


Nearby the Boudda temple (below) is where many Buddhists live. It is a huge temple that is mostly white that you walk around on, then lower you walk around a huge circle with shops and prayer wheels. You always walk clockwise around these temples. So we joined the monks and walked around for awhile. It is so amazing. These type temples are all over Kathmandu. This is just one of the larger ones.



We took a ride on a bicycle taxi one day, not as much because we were lazy, but because they need to be experienced. The seat is about 3 ft off the ground, and is leaning forward. While bouncing allover the place you actually feel quite unsafe. I've road bicycle taxi's in other countries and Nepal's are by far the scariest. After bouncing up and down on their terrible roads you are quite happy when the ride is over.


We also went through Kathmandu's Durbar square and walked around all the temples and through all the surrounding little streets. It's a very neat area. One of the things that I've most enjoyed about Nepal is that it has so many influences. Nepal is placed almost in the center of Asia leaving it to be influenced by many of its neighbors. Many Tibetan immigrants have ended up in Nepal, largely influencing its culture. There also is a huge influence from India. Almost all of its pop-culture comes from India, all of it's movies, T.V., and music as well as most of Nepal's style's. If you walk to some holy sites there is a large Indian and Hindu influence, where as areas like Durbar Square are more influenced by Chinese architecture. Nepal is like a cultural Melting pot. The western trekkers that are everywhere have a large influence as well as India, China, and the rest of Southeast Asia.



Nepal's landscape is marked by three very different type's of topography. The north is covered by the Himalayan Range, the center by very large rolling hills, and the south with the flat plains heading into India. Each area within Nepal is different and has different influences. Parts of the north are more Tibetan whereas some southern areas are very Indian. Depending on which area you go you will see differences in the culture.


One of the main places I've always wanted to go is Tibet. I will soon be checking that off. I leave in a few days to drive up through the Himalaya's and past Everest then through Tibet up to Lhasa. I don't imagine I will really ever have the opportunity to go there again. I figured I should take advantage of that while I can. It is going to be one of the longest crappiest drives I've ever had to experience, and one of the most amazing. The Himalaya's are beautiful, they are so big and shoot up into the sky from this dry dusty landscape. I'm really excited to get up even closer and be able to drive right through them.


This is my serious photo I had to take for my visa. It took me about ten try's to not smile. Not smiling is way more difficult than you would imagine. I feel for you Mal.