Similar to Bhutan: ( https://pbase.com/ageojo/bhutan , Nepal is a land-locked country in South Asia. Situated along the greatest heights of the Himalayas, Nepal is where the ice-cold of the mountains meets the steamy heat of the Indian plains. At a height of greater than 8,800 metres, the highest peak of the Himalayas, Mount Everest is located in Nepal.

Nepal is a land of colorful cultures, ancient history and people. It is such an amazingly diverse country and judging by the number of tourists there, it truly offers something for everyone. Spending only five days in Nepal, we were just scratching the surface, it seems.

Approximately 65% of Nepalis are hinduist and approximately 30% are buddhist. Although hinduism is the main religion many Nepalis do not distinguish between Hinduism and Buddhism and follow both religious traditions. The heritage sites from both religions are impressive and abundant in Kathmandu Valley as can be seen at three royal cities, Bhaktapur, Patan and Kathmandu itself. The three former royal governments "copied" each other architectural designs and therefore the similaraties are quite striking. Each features its own Durbar (Royal) square, the center of the town.

Nagarkot is located within a fairly driving distance from Bhaktapur and the series of hotels is there for one reason and one reason only: the classic panorama of the Himalayas. We were hoping for a spectacular sunrise and view of the Himalayas but we found out quickly that the weather didn't cooperate; it was foggy in the morning and it drizzled.

Siddhartha Gautama, the Lord Buddha, was born in 623 B.C. in the famous gardens of Lumbini, which soon became a place of pilgrimage. Among the pilgrims was the Indian emperor Ashoka, who erected one of his commemorative pillars there in 249 B.C. The site has been developed as a Buddhist pilgrimage centre, where archaeological remains, documenting the birth site, form the central feature. The temple that houses the nativity scene as depicted on a bas relief sculpture is the place of worship of both Buddhists and Hindus. Too bad, no photography was allowed inside. Several countries erected temples/monasteries surrounding the complex of the birthplace. It was raining steadily when we were there and the rain water flooded the access way to a few and reportedly beautiful temples. Oh, well.

The Pashupatinath temple at the Bagmati river in Kathmandu is the most important Hindu temple in Nepal and one of the most important Shiva temples on the Indian subcontinent. It is a "must-see" site in Nepal. Here, dead bodies are being cremated 24/7. The ashes are subsequently strewn into the Bagmati river by the relatives.

Photography tidbits:
As in other galleries, I stress more artistic quality over a complete documentation of the trip. Although I took two camera systems, an autofocus SLR and a manual focus rangefinder digital systems, the later was used only minimally, regardless of the high quality files it generates. Autofocus has proven to be more useful for my travel needs.

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