Terraces The ridges that skirt the Kathmandu Valley between Nagarkot and Sankhu provide panoramic views over lushly planted terraces, ancient Newari villages, and the foothills of the Himalayas.
I always feel like I’m finally getting into the rhythm of a walk when it is about to finish!
I suspect that this is an illusion, as it doesn’t matter if the walk takes four hours or four days.
It was the final leg of an “easy” four-day trek around the Eastern Rim of the Kathmandu Valley. I had organised the walk with local guide Angfula Sherpa, and although he had made allowances for the fact that neither I nor my walking-companion were particularly young, fit, or spry, it didn’t feel very easy!
Still, on day four, I was sad that it was coming to an end.
In beautiful spring weather, we had walked a good 16km (10 miles) from Dhulikhel (1550 m – 5085 ft) to Nagarkot (2175 m – 7136 ft) the day before (see: Kathmandu Valley Part 4). The altitude gain of over 600 meters (much more if you count the ups-and-downs) had exhausted me, and after a great meal I was looking forward to bed. Accommodation has improved markedly since had I first trekked in Nepal many years ago, but even so, most places have no central heating, and our rooms at the Stupa View Resort were frigid! It was only thanks to the hot-water bottles that the staff managed to find that I was able to relax my aching muscles and collapse into sleep.
We started our next day in Nagarkot without the views of the Himalayas that the village is known for; the weather conspired against us, and we spent part of our morning getting in and out of rain gear as we walked through a pine forest shrouded in mist, drizzle, and outright rain.
But, it was downhill, and mostly soft underfoot.
Before long, we made our way out of the forest and into better weather, and into terraces planted with grain, potatoes, and mustard. With our arms swinging and our feet finding their pace, we walked down towards the Newari town of Sankhu (1382 m – 4534 ft), stopping en route for lunch at a restaurant that wasn’t officially open and that only an experienced guide would ever have found.
A vehicle met us in Sankhu, and drove us the hour back to Kathmandu – a world away ….
Angfula on the Track We walked down from Nagarkot, out of the trees and rain, and onto a track over the terraced hills.
Earthquake Damage In the villages, the buildings we pass still show extensive damage …
Brick Ruins … from the April 2015 Gorkha earthquake which killed about 9,000 people.
Sun on the Terraces The amount of work that goes into tending the narrow terraces is mind-boggling.
Gathering the Grain Using head straps, women carry large loads through the fields.
Child Playing at a Hindu Shrine Hindu and Buddhist shrines are dotted all around the Kathmandu Valley. A boy playing – with what appears to be a pretend gun – seems in odd juxtaposition with this linga, an abstract representation of the Hindu deity Shiva.
Farmhouses and Terraces As we drop down in altitude, grains give way to potato and mustard. Crops are planted in rotation to make the best of the short growing season.
Mustard Flowers The mustard is in bloom, …
Potato Flowers … as are the potatoes.
Working the Fields
The Women of the House In spite of earthquake-damage to their buildings, this delightful Nepali family were able to produce a wonderful lunch for us.
Young Woman I had a long chat with the daughter of the house, who – two weeks after our visit – was heading to Australia to study at university. Most Nepali I spoke to have relatives working or studying overseas: about 8.5% of the the country’s population lives outside its borders.
Potato Furrows Food stretches out all around us: Nepal is still an agricultural country, with over two-thirds of the population directly engaged in farming.
On the Road Nepal is also among the least developed countries in the world, with a severe lack of skilled labor. We could see evidence of this in the roads we travelled and the buildings we passed.
Woman in Green About one-quarter of Nepalese live below the poverty line and, no matter their age – like this old woman carrying her greens – most are engaged in manual labour.
Sorting Potatoes So much of the labour seems rather informal: at the side of the road, these people were sorting potatoes for bagging and sale.
Sankhu It is a bittersweet moment when we can finally see the end of our walk: the ancient Newari town of Sankhu, where we will meet our car back to Kathmandu.
Swasthani Mata Temple On the way into Sankhu, we cross the waters of the Sali Nadi, and pass through a temple dedicated to the HinduGoddess Swasthani.
The Sali Nadi These littered, polluted waters are sacred: during the month-long Shree Swasthani Brata Katha festival, Hindu devotees to Goddess Swasthani bathe here.
Swasthani Mata Temple The temple itself has a unique octagonal roof.
Icon in a Niche Everywhere you look, there are icons: coloured with candle wax and chalk, …
Icon in a Niche … and draped in cloths and garlands.
Swasthani Mata Temple The wonderful gold-plated octagonal roof of the temple is supported by struts carved with depictions of the Goddess Swasthani.
Hindu Priest You will always find a priest tending a Hindu temple.
Blessings I made sure to receive my blessing before leaving.
Hotel Room Back in Kathmandu, my room was positively palatial – especially after the modest accommodation on our trek.
Palatial room or not, I’d rather be walking!
Like the rest of Nepal, the Kathmandu Valley is a joy to trek around.
Wasn’t that grand? I agree, we aren’t particularly young, fit, nor spry but that which we lack is made up with our determination. Arthritic hips be damned! They can always be replaced later. Thanks for this trip down Memory Lane.ReplyCancel
Getting Ready for the Dance Face-painting is an integral part of the costuming for the traditional cultural dances that are performed at a Papuansing-sing.
It takes a lot of time to prepare for a Papua New Guineansing-sing.
Ancient masks and costumes – some pieces carved from wood and others woven from leaves and grasses: all decorated with paint, shells or feathers – have to be checked and repaired. New costume details need to be fashioned from leaves and grasses. And – most importantly – faces have to be painted in patterns that are specific to the village and its totems.
The dances and songs that are performed have been passed down through the years to each successive generation. At a sing-sing – a friendly gathering of tribes or villages – each local or visiting group can demonstrate and share their culture, with its distinctive dance and music.
These days, of course, sing-sings are organised not only to re-enforce local culture, but also to attract tourist dollars. In the relatively “temperate” month of August, the people of Kanganaman Village, in the Middle Sepik region of Papua New Guinea, host the annual (since 2014) Sepik River Festival. This fledgling event draws performers from surrounding villages and a small audience of intrepid international travellers. I was there last year with photographer Karl Karl Grobl from Jim Cline Photo Tours, and a small group of photo enthusiasts.
I had spent much of my morning in the village’s main haus tambaran, or spirit house, watching the men of Kanganaman getting their face-paint ready for their dance performance (see: A Black and White View and Crocodile Men). But, Kanganaman has not one, but two spirit houses (see: Welcome to the Spirit House). The smaller one is open to everyone in the village, and it was there that the women were gathered – out of the sun, but still blanketed in oppressive heat – getting their costuming and face-painting ready for their contribution to the festival.
Come and meet the women (and their children), and watch them get ready.
Grooming and Selling The Sepik River region has long been known to collectors of tribal art: before the dancing starts, the local women have laid out woven- and carved-goods at the edges of the open green in the hope of attracting the eyes of the international tourists.
A Boy and his Snack Papua New Guinea is a young country (almost thirty-three percent of the population is under 15) and there are children everywhere.
Papuan Boy They are a delight to photograph –
Papuan Child – even when they are not quite sure what to make of me!
In the Little Spirit House It is hot and dark and crowded inside the Little Spirit House where the village women are helping each other get ready.
Woman with a Cigarette The same material and method that goes into making traditional bilum string carry-bags is used to make the women’s halter-bras and their shell headdresses. Long-leaf tobacco is rolled in cut newspaper rectangles to make long, slim cigarettes.
Papuan Woman Many of the women are decorated with irregular facial tattooing that shows faintly against their dark skin.
Young Papuan Woman Preparations for a sing-sing are a good opportunity to get together for a chat and a laugh. The smiles show off the betel-nut staining common across all of Papua New Guinea.
Woman Getting Ready Some of the women favour cornrows – and scarification is also common.
Cornrows and Laughter Outside the spirit house, the mid-day sun is as bright as the smiles.
Woman Getting Ready
Young Woman in the Spirit House
Young Boy
Face Painting for the Dance
Young Woman in a Shell Headdress Seashells are so important in Papua New Guinea that they were the national currency until 1933.
Tending each Other
Face Painting I can’t help but admire the wonderful bone-structure under the faces being painted!
Stilted Village House What amazes me, given all the activity in the sing-sing preparation areas, ….
People in the Village House … is how many people are outside those preparations!
Papuan Child
Papuan Child with Food
Papuan Mask Inside the Spirit House, precious artefacts are on display, …
Mother and Child …while outside, life goes on.
Young Papuan Woman Even though August is usually the coolest month of the year, Papua New Guinea is in the tropics, and it is bright and even hot outside, …
Old Woman with her Eyes Painted … and nearly as hot inside the Little Spirit House.
Waiting for the Dance
When I left the little spirit house, it was early afternoon, and the women were still busy.
I guess in some ways the preparation is as important as the actually dance.
The Boys and the Yellow Princess Parrot Bird-spotting is easy and accessible when the birds come to you!
I was out walking on local wetlands not long ago, and as we were listening to the chirping in the trees, one of my companions asked if I was a “bird watcher”.
I had to confess that while I enjoy watching birds, as a photographer I’m usually too slow to get decent pictures of them!
This was much less of a problem on a couple of recent visits to “On the Perch”, a bird park not far from my home. My young grandchildren (and their parents) were visiting from the UK, and it was nice to be able to show them some accessible Australian wildlife in a child-friendly setting.
The bird park is relatively small, but once we were armed with inexpensive containers of wiggly grubs with which to feed the birds inside the four walk-in aviaries set up as regional habitats, we were able to amuse the children and have a relaxing and enjoyable time. Mind you, the three-year-old was almost as taken with the playground equipment and the coffee-shop (“Hot chocolate!” she squealed.) as she was with the birds.
I enjoyed getting closer to our feathered friends and I hope you like the results.
Rainbow Lorikeets at Our House We don’t have to go to the bird park for colourful birds: when you leave crumbs on the table, the rainbow lorikeets (Trichoglossus moluccanus) comes to us! (19July2018 – iPhone6)
Lorikeets on the Balcony They love fruit and nuts …
Lorikeet in the Umbrella Tree … and will chitter at me noisily if I’m too slow with their treats. (03September2018 – iPhone6)
Gouldian Finches – Erythrura Gouldiae Inside the front entrance to the bird park, the Cape York exhibit includes the colourful (and endangered) Gouldian finches, native to Northern Australia.
Rainbow Bee-Eaters – Merops Ornatus Spectacular rainbow bee-eaters share the display. Apparently, these birds are common across Australia –
Rainbow Bee-Eaters – Merops Ornatus – but I can’t say I’ve ever spotted one in the wild!
Namaqua Dove – Oena Capensis The African Savannah walk-in aviary contains a number of birds foreign to us.
Cordon Bleu Finch or Crimson-eared Waxbill – Uraeginthus Bengalus The exotic little creatures in this aviary were wary, …
Cordon Bleu Finch – Uraeginthus Bengalus … but I was satisfied with watching them at reasonably close range.
Yellow Canary – Crithagra Flaviventris I spent a lot of time just sitting in there quietly, watching, …
Cut-Throat Finch – Amadina Fasciata … and feeding the pretty little things from my supply of mealworms.
Cut-Throat and Cordon Bleu Finches
Red-Billed Firefinch or Senegal Firefinch – Lagonosticta Senegala
Red-Winged Parrot – Aprosmictus Erythropterus The birds in the Inland Australia walk-in aviary were much less shy.
Long Legs and the Black-Winged Stilt The black-winged stilt (himantopus himantopus) was so keen for the the mealworms we had that it was willing to play dodge ’em with a three-year-old!
White-Browed Woodswallows – Artamus Superciliosus
Purple-Crowned Lorikeet – Glossopsitta Porphyrocephala The birds have plenty of places to hide if they want to, but they know when food is on offer.
The Boy and the Purple-Crowned Lorikeets … completely ignored a curious toddler.
Yellow Princess Parrot – Polytelis Alexandrae
Regent Parrot – Polytelis Anthopeplus The parrots are happy to be fed by hand.
Regent Parrots – Polytelis Anthopeplus
Forest Kingfisher – Todiramphus Macleayii I do occasionally spot these beautiful little birds in the tea-trees around our estuary on my morning walks, but they are much too fast-moving for me and my iPhone!
Waiting Child In the Asia-Pacific walk-in aviary, you can hand-feed them – if you can stand ground …
Feeding the Kingfishers … in the face of their speed …
Forest Kingfisher – Todiramphus Macleayii … and sharp beaks.
Feeding the Kingfishers A quick pinch on the palm as they snatch mealworms, …
Forest Kingfishers and a Finch … and they are back on their perch before you know it!
White-Winged Choughs – Corcorax Melanorhamphos The Aussie Icons aviary contains a number of white-winged choughs. Often mistaken for crows, Australia’s choughs were named after the European birds that they resemble (see: The Stationary Ark) but are only distantly related to.
Laughing Kookaburras – Dacelo Novaeguineae The Aussie Icons aviary also contains the more emblematic kookaburras – which we do see at home, but usually high in the gum trees over our heads.
I look forward to my next visit to the park.
I think I might have to borrow some small children – for while I could go back on my own, it’s much more fun watching youngsters getting close to nature.
**Addendum: After the stress of a disastrous bush-fire season, the park closed to the public in February 2020.**
Morning among the Camels Early morning sun warms the November air as people bring their camels to the water trough at the Pushkar Camel Fair.
Once again, pictures of camels and colour are flooding my news feed: the Pushkar Camel Fair in Rajasthan is currently in full swing, and photographers from around the world are there, posting pictures that make me nostalgic for India.
The Pushkar Fair, orKartik Mela, is a multi-day livestock fair and cultural fête. Animal breeders and buyers descend on the small Northern Indian town of Pushkar, and for five days they display and trade their camels, horses, cows, goats, and sheep. As the name implies, the camels take centre stage: they are everywhere, in all their decorated, bad-tempered glory.
The dates of the annual fair are determined by the Hindu calendar and the phases of the moon: usually occurring between late October and early November on the Gregorian calendar. The official 2018 dates are November 15-23, finishing on the Kartik Purnima, the full-moon of the month Kartik, and the day of the Hindu, Sikh and Jain festival of Tripuri Purnima or Tripurari Purnima. So, not only does the town attract livestock traders, hawkers, and entertainers, it also draws thousands of Hindus who come to bathe in the holy Pushkar Lake.
I so love travelling and making pictures in India! I love the food and the masala chai and the colour. I love that people of all walks of life are generally friendly and welcoming, and open to being photographed.
Join me for a day among the horses and camels, and the colourful characters who keep them.
Morning Fires It was our third day in Pushkar; we drove to the fairgrounds before sunrise to watch the site slowly come to life. It might be pre-dawn, but there is plenty of activity: the animals and the fires need tending.
Sharing Drinks The climate here is extreme: highs of 40-45°C are common in summer, and winter night temperatures can drop below 10°C. Wrapped in blankets against the chill of a pre-dawn November day, men share drinks and warm their hands over the fire.
Camels on the Hill All over the extensive grounds, camels are tethered near their owners’ tents or carts.
Curious Camels Some of the animals are curious at my presence; …
Ornery Camels … most, however, are too busy arguing with each other.
Man and his Camels
Morning among the Camels Before the sun comes up and the camel-trading starts in earnest, there is a wonderful quiet and sense of community in the Pushkar Camel Fair grounds.
The Morning Smoke Many of the men around the morning fires enjoy smoking their clay or metal pipes.
Pushkar Scene As the light rises over the surrounding mountains, …
Three Men … there is more activity around the fair grounds.
Pack Camels Camels are working animals: carrying loads or pulling small trailers.
Dressed Camel Decorated with bells, beads and pompoms, the camels are the stars of the show. They even have a beauty contest!
Decorated Camel Some have elaborate patterns shaved and died into their coats.
At the Water Tank One of my favourite places to sit and people- and camel-watch, was the large square water trough, which naturally attracts a stream of visitors all day.
Women at a Fire
Marwari Horses – Equus Ferus Caballus The other stars of the fair are the rare Marwari horses. With their distinctive, inward curving ears, these beautiful animals were originally bred by the Rathores, the rulers of Marwar (Jodhpur) up to the 12th century.
Marwari Mare and Foal The Marwari (or Malani) descendants – which can come in all equine colours – are among the livestock for sale at the Pushkar Fair.
Man on a Marwari Horse Prospective purchasers test them out before buying.
Tug of War The trick, if you buy one or two of these spirited animals, is to get them into your transport!
“People Truck” In over-loaded open trucks, …
Men in the Fairground … on foot, …
Young Woman on the Bus … or on busses: people come and go all day long.
Man in the Sugar Cane
Girl in the Sugar Cane Sugar cane is a special treat; …
Sugar Cane Press … it is pressed into juice for the fair goers.
The Ferris Wheel Like any fair, Pushkar features sideshows and rides.
Mother and Child at Camp
Camel Rides Finally, after five in the evening, the temperature starts to drop as the sun lowers in the sky. Soon it will be too dark for the camel rides that the tourists – even the domestic Indian ones – so enjoy.
From pre-dawn until after-dark: Pushkar Fair is a wonderful experience.
Bathing-Pool Access Even though it is mid-spring, the beaches at the popular North Sea resort town of Knokke in West Flanders are still bleak, windswept, and almost deserted.
Last Sunday marked 100 years since the signing of the Armistice with Germany, after World War I – “the war to end all wars.”
My understanding of history has always been a bit fuzzy, but I had direct ancestors on both sides of that horrific conflict and the one that followed. Growing up in a Commonwealth country, the November 11th Remembrance Day (aka: Poppy Day, Memorial Day, or Armistice Day) was a big deal, and we all learned and recited the poem “In Flanders Fields”, written about that war by Captain John D. McCrae.
So, Flanders – and red poppies – have always been part of my consciousness, even if I had never been to the sites in question.
I had been to Belgium. I may have been there as an infant, but the first time I remember touching base there was also a long time ago. On a rail trip from Paris to Germany, the train cut through a corner of Belgium – forcing Border Control personnel (in those pre-European Union days) to check my ticket and passport twice in the space of about fifteen minutes. If it hadn’t been for them, I wouldn’t have known that the green fields rolling past my window represented three different countries!
I had always wanted to visited Bruges – especially after the 2008 movie In Bruges was released. I hadn’t yet seen the film, but the trailers had put that medieval Flemish city back on my mental map. I was in Paris with a day to spare, and a brochure in the hotel where I was staying advertised a day trip to Bruges. I booked the trip for myself and my husband, and at the appointed pre-dawn hour, we stood out on a cold road in the Septième Arrondissement (Seventh District), watching our frozen breath under a street lamp near our hotel, and waiting for a bus which never came… We re-explored Paris instead.
I had hoped to visit Bruges this year, when we were to be docked in nearby Zeebrugge. Unfortunately, the fates conspired against us again. The direction of our ocean trip through the English Channel and around the outside of the west coast of Europe was reversed, resulting in less port-time everywhere, as we motored against the prevailing currents. I wasn’t going to forgo our included shore excursion: Scenic Flanders & Coastal Village of Knokke, leaving us no time to get into the old city.
We were very excited ahead of our cruise: we had done a European river cruise and had been thrilled with the included shore excursions and with time we spent exploring cities on our own (eg: Passau; Regensburg; Melk; Kelheim to Weltenburg; Vienna; Budapest Market; and Buda Castle Hill). Of course, ocean cruising – even in a relatively small boat – is different, and we found ourselves a long way from city-centres. Instead of the inner-city walks we had experienced before, our shore excursions typically involved a lot of bus time. To frustrate me (and my cameras) further, the buses didn’t necessarily stop at the places with the best light (see: An (Other) English Spring).
So it was that we got onto a big tour bus at the dockside in Zeebrugge, and drove past the outside of Bruges and into the Flemish countryside, not stopping until we got to Knokke, where the beach was pretty much deserted in the cold North Sea wind.
Photographically, this made for real challenges! Many of these pictures were taken from the bus, where curved windows cause odd reflections, tinted glass makes for strange colour effects, and unpredictable movements result in blur that may-or-may-not be artistic.
But, I did find red tulips (no poppies), and I payed mental respects to the region’s bloody, muddy history.
Boat Deck Unlike river cruising where the shores are always in sight, sometimes we were a long way from anywhere. As we did laps of the deck, our boat motored through the English Channel and into the North Sea. (iPhone6)
Gentpoort – Gate of Ghent Six-kilometers of Bruges’ city ramparts – parts of which date back to the end of the 13th century – are currently incorporated into a green-belt of parks that was constructed during the second half of the 19th century. Gentpoort – built in the beginning of the 15th century – is one of the four remaining medieval town gates.
Windmill in Bruges Four ancient windmills stand on the remains of the city’s inner fortification line. Originally, about 30 windmills lined the banks here, grinding flour. In the 19th century, steam power rendered these windmills obsolete. As our bus followed the city ramparts, we had tantalising glimpses into the medieval way of life.
Across the Moat We also got a taste of modern life – where the miles of parkland reputedly make the city a pleasant place to live and work.
Flanders Fields The fields that were once part of the muddy trenches on the front lines of a catastrophic war are today impossibly green with fresh crops.
Fallow Fields The tilled land rolls past the bus window, as flat as I had expected.
Cyclists As if to live up to my expected stereotypes, we can spot groups on bicycles riding through the countryside.
Tidy Houses Our bus takes us through small villages with tidy homes …
Parish Church and Graveyard … and small churches at their centre.
Tidy Towns Clearly, the locals take responsibility for keeping their own little corner clean.
Flemish Woods Tall trees stand as windbreaks along the canals as we continue through the countryside.
Knokke We passed a mix of traditional housing and modern high-density accommodation as we drove into the sea-side resort town of Knokke. (iPhone6)
Petanque Club – Knokke Our bus tipped us out into the summer sea-side resort town of Knokke: most of the waterfront cafes were closed and the beach was deserted.
Looking back to Zeedijk-Knokke Rows of tidy beach huts stand ready for warmer weather; …
“Nasimi Beach” … many of them are named for famous beaches around the world.
Knokkestrand Few things are as desolate as a beach in bad weather!
Lone Red Tulip We gave up on trying to find an open coffee-shop …
Belgian Bicycle … and made our way past displays of spring flowers …
Flanders’ Tulips … in search of that famous Belgian chocolate.
As we got back on our bus, cold and tired, but with a bag of chocolate truffles in our possession, we could reflect on how truly lucky we are!
Once again I missed out on Bruges, but the tulips of Knokke served as a reminder of sacrifices made in the past so that we can have the life we do today.
[…] though it was spring and we had seen plenty of tulips and windmills in Belgium the day before (see: Flanders Fields and Beaches), we saw none on our day’s stop in […]ReplyCancel
- Performing the Ganga Aarti from Dasaswamedh Ghat, Varanasi
- Buddha Head from Shwedagon Pagoda, Myanmar
- Harry Clarke Window from Dingle, Ireland
- Novice Monk Shwe Yan Pyay Monastery, Myanmar
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Until next time,
Wasn’t that grand? I agree, we aren’t particularly young, fit, nor spry but that which we lack is made up with our determination. Arthritic hips be damned! They can always be replaced later. Thanks for this trip down Memory Lane.
Thanks for the company!
I’m thinking of Milford Track next year? 😉