One of the joys of travel, particularly international travel, is seeing how other people live. Things that are ordinary to them are strange to the traveller (and vice versa). But the traveller has the advantage that the camera brings. Here are some of the things about the life of the Nepali that I found interesting.
I bet you didn’t know that Superman really came from Nepal. This container, when filled, holds either 500 or 1000 liters of water.A typical ladderMake way for the yaks! (What else would you expect in a place named Yak Kharka?)Breakdowns are a fact of life on these roads. You’d better be prepared.This jumble shows many things to the inspecting eye: Stone houses leading to the monastery, badlands peaks, wood stacked on roof tops, ladders to help ascend the crazy steep slopes, prayer flags galore, clothing hanging out to dry, apple trees and of course ugly power lines. What else?A Nepali style billboardi was surprised to see this store set up halfway up the very steep (but not too long) trail to Ghyar. I spent a pleasant 10-15 minutes talking to the owner, although I didn’t buy anything.An altar (I presume) and other Buddhist items were featured in this hotel’s dining room.A group of porters. Porters tended to travel together in small groups.There was a decent amount of new construction along the way. This would seem to be an addition to the Moonlight Guest House. Or perhaps some competition? Power tools were seen in limited quantity.Girls walk down the street making some sort of public announcement.Construction (or reconstruction) projects were not uncommon in this area. Although some power tools are used, most of the work is manual labor.Kitchen and stove at the hotelThis is not a welcome sight to trekkers who want to keep their boots dry. But for locals wearing flip-flops it’s no big deal.A game attracts a crowdRoad construction crewRice grows in paddies on terraced fields in the lower elevationsLocals clear debris from a recent landslide. No big deal; it happens all the time.Pretty good advice everywhereThis man was curring something down from the top of the treeShare the trailThe “New Bridge” being used by over a dozen horses and half a dozen “cool as a cucumber” human drivers. (I’m sorry you can’t see the ends of the bridge; my camera’s wide angle lens was not wide enough. Oh yes, the bridge is twice as high above the river below as you can see from this vantage point.)
Adventure After 60 