Staying near the heart of Tibetan Buddhism in Kathmandu is magical. Although the Bouddha area is far from central, it's worth it. Every day I am swept into a constantly flowing river of spiritual practice. Buddhists turn out by the hundreds every morning to walk...
On my way to the trek office, we pull out of the narrow alleys of central Kathmandu onto the more open Ring Road that encircles the city, and my Nepali friend must have heard me catch my breath. He glanced carelessly at the mountains, and said, "Yes, it's mountain...
And sometimes a day in Kathmandu looks like this: wake up, meditate, eat breakfast (same menu, different garden), walk out to the main street to catch a taxi and......where is the chaos?? People are walking around, but the street is empty. No trucks, no cars, no...
Thousands of people turned out at Bouddhanath Stupa as part of worldwide celebrations for the Buddha's birthday. Observed on the full moon in April/May (this year May 6), Buddha Purnima is less an exact date and more a commemoration of the Buddha's birth,...
The Yak & Yeti is a Kathmandu landmark, a 120-yr-old palace that was converted into the city's first proper hotel and made famous by a celebrated Russian who welcomed Nepal's first tourists to his opulent accommodations and restaurant in the 1960's. Now with a...
Morning in Nepal is peaceful, sort of. There's the tolling of bells, the barking of dogs, the whirring of water pumps, the clanking of construction, the beeps of motorcycles, the chatter of children, the droning of prayers, the hollering of mothers, the thunking of...
Around 9am, shops open, and the day picks up speed. I need to buy $5,000 in jewelry in a few days, which is harder than you think. Time to start shopping. First up: prayer bead bracelets. After examining a dizzying array of styles, beads, and sizes, I end up with 300...
Wonder what I do when in Kathmandu when I'm not trekking? The beginning of the season always starts with planning and shopping. Planning to be sure everything is in place for the treks, and shopping for all the jewelry we sell in the US to raise money for our...
Springtime in Kathmandu is a life lived in flip-flops. The city is warm, dusty, and dry. Rain hasn't come in months but starts to appear in short showers that stir up the dust more than wet down the earth. I slip on my sandals the second morning and feel that not...
I'm all shook up. Here in Nepal, we've felt at least six small earthquakes in the last two weeks. When I was out visiting the Children's Home recently, we had three in a single night. Two of them were big enough to strongly rock the house back and forth. Back in...
On the 10th day of Dasain, the bloodshed has ended. The eldest member of a family blesses everyone younger, placing a mass of red powder-uncooked rice-yoghurt-mashed banana on each forehead and invoking wishes for success and well-being in the coming year. Over...
While Hindus are engaged in the bloody worship of Kali, Buddhists turn out for their regular morning prayers. On the same morning that I filmed sacrifices across the city, hundreds of Tibetan Buddhists were serenely circling the massive white stupa of Bouddhanath,...