The pulse of Nepal: KATMANDU

A heaping plate of buffalo momos --pan-fried dumplings-- for less than à buck, is a good way to get over jetlag!


And then, just settle into this tiny country's capital city.  Katmandu might be described by 3 adjectives... 

First one?  Chaotic!  Twisting alleyways, suicidal traffic, and scheduled power outages constantly keep you on your toes.

That being said, the second adjective is Peaceful.  Sounds surprising, yet there are beautiful rooftop terraces for reading and relaxing 

Everyone is very friendly, and I have yet to feel unsafe or threatened in any way (which feels really good!) 






And, finally, the third adjective is Entrancing!  The smell of incense and spices as you walk the streets, the religious icons that seem to be everywhere you turn, even the way people go about their daily business is all very new and interesting.
There's a certain energy in the air that is hard to describe, but definitely special to behold. 

Here are a couple of highlights: 

The Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square monuments (a World Heritage Sight since 1979) is a complex of palaces and temples that used to be the seat of the ancient Malia Kings of Katmandu back around 1500AD.    It is here that the king of Nepal is crowned and his coronation is solemnized.


Monk communities blend right into the city landscape.

Like the monks....monkeys, goats, and the sacred Cow are all fully integrated into the city.

Thanks to Will Borchert (below) for contributing to this series of Pulse of Nepal

Easter Island...a long but worthwhile trek

Easter Island – Rapa Nui in the native tongue --  is a minute volcanic island in the South Pacific with a history magnificent enough to captivate any imagination.  

It holds the designation as the most remote, continuously inhabited island in the world, 

and its most storied occupants are the Moai, great carved beings who are representations of the people’s forebears.

 Your host guides welcome you into their guesthouse at the edge of town, and serve as interpreters for the ancient as well as modern history of their island– 

and then introduce you to a vaquero, or Chilean cowboy, to explore the lava tubes and ruins of the remote northern coast--

 or you can choose to rent a bike and strike out on your own.

Sunset is mellow – around the  cove of  sun-faded fishing boats and overseen by the stately moai, Ahu Tautira. 

And at day’s end,  there’re lantern-til taverns waiting for you, with batik-covered tables full of pisse (pronounced pee-see) straight from the sea and lemony-sharp chilean ceviche.  

All that’s left is a night of wind-blown solitude on your speck in the Pacific.