Nepal

Wandering salesman inscribing pens on the train.

I made it safely to Kathmandu this week, via train from Guwahati to Gorakhpur, then north to the Nepal border and by bus to Tansen for a couple days to visit friends, then 8 hrs to Kathmandu by bus. It's been a good trip overall, and I was glad to have my Kindle along for the extended travel time, especially when people around me only spoke a little English and my three words in Hindi wouldn't suffice for conversation. I think I'll have to try learning before too long..

Pashupati - view of the cremation platforms on the river.

Here in Kathmandu I've been hanging out with friends who are based here, doing linguistic research in connection with the local university. We watched a movie last night, are eating good good at a variety of restaurants, and yesterday wandered around to see some of the world heritage sites (there are 7 total just here in Kathmandu). The most fascinating one to me was Pashupati (above and below), where Hindus and Buddhists come for cremation. We couldn't enter the monastery, but wandered the grounds by the river.

Pashupati - meditation shrines and monastery.

Tomorrow I'm off to Singapore, with plenty more exploration of Nepal left undone. I suppose I'll just have to come back someday and pick up where I left off.