Pokhara was once a sleepy lakeside town in the middle of Nepal and is now a sprawling city that acts as the launching point for trekkers doing the Annapurna circuit. Despite the growth, the colorful culture is held firmly in tact by the beautiful hard-working people, the water buffalo ruling the roads and the 4-year-olds who are more competent than most college students. These photos were all taken in and around Pokhara.
In Pokhara, we were introduced to a couple who run a beautiful store filled with Tibetan goods. Their families escaped Tibet in the early 60's and headed to Nepal along with 20,000 other refugees. They were raised in the Tashi Palkheil Tibetan Refugee Settlement outside of Pokhara, where they still live along with about 1,000 other refugees. The settlement has two monastaries and a school and is actively working to maintain Tibetan culture within Nepal.We left inspired and humbled by their dedication and open hearts.
The Trishuli River: Half way between Pokhara and Kathmandu but on another planet all together. Clean air, clear water and green all around.
The faces of Nepal
We wrapped up Nepal with three days in Kathmandu. If you've been there, you know that three days feels like 3 weeks. With so many people, cars, animals crowding every street and a barrage of scents and sounds coming from every angle, it is one intense place. But, what really makes this big city different from the rest, is how life takes place on the streets. Within those three days we saw people praying, working, going to the bathroom, eating and being cremated all without opening a door.
