1. Nepal is known for its
mountainous Himalayas.

2. • May 18, 2006,  In April of this year,
Nepal was declared elections were held
a secular state and the Communist
Party of Nepal
(Maoist) won.
• Dec 28, 2007, the  The new President of
parliament passed a Nepal is Ram Baran
bill declaring Nepal Yadav
to be a federal
democratic republic
• King Gyanendra
was the last King

3. Eight of the ten highest mountains in the world,
including Mt. Everest, lies in Nepal.

5. Geology and Languages spoken in Nepal
28 million people live in Nepal
81% practice Hinduism
Neolithic tools found indicate that
People have been living in the mts
For at least 9000 years
Their flag is not quadrilateral in
shape, it is five sided.

6. This tourist area is known as Thamel, in the
capital of Kathmandu

7. Pre-arranged a visit with Devendra Man and
Wife Drinyka Shakya, deaf owners of Hotel Metropolitan Kantipur

8. After letting us in, we were greeted inside an
open garden-style Courtyard.

9. Devendra greeted us warmly with open arms ! This front
entrance is built entirely of wood. Beautiful !!

10. The best rooms in his hotel
are upstairs with an open large
balcony with a view of
Kathmandu Valley.

12. Vicki, Drinyka, Devendra, and deaf waiter
enjoyed an evening meal at the Bakery Café.

13. A social dinner gathering at their home with a deaf Italian who
was also staying in the area.

14. Impressive Buddhism Monastery

16. A large spinning prayer wheel !

19. Bodhnath Stupa
Stupas are built to house
Holy relics or to commemorate
An event or place, with a
Structure that symbolizes
Buddhist beliefs
It is believed that there is a
Piece of bone inside that once
Belonged to Gautama Buddha
The structure takes on
symbolism of:
The earth, the air, fire, water, and
ether.
Source: travel books

20. The watchful eyes glaze out in four directions.
There is a third eye above the pair of eyes.
It is not a ‘nose’, but a symbol representing
“oneness”.

24. Bhaktapur, a medieval city

27. A five tiered pagoda

30. Cattles are sacred in Nepal.

31. • Our two-night visit at Kathmandu was a short
one, but well worth it !
• Royal Mountain Travel ITS Driver and Guide
picked us up around 7 a.m. and drove to the
border town of Kodari, where a very
complicated process of paperwork was
involved to get into China
• Friendship Highway is mostly a gravel/dirt
winding road. (until you get to Tingri)
• We saw pieces of heavy tree trunks, barrels,
and even boards filled with nails lying on the
road to make it harder for the vehicles to
maneuver.

32. Guide Jigme Driver Pembo

33. 14-day Tibet Overland
with Everest Base Camp
• Tailor-made to our particular interests
and time constraints
• Arranged by Royal Mountain ITS
Agency
• With the assistance of Catherine
Spence of the Tibetan
Expeditions/Shigatse Travels
• Website: www.tibetanexpeditions.com

40. Growing crops in the mountains
Can be challenging !

41. Taking the road less
traveled .
Farewell Nepal !!

42. Tibet

44. Tibet is
Homeland
to approx
3 million
Tibetans
and Chinese.

45. All visitors must
have travel
permits.
Best option is to
arrange a tour
with an agency
In Lhasa.

46. Zhangmu, first town after crossing the
border

47. The Friendship
Highway
between Kathmandu
and Lhasa

48. Road Construction Ahead !

54. Nyalam Guest House

55. Rooms were in the back
of the courtyard.

56. A little daze and dizzy !
Due to 11,000 ft altitude!
It is also cold, no heat !!
I am ready for some hot tea !

57. No caption is necessary,
you know what this is ??

58. Pony Cart

59. Acclimatization Day – a hike to Tara Lake, but some four hours
later, the clouds came and we had to turn back !

60. Is this high altitude getting to you ?

61. A refuge for Barry till Vicki and Guide Jigme get
back. The Sun was bright and shining, not for
long.

62. This is as far as we could go ! High Altitude and Approaching Clouds
forced us to return back.

64. Nyalam, Tibet

67. Everest Snowleopard Hotel
At Lao Tingri

69. Buddhism Monks at the Tashilumpo Monastery
in Shigatse

71. Tashilumpo
Monastery
is the seat of the
Panchen Lama
Sect, which
is the second
leading
religious group.

74. Potala Palace, awesome palace with over 1000 rooms,
dates from the 17th century; formerly the chief residence of the
Dalai Lama, Now a Museum

77. 14th Dalai
Lama,
Spiritual
Leader of the
Tibetans,
Now exile in
Dharamsala,
India

78. One of the
Statues
In the
Buddhism
Temple
Permission
With a small
Fee is often
Requested
When taking
Photo Credit: Ron Hirano
A picture.

79. The Jokhang is
Tibet’s most
reverenced site.
pilgrims bow and
pray on the
flagstones just
outside the
temple doors.
Photo Credit: Ron Hirano

80. The Jokhang Temple in Lhasa
Photo Credit: Ron Hirano

81. The Drak Yerpa Caves
Built on a hillside with
more than 80
meditation caves

84. Vicki’s new friend !

85. Ganden Monastery
located at the top of
Wangbur Mountain

87. • Little fuel is available for heat or
lighting, so flat roofs are built to
conserve heat, and multiple windows
are constructed to let in sunlight.

89. Monks debating under trees, common sight at Sera Monastery

90. Tibet at a Glance:
• Historically remained in isolation till
Chinese occupation in 1950-1951
• Age of air and train travel has only
recently opened to foreign visitors
• Average elevation is around 13,000 feet
(4,000 m)
• Wettest month is July – average of 25 mm
• Economy predominantly in Agriculture and
Animal Husbandry

91. The outskirts of Lhasa

97. Flags on bridges, the hills, and homes to infuse
the wind with prayers and peace.

99. Photo Credit: Ron Hirano

100. Stalls selling things along
the pilgrimage route.
Photo Credit: Ron Hirano

101. The School for the Deaf is just down the road !!!!

103. Tibetan Folk Music and Show

105. Photo Credit: Ron Hirano

106. Here is Fred trying out the Tibetan Dance !!!

107. Tibetan Deaf Association Sewing
Workshop on the Fourth Floor

109. Photo Credit: Ron Hirano

111. Our room at the Yak Hotel,
Lhasa, Tibet

112. Colorful ceiling in our
hotel room

113. • The most important crop in Tibet is
barley, and dough made from barley
flour called tsampa,
• It is rolled into noodles or made into
steamed dumplings called momos.
• Meat dishes are likely to be yak, goat,
or mutton, often dried, or cooked into a
spicy stew with potatoes.
• Yak yoghurt, butter and cheese are
frequently eaten.
• Butter tea is a very popular drink and
many Tibetans drink up to 100 cups a
day

116. What do you think this
is ?

117. The new Qingzang-Tibet Railway Station,
opened in July 2006

119. 48 hours Train Trip
from Lhasa to Beijing
• Four sleeping berths, of which we shared
with two others
• Two nights
• Dining Car was next to our car
• Climbed to 5,072 meters above sea level,
world’s highest rail track; breathtaking
scenery in Tibet
• Cross 675 bridges, more than half is laid on
permafrost
• Approx $ 150 per person for a soft sleeper