| Lumbini, bith place of Lord Buddha |
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October 07, 2007
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Birth place of Gautama Siddharta Buddha, Lumbini is one of the most religious site of the world.
The man who would have later achieve enlightment and would have inspired a global philosophy of peace and reflection, was born here, under a tree in Lumbini, in the month of May in 573 B.C.
The main reason to go to Lumbini is to visit the park built around the birth place of Lord Buddha... for sure not to visit Lumbini town, a small town with a terrible number of mosquitos (since Lumbini is in the Terai region, area with high risk of malaria). |
| Walking around Kathmandu |
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October 12, 2007
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Instead of going straigth to Durbar Square, the main square of Kathmandu, we have decided to make a walking tour among the small streets of Kathmandu.
Inside the big mess of this town, there are many hidden tresures: a mix of contemporary and ancient, all in a neglet state.
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| Swayambhunath: Monkeys' temple |
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October 14, 2007
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After the first walking tour of Kathmandu, we have decided to reach the Monkeys' Temple by walking, at 2.5 km from our guesthouse. A nice walk, to discover some Hindu temples, and then reach Swayambhunath, with its 370 steps, to reach the top of the hill.
Of course, as the name says, on the hill and around the temple area there is a small army of nice monkeys.
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| Pashupatinath and the cremations |
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October 17, 2007
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Pashupatinath is he most sacred Hindu temple in Nepal, and it is also one of the most important for all the Hindu around the world; also the members of the Nepali Royal Family are cremated here.
Every day of the year, from dawn to dusk, the pyres burn, burning the bodyes of the dead, whose ashes are thrown in the Bagmati, the sacred river which joins the sacred Indian Gange.
A unique experience, which merge life and death, as complementary in human being lives.
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| Boudanath and the Tibetan devoutness |
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October 17, 2007
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Boudanath is the biggest stupa of Nepal, and it is believed to contain a flake of bone of Lord Buddha.
Boudanath is the landmark for all the exiled Tibetan and also important place of pilgrimage. Its history is binded to Lhasa and the merchants' caravans crossing the Tibetan plateau and the Himalaya to trade with Kathmandu.
Today Boudanath is still the landmark of sherpa and mountaineer, leaving for expeditions toward the highest mountains of the world. |
| Langtang Trekking |
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October 27, 2007
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We have decide to do the Langtang Trekking because it is much less touristic than the well known Annapurna Circuit Trek and Everest Base Camp Trek.
The choice has been a good one: a trekking not too difficult, through some amazing and wonderful landscapes and Tibetan villages, ending with the climbing of the Tsergo Ri.
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| Kyangin Gompa and Tsergo Ri |
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October 30, 2007
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The lowest peak of the Langtang Valley is the Tsergo Ri (4985 metres), which allows you to enjoy a breathtaking sight of the Ganesh Himal (Lantang Lirung, Langtang Lirung II, Yala Peak, Ganja La,...).
The summit is invaded by hundreds of colourful flags with mantras, moved by a frozen wind, breaking the silence of the summit.
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| Pokhara |
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November 27, 2007
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The second largest city of Nepal, surrounded by mountains and facing the Phewa Lake, Pokhara is not only the base for starting the Annapurna Circuit Trek, but also a nice place where to spend a couple of peaceful days. |
| Tansen |
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December 01, 2007
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Tansen is a romantic medieval hill town. The narrow streets are full of Newari shop-houses and temples. Most of the centre is too steep for cars and motorbikes, making Tansen even more charming.
Around Tansen there are some nice walks to viewpoints and small villages. |
| Bandipur |
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December 06, 2007
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Bandipur, a traditional Newari village, is a place where people seems to leave centuries apart from the rest of the country.
Situated between Pokhara and Kathmandu, along the Prithvi Highway, this small village (and the nearby Ramkot) is an highligth which has managed to escape the ravages of tourist development. |
| Kathmandu, Durbar Square |
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December 09, 2007
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One of the highlights of Kathmandu, Human Heritage Site, this square is the worst mess of street sellers of vegetables, tiger balm, sandalwood chess games, spices, clothes... widen by the noise of motorbikes, microvan, richshaw, van,... Durbar Square (the main sqare in Kathmandu) is a wonderful square, rich of attractions and arts, unfortunately ruined by the chaotic context.
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| Patan |
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December 11, 2007
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Just a few kilometres from Kathmandu, perfect as a day trip from the Capital, Patan (also called Lalipur) is a city rich of temples, the best of which is the Golden Temple (so wonderful!) and the main square (Durbar Square), with no traffic and full of historical buildings and temples, much more rich of arts than Kathmandu Durbar Square.
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| Kirtipur, Gokarna and Kopan |
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December 14, 2007
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The surroundings of Kathmandu are rich of temples and attractions, perfect to escape to the noise of the Capital, and easy reachable with the public transport, less than one hour away from Thamel.
Kirtipur, a sleepy little town in the suburbs; Gokarna, a temple alive and crowded with devotees; and Kopan Monastery, crowded with tourists looking for themselves, with a 10 days meditation course "all incluvive".
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| To the zoo with the children of the orphanage |
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December 16, 2007
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Marco and Laura haven't gone to the zoo for 15 years. A few Km from Kathmandu there is the only zoo of Nepal, and it seems to be really nice.
So, they ask themselves: "Why not to bring all the orphanage to the zoo, as a day trip? Children, monk, and girls". This is the result of this wonderful day spent together with these lovely and exuberant children.
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| The children we are helping with your help |
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December 20, 2007
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After spending one week at the orphanage with the children, here is a selection of the hundreds of pictures taken.
Every day the children ask to be photographed; they pose and try to compete to be the main one in the picture. It is almost impossible to take pictures of the children while playing... as soon as they see the camera, they forget whatever they are doing and run in front of the objective.
... and, of course, the following day they wnat to be in front of the laptop while we watch the pictures taken!
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| Tour to the Monkeys' Temple with the children |
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December 23, 2007
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Since the children enjoyed so much the tour to the zoo, we have decided to bring them to make another tour outside the orphanage walls. Destination: monkeys' temple.
After a short visit to the temple, we have rested at the park, where the children have played football, while some other have tried to catch the monkeys.
To finish a lovely day, we have been all together to eat chowmein (noodles) and momo to a small restaurant nearby. How much do these children eat??? Some of them eat more than Marco!!! |
| Xmas with the children at the orphanage |
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December 28, 2007
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A few days late, due to Marco's sickness, we have celebrated Xmas with the children of the orphanage in Kathmandu.
Colourfull ballons, drawings of Santa Claus, ciocolate pancakes, monks' blessing, a present for every child,... this is Xmas!
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| First school day for the children |
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January 17, 2008
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Finally, with the help of a lot of our friends, relatives, and people we do not even know, we have succeed to sponsorize all the children of the orphanage, paying for one year school fees, school uniforms, bags, books, pencils, shoes,...
The first day of school some of the children were nervous, other relaxed, but generally they all were happy.
Marco also had a moment of great emotion when all the children took the school bus going toward their first day of school!
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| Monks at Boudha and Handicraft |
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January 20, 2008
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During full moon days, in front of Boudanath stupa, it is held a Buddhist ceremony with hundreds of monks. To this ceremony was present also a "rimpoche", a child believed to be the reincarnation of an important Lama.
The following pictures have been taken in Bugmati, a small village in the suburbs of Kathmandu, where we visited an handicraft shop of artisans building tridimensional mandalas and wooden statues.
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| Vaccination, Dancing, and Dinner |
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January 23, 2008
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Some pictures taken during the last two weeks at the orphanage: the doctor giving vaccination to the children against Hepatitis B (some children wer scared, others relaxed when they saw the needle); Marco teaching the children how to dance, to jump, and sing; and at last the dinner at the school principal's house.
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| Transport in Nepal |
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January 31, 2008
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Have you ever asked yourselves how the Nepali travel inside their country? Here some answers: ciclo-rickshaw, tuk-tuk, tempo, microvan, minivan, and local bus.
Finding out that the driving licence here in Nepal is bought, without any exam, has explained the "mess" in the streets, and the high number of accidents.
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| Nepali Food |
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February 01, 2008
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Here a small illustration of the nourishment (it would be too much to call it "food") you will find in Nepal.
Thankfully the local restaurants have added to the Nepali food also some items of international food: you will be able to find from pizza, to spaghetti, to mexican tacos. |
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